tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19903027658724134442024-03-21T06:25:09.565-07:00GraphicGumbo...DailyDaily sketches from a sketchbook...Some better, some worse. It's what I call my, "Sketchie Thoughts."Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.comBlogger448125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-64592695523607756642024-03-21T06:24:00.000-07:002024-03-21T06:24:09.356-07:00"Does This Mean Our Relationship Is Over?"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfFCVrgp4bPdG4nR1FyTyVa7WdOuZxVdJAAnKU-ewV12rBk_e1mLdE2Sav-f6jzSFlm2ODfaWzIlGCOK_NEU4iOoVl2cdYCUgpvjQJL__eJyUppDjKB_wFarbuB71LEei-aU45cT_Uhyphenhyphen0j473XKtRCye6J1rVkprPySIXHhtBTQaJyGNW7ryZGxQf7g/s1979/Finger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1289" data-original-width="1979" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUfFCVrgp4bPdG4nR1FyTyVa7WdOuZxVdJAAnKU-ewV12rBk_e1mLdE2Sav-f6jzSFlm2ODfaWzIlGCOK_NEU4iOoVl2cdYCUgpvjQJL__eJyUppDjKB_wFarbuB71LEei-aU45cT_Uhyphenhyphen0j473XKtRCye6J1rVkprPySIXHhtBTQaJyGNW7ryZGxQf7g/s320/Finger.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glovey Wovey...</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Well, I really have no one to blame but myself. Three Wednesdays ago, I received a third “invite” to visit my urologist. At first, it was with the phone call. Then, a text message. Both of each, I ignored. Finally, through My Chart, the front desk requested an interview of some sort.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">At last, I walk through the door of the doctor’s office and is handed a list of pages I am suppose to fill out.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“Ma’am, why do I need to fill these forms out?” You guys have been harassing me for over a month and therefore, I assume you have all the information you need on me!”</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“I’m sorry,” is all she said.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“Yeh, me too!”</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Signed, sealed and delivered, I was seated in one of the rooms after another inquisition and a good pee in a cup, I await the urologist, and peruse the many interesting models and all the wonderful things that could go wrong with one’s “pleasure machine!”</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">The urologist enters a few minutes later to tell me that my urine is fine and that all systems seem fine, but…</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“Mister Bensen, I am curious as to why do you have two urologists?”</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“I do?”</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Laughing, I proceed to tell him the shortened version of my “Tales Of Testosterone” epic. I could tell from the look on his face he was only slightly amused.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“So, you are seeing this doctor and he is monitoring you levels every six months… Correct?”</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“Yes, I guess so. It’s about time to see him soon,” I said, a bit apologetically. I thought that guy was you guys!”</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“So you won’t be having a need for our services, I assume,” he said.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“I am told because of my age that I won’t be needing a PSA exam for another five years, so I guess not”…<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“Not with you guys, at least!”</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“Well, okay, but before I let you go, let’s make sure all is well and have another look anyway!”</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I thought,”you mean for old time’s sake” but I didn’t say it.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">As expected, I passed the test with a quick poke from the blue fickle finger of fate. Pulling my pants back up, I turned to the man, looked him straight in the eye, and as he ripped away his gloves asked him<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>with a slight smirk on my face…</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>“Is this the end… Does this mean our relationship is over?”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Will I ever see you again?</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“No,” he said.</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">First loving Giddy Up cup!</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px; text-align: center;">Copyright 2024/Ben Bensen III</p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-68757488320789330632024-03-03T05:46:00.000-08:002024-03-03T05:46:39.409-08:00"A Different Kind Of Tip Jar!"<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdrAP4xPZV7UZ7Ftf0U6m-P6u2c3VximWjBEr74yAcn_OPuypEQ6P53VX-5MqrkV7zZ5_-VQGXyJGY0kYAnjvWlc-cqWbLupYlID68C_ExTt9O5LDI3fb6zdCchSw6M5S07gLzd2CwAj3-pgw48gBbvNz7GLdVmfTjYzskICNn-hJgqkMo4ILgOvojw/s1290/Banjo%20Tip%20Jar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1290" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdrAP4xPZV7UZ7Ftf0U6m-P6u2c3VximWjBEr74yAcn_OPuypEQ6P53VX-5MqrkV7zZ5_-VQGXyJGY0kYAnjvWlc-cqWbLupYlID68C_ExTt9O5LDI3fb6zdCchSw6M5S07gLzd2CwAj3-pgw48gBbvNz7GLdVmfTjYzskICNn-hJgqkMo4ILgOvojw/s320/Banjo%20Tip%20Jar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collection Plate?</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Good Sunday Morning, all bodies.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The bluegrass band was great the other night. I found it rather interesting that the banjo player used his case as a tip jar. It was placed right at the edge of dance floor in front of the New Heights tent.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I went to the car and retrieved one of my sketchbooks to record the "banjo bank." It was a rather cold, damp night, so I didn't spend much time obsessing over any details. Satisfied with my 20 minute sketch, I closed the book, dropped a five <span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><a style="animation-name: none !important; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>dollar bill in the case and headed home.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">First cup!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; transition-property: none !important;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; transition-property: none !important;">Copyright 2024/Ben Bensen III</div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-67384099500471200742024-02-05T18:37:00.000-08:002024-02-05T18:37:30.056-08:00"Total Ellipse from the heart... ha!"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HB6VYq8nfeaHZtY9GPGTRAhh5p8HtGH71PlISYrJsQoazavYf6qRV3xU4ziib8wSph-KDNIkgt9rl5hfERCgb3jIUi792lWaXdsfCE3XuvznMiwQpbepGfLQNdKMN7uP5mVA47O-MDnMxvnEk7BqEIQ0c_m75B4-yCuozSus_aKAC0dhzLTmDtVpfg/s993/gaslamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="741" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9HB6VYq8nfeaHZtY9GPGTRAhh5p8HtGH71PlISYrJsQoazavYf6qRV3xU4ziib8wSph-KDNIkgt9rl5hfERCgb3jIUi792lWaXdsfCE3XuvznMiwQpbepGfLQNdKMN7uP5mVA47O-MDnMxvnEk7BqEIQ0c_m75B4-yCuozSus_aKAC0dhzLTmDtVpfg/s320/gaslamp.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /> <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Here’s today’s product from the Lacombe Art Guild sketching get together, today at the Giddy Up coffee house in Folsom</span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">! </span><br /><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2024/Ben Bensen III <br /></span></span></p>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-47914980076394798072024-02-02T03:38:00.000-08:002024-02-02T03:38:08.797-08:00"Symbiosis"...<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrukimXH_PPazdzlFeVua-LfizsTjBsvXQaNLlt5wc-y1hdumpOEzXuNNcJPYFY5EVCMXgVKAWDAuh-niw8VuJinstKLZeszh4k4vrbxiSJQk7I2P98q6oogdr7RqtM-BVO22oxkH-ddMCEL9Xl-gXxBorWhv6IOZ9WP5OaTGKC-PRcIT_-eNitKsbQ/s727/Berry%20Smoothie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="545" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrukimXH_PPazdzlFeVua-LfizsTjBsvXQaNLlt5wc-y1hdumpOEzXuNNcJPYFY5EVCMXgVKAWDAuh-niw8VuJinstKLZeszh4k4vrbxiSJQk7I2P98q6oogdr7RqtM-BVO22oxkH-ddMCEL9Xl-gXxBorWhv6IOZ9WP5OaTGKC-PRcIT_-eNitKsbQ/s320/Berry%20Smoothie.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Well, good "Groundhog's Day" Friday Morning, all bodies.</span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What will the big rat have to say about the weather?</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday, I had to have a CT-Scan just to make certain all my innards are behaving themselves. Naturally, in order to see what the scanner needs to see, one has to gulp down two bottles of "barium" with inactive ingredients like sodium benzoate, sodium citrate, potassium sorbate, simethicone emulsion, and benzoic acid all wrapped up in a tasty berry flavored smoothie!</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><a style="animation-name: none !important; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>I've had worse smoothies than this, that's for sure.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The deal is that you have to drink a quarter of the bottle of goop every 15 minutes, which leaves a lotta time to be bored. There wasn't many patients hanging around and wrestling with the goop. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One man spent about 15 minutes talking about the dangerous things he did on motorcycles as a 26 year old. In the blink of the eye, he motored in and motored out of the office. Can't say I blame him.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There was one woman who acknowledge me by nodding and saying hello... And, that's all she cared to say, so I decided to sketch her. Problem was, I forgot my sketchbook and some decent pens to draw with. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJKpOFVhK-4Wd1XIHSLHePPoE2NfPIWlfEpglFqatpvlG4cAeKmNCxYAX5Eb7HRwvNYeM9KxufTdTmvPrZGWkzuYX1bAhOel9O_gI7yxgqZK38zVPwO5X6xT-slcL_FH4-hKs0ze365HdnE2n4ePU2lvuNyLzEUemBELwDElzrhjt85kf6r8K-Zu5bA/s727/Marlayna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="545" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitJKpOFVhK-4Wd1XIHSLHePPoE2NfPIWlfEpglFqatpvlG4cAeKmNCxYAX5Eb7HRwvNYeM9KxufTdTmvPrZGWkzuYX1bAhOel9O_gI7yxgqZK38zVPwO5X6xT-slcL_FH4-hKs0ze365HdnE2n4ePU2lvuNyLzEUemBELwDElzrhjt85kf6r8K-Zu5bA/s320/Marlayna.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Desperate to entertain myself between quarterly goop gulps, I borrowed a black Pentel from the nurse at the front desk window and grabbed the blank back pages of a recent patient portal summary and went to town.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Marlayna", the woman I sketched split after about ten minutes or so, so I turned my attention to a heartfelt, but tacky plastic centerpiece with a metallic fuzzy Valentine centerpiece.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, that still gave me another barium bottle to drink and another sixty minutes to blow. I figured in order to be "at one" with nasty stuff, I'd try to see it in another light. Our symbiosis really didn't change anything or make our relationship any more palatable, but the diversion became that spoonful of sugar that helped the medicine goop go down.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The results of my scan will debut sometime next week.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2024/Ben Bensen III</span></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-72647144965867435542024-01-30T20:21:00.000-08:002024-01-30T20:22:13.511-08:00"Super Duper DeFlation!"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnn8tVkkbAagUW0AfSyXECJe14AITHfgPq4J2XDGXk643TLpu_FZNisdQi3hoglx5p9OfQI9jWPlgfAya2tAeffrchyo8DdZ3bu-2AgiorIwPs-KMroNxExTzHd2JxlQ9qJFNw-DFYu4__84-VjxueoH0f2n-Cs1l1503AnfDjF8w4UsNav6fdL6kDA/s1485/322954276_663097588896057_2119373753089166353_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="1485" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnn8tVkkbAagUW0AfSyXECJe14AITHfgPq4J2XDGXk643TLpu_FZNisdQi3hoglx5p9OfQI9jWPlgfAya2tAeffrchyo8DdZ3bu-2AgiorIwPs-KMroNxExTzHd2JxlQ9qJFNw-DFYu4__84-VjxueoH0f2n-Cs1l1503AnfDjF8w4UsNav6fdL6kDA/s320/322954276_663097588896057_2119373753089166353_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">De-Flated...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Good "Super Duper" Day after, Monday morning, y'all. </span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">I'm feeling rather deflated about the entire game... Though I love football, the game, especially the NFL, is impossible to watch nowadays.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Congrats to all the teams that made it to the playoffs, and, I guess, congrats to the teams playing in the Super Bowl, but I have no real interest in the outcome this year. Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't these two teams in the Bowl game four years ago? </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><a style="animation-name: none !important; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>C'est la vie...
<div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="x169t7cy x19f6ikt" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-left: -16px; margin-right: -16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div aria-label="Comment by Karen Kuchar 14 hours ago" class="x1n2onr6 x1swvt13 x1iorvi4 x78zum5 x1q0g3np x1a2a7pz" role="article" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: row; font-family: inherit; outline: none; padding-left: 16px; padding-top: 4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="-1"><div class="x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1pi30zi" style="animation-name: none !important; flex-basis: 0px; flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="xv55zj0 x1vvkbs x1rg5ohu xxymvpz" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; max-width: calc(100% - 26px); overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="x3nfvp2 x1n2onr6 xxymvpz xh8yej3" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 604px;"><div class="xdl72j9 x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xeuugli xh8yej3" style="animation-name: none !important; flex: 1 1 auto; font-family: inherit; min-width: 0px; transition-property: none !important; width: 604px;"><div class="xmjcpbm x1tlxs6b x1g8br2z x1gn5b1j x230xth x9f619 xzsf02u x1rg5ohu xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x193iq5w x1mzt3pk x1n2onr6 xeaf4i8 x13faqbe" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--comment-background); border-radius: 18px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--primary-text); display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow-wrap: break-word; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: collapse; word-break: break-word;"><div class="x1y1aw1k xn6708d xwib8y2 x1ye3gou" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding: 8px 12px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="x1lliihq xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 4px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">What’s the problem w NFL games nowadays?</div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">I never watch it (well that’s a lie, I do watch the Super Bowl each year maybe the last few innings of it anyway</div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="x1ve5b48 x177n6bx x10l6tqk x1ja2u2z xlshs6z" style="animation-name: none !important; bottom: -11px; font-family: inherit; position: absolute; right: 2px; transition-property: none !important; visibility: inherit; z-index: 0;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x4k7w5x x1h91t0o x1h9r5lt x1jfb8zj xv2umb2 x1beo9mf xaigb6o x12ejxvf x3igimt xarpa2k xedcshv x1lytzrv x1t2pt76 x7ja8zs x1qrby5j" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div aria-label="1 reaction; see who reacted to this" class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1n2onr6 x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-radius: inherit; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x1ncwhqj x1nn3v0j xg83lxy x1120s5i x1h0ha7o x9bbmet xqnafso x1tlxs6b x1g8br2z x1gn5b1j x230xth xmix8c7" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--popover-background); border-radius: 18px; box-shadow: 0 1px 3px 0 var(--shadow-2); display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.6875rem; height: 18px; padding: 2px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x15zctf7 xkhd6sd" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: row-reverse; font-family: inherit; padding-left: 0px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x9bbmet x48pi3f xol2nv x1a2cdl4 xnhgr82 x1qt0ttw xgk8upj x78zum5 x1a2a7pz x1n2onr6 xd10rxx x1mh8g0r" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--popover-background); border-radius: 10px; border-right-color: var(--popover-background); border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 2px; display: flex; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 0px; outline: none; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1ey2m1c xds687c xg01cxk x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy x1ebt8du x19991ni x1dhq9h" data-visualcompletion="ignore" role="none" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: inherit; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: none !important; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="x1rg5ohu xxymvpz x17z2i9w" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 22px;"><div aria-hidden="false" class="x1hy63sm xg01cxk xhva3ql" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 11px; opacity: 0; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x4k7w5x x1h91t0o x1h9r5lt x1jfb8zj xv2umb2 x1beo9mf xaigb6o x12ejxvf x3igimt xarpa2k xedcshv x1lytzrv x1t2pt76 x7ja8zs x1qrby5j" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="menu" aria-label="Delete, hide or report this" class="x1i10hfl x1qjc9v5 xjqpnuy xa49m3k xqeqjp1 x2hbi6w x9f619 x1ypdohk xdl72j9 x2lah0s xe8uvvx x2lwn1j xeuugli x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1ja2u2z x1t137rt x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1q0g3np x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz xjyslct xjbqb8w x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x3nfvp2 xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n2onr6 x3ajldb x194ut8o x1vzenxt xd7ygy7 xt298gk x1xhcax0 x1s928wv x10pfhc2 x1j6awrg x1v53gu8 x1tfg27r xitxdhh" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; animation-name: none !important; appearance: none; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-radius: inherit; border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none; vertical-align: bottom; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><i class="x1b0d499 x1d69dk1" data-visualcompletion="css-img" style="animation-name: none !important; background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/yN/r/QkAcj1Z2AOT.png"); background-position: -148px -132px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 190px 172px; display: inline-block; filter: var(--filter-secondary-icon); height: 16px; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: -0.25em; width: 16px;"></i><div class="x1ey2m1c xds687c xg01cxk x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy x1ebt8du x19991ni x1dhq9h x14yjl9h xudhj91 x18nykt9 xww2gxu" data-visualcompletion="ignore" role="none" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: 50%; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: none !important; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></span></div></div></div><div class="x6s0dn4 x3nfvp2" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><ul aria-hidden="false" class="x1n0m28w x78zum5 x1wfe3co xat24cr xsgj6o6 x1o1nzlu xyqdw3p" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; line-height: 12px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px -8px 0px 4px; min-height: 15px; padding: 3px 0px 0px; transition-property: none !important;"><li class="x1rg5ohu x1emribx x1i64zmx" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><br /></div></li></ul></div></div></div><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="x46jau6" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-left: 54px; transition-property: none !important;"><div aria-label="Reply by Ben Bensen III to Karen Kuchar's comment 9 hours ago" class="x1n2onr6 xurb0ha x1iorvi4 x78zum5 x1q0g3np x1a2a7pz" role="article" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: row; font-family: inherit; outline: none; padding-left: 8px; padding-top: 4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="-1"><div class="x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1pi30zi" style="animation-name: none !important; flex-basis: 0px; flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="xv55zj0 x1vvkbs x1rg5ohu xxymvpz" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; max-width: calc(100% - 26px); overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="x3nfvp2 x1n2onr6 xxymvpz xh8yej3" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 566px;"><div class="xdl72j9 x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xeuugli xh8yej3" style="animation-name: none !important; flex: 1 1 auto; font-family: inherit; min-width: 0px; transition-property: none !important; width: 566px;"><div class="xmjcpbm x1tlxs6b x1g8br2z x1gn5b1j x230xth x9f619 xzsf02u x1rg5ohu xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x193iq5w x1mzt3pk x1n2onr6 xeaf4i8 x13faqbe" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--comment-background); border-radius: 18px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--primary-text); display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow-wrap: break-word; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: collapse; word-break: break-word;"><div class="x1y1aw1k xn6708d xwib8y2 x1ye3gou" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding: 8px 12px; transition-property: none !important;"><div aria-label="Identity Badges" class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz x1heor9g xt0b8zv" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="0"><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x12nagc" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; display: flex; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 4px; transition-property: none !important;"><img alt="" class="xz74otr xw3qccf" height="12" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/yw/r/8iuTX4LlGZO.png" style="animation-name: none !important; border: 0px; margin-right: 4px; object-fit: fill; transition-property: none !important;" /><span class="xi81zsa x190qgfh x1s688f x1u7k74 x16dsc37 xfs2ol5" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--secondary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.625rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2; margin-right: 2px; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: top;">Author</span></div></div><span class="xt0psk2" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><a aria-hidden="false" class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz x1heor9g xt0b8zv" href="https://www.facebook.com/Gumboben?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMDIyODE5ODk4MTk1Mjc0Nl8zNDYyODg4NTQ5MzY3NjM%3D&__cft__[0]=AZWvkIn16x0JyGAy9zQEwjEY6Y-_phPa3TKha0tmFpXUYEBTy_uL6AvlXXD1ObgfvFCRFH9jEoxi74qsk-IXLt3VMVwM7x1-Ks5B_NxUVQBE_Iic_HdWG1Wh3o5AGErv8EWBTYjj4XwDiRm6r3SPQ5zmJD5AxB6e7baljSAuxdcOuQ&__tn__=R]-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="0"><span class="x3nfvp2" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x676frb x1nxh6w3 x1sibtaa x1s688f xzsf02u" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8125rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2308; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;">Ben Bensen III</span></span></a></span><div class="x1lliihq xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 4px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">It's a bit difficult to explain to those that really don't follow it on a game to game way. There are way too many changes by the networks to accommodate the female audience.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">It's like a boy's club house that displays a sign which says,"No Girls Allowed." Sure enough some female is gonna want to know what's going on and why can't I join.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">It doesn't take long before they start making changes and accepting the "softer side".</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">Understand, I am not against football loving women's participation. It's the NFL and the major networks need for a bigger audience that has caused the slow decline ... As far back as the late 1980's!</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="x46jau6" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-left: 54px; transition-property: none !important;"><div aria-label="Reply by Ben Bensen III to Karen Kuchar's comment 8 hours ago" class="x1n2onr6 xurb0ha x1iorvi4 x78zum5 x1q0g3np x1a2a7pz" role="article" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: row; font-family: inherit; outline: none; padding-left: 8px; padding-top: 4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="-1"><div class="x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1pi30zi" style="animation-name: none !important; flex-basis: 0px; flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="xv55zj0 x1vvkbs x1rg5ohu xxymvpz" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; max-width: calc(100% - 26px); overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="x3nfvp2 x1n2onr6 xxymvpz xh8yej3" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 566px;"><div class="xdl72j9 x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xeuugli xh8yej3" style="animation-name: none !important; flex: 1 1 auto; font-family: inherit; min-width: 0px; transition-property: none !important; width: 566px;"><div class="xmjcpbm x1tlxs6b x1g8br2z x1gn5b1j x230xth x9f619 xzsf02u x1rg5ohu xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x193iq5w x1mzt3pk x1n2onr6 xeaf4i8 x13faqbe" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--comment-background); border-radius: 18px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--primary-text); display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow-wrap: break-word; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: collapse; word-break: break-word;"><div class="x1y1aw1k xn6708d xwib8y2 x1ye3gou" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding: 8px 12px; transition-property: none !important;"><div aria-label="Identity Badges" class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz x1heor9g xt0b8zv" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="0"><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x12nagc" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; display: flex; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 4px; transition-property: none !important;"><img alt="" class="xz74otr xw3qccf" height="12" referrerpolicy="origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/yw/r/8iuTX4LlGZO.png" style="animation-name: none !important; border: 0px; margin-right: 4px; object-fit: fill; transition-property: none !important;" /><span class="xi81zsa x190qgfh x1s688f x1u7k74 x16dsc37 xfs2ol5" style="animation-name: none !important; color: var(--secondary-text); font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.625rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2; margin-right: 2px; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: top;">Author</span></div></div><span class="xt0psk2" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><a aria-hidden="false" class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz x1heor9g xt0b8zv" href="https://www.facebook.com/Gumboben?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMDIyODE5ODk4MTk1Mjc0Nl8zNzE2MzE2NzQyMDI4Njg0&__cft__[0]=AZWvkIn16x0JyGAy9zQEwjEY6Y-_phPa3TKha0tmFpXUYEBTy_uL6AvlXXD1ObgfvFCRFH9jEoxi74qsk-IXLt3VMVwM7x1-Ks5B_NxUVQBE_Iic_HdWG1Wh3o5AGErv8EWBTYjj4XwDiRm6r3SPQ5zmJD5AxB6e7baljSAuxdcOuQ&__tn__=R]-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="0"><span class="x3nfvp2" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x676frb x1nxh6w3 x1sibtaa x1s688f xzsf02u" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8125rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2308; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;">Ben Bensen III</span></span></a></span><div class="x1lliihq xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 4px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">But, that answer is only part of the problem. There is now sports betting which I am vehemently against. One example is the pass interference rule which is too nebulous and ripe with fraud. Games can be won and lost on a simple play juried by lawyers in New York and the constant excuses, injury timeouts and such provides for way too many commercial breaks.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">There is no flow in the game of football nowadays!</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="x1rg5ohu xxymvpz x17z2i9w" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 22px;"><div aria-hidden="false" class="x1hy63sm xg01cxk xhva3ql" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 11px; opacity: 0; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x4k7w5x x1h91t0o x1h9r5lt x1jfb8zj xv2umb2 x1beo9mf xaigb6o x12ejxvf x3igimt xarpa2k xedcshv x1lytzrv x1t2pt76 x7ja8zs x1qrby5j" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div aria-expanded="false" aria-haspopup="menu" aria-label="Edit or delete this" class="x1i10hfl x1qjc9v5 xjqpnuy xa49m3k xqeqjp1 x2hbi6w x9f619 x1ypdohk xdl72j9 x2lah0s xe8uvvx x2lwn1j xeuugli x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1ja2u2z x1t137rt x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1q0g3np x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz xjyslct xjbqb8w x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi x972fbf xcfux6l x1qhh985 xm0m39n x3nfvp2 xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n2onr6 x3ajldb x194ut8o x1vzenxt xd7ygy7 xt298gk x1xhcax0 x1s928wv x10pfhc2 x1j6awrg x1v53gu8 x1tfg27r xitxdhh" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; align-items: stretch; animation-name: none !important; appearance: none; background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-left-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-radius: inherit; border-right-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-style: solid; border-top-color: var(--always-dark-overlay); border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; flex-basis: auto; flex-direction: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none; vertical-align: bottom; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><i class="x1b0d499 x1d69dk1" data-visualcompletion="css-img" style="animation-name: none !important; background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/rsrc.php/v3/yN/r/QkAcj1Z2AOT.png"); background-position: -148px -132px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 190px 172px; display: inline-block; filter: var(--filter-secondary-icon); height: 16px; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: -0.25em; width: 16px;"></i><div class="x1ey2m1c xds687c xg01cxk x47corl x10l6tqk x17qophe x13vifvy x1ebt8du x19991ni x1dhq9h x14yjl9h xudhj91 x18nykt9 xww2gxu" data-visualcompletion="ignore" role="none" style="animation-name: none !important; border-radius: 50%; font-family: inherit; inset: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; transition-duration: var(--fds-duration-extra-extra-short-out); transition-property: none !important; transition-timing-function: var(--fds-animation-fade-out);"></div></div></span></div></div></div><div class="x6s0dn4 x3nfvp2" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><ul aria-hidden="false" class="x1n0m28w x78zum5 x1wfe3co xat24cr xsgj6o6 x1o1nzlu xyqdw3p" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; line-height: 12px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px -8px 0px 4px; min-height: 15px; padding: 3px 0px 0px; transition-property: none !important;"><li class="x1rg5ohu x1emribx x1i64zmx" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><b><br /></b></div></li><li class="x1rg5ohu x1emribx x1i64zmx" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><b><br /></b></div></li><li class="x1rg5ohu x1emribx x1i64zmx" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 8px; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><b><br /></b><br /></div></li></ul></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="x169t7cy x19f6ikt" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-left: -16px; margin-right: -16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div aria-label="Comment by Dorothy S Willse 9 hours ago" class="x1n2onr6 x1swvt13 x1iorvi4 x78zum5 x1q0g3np x1a2a7pz" role="article" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: row; font-family: inherit; outline: none; padding-left: 16px; padding-top: 4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="-1"><div class="x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1pi30zi" style="animation-name: none !important; flex-basis: 0px; flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 12px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><div class="xv55zj0 x1vvkbs x1rg5ohu xxymvpz" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; max-width: calc(100% - 26px); overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="x3nfvp2 x1n2onr6 xxymvpz xh8yej3" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 174.85px;"><div class="xdl72j9 x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xeuugli xh8yej3" style="animation-name: none !important; flex: 1 1 auto; font-family: inherit; min-width: 0px; transition-property: none !important; width: 174.85px;"><div class="xmjcpbm x1tlxs6b x1g8br2z x1gn5b1j x230xth x9f619 xzsf02u x1rg5ohu xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x193iq5w x1mzt3pk x1n2onr6 xeaf4i8 x13faqbe" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--comment-background); border-radius: 18px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--primary-text); display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow-wrap: break-word; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="x1y1aw1k xn6708d xwib8y2 x1ye3gou" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding: 8px 12px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="x1lliihq xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-top: 4px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><a aria-hidden="false" class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz x1heor9g xt0b8zv" href="https://www.facebook.com/dorothy.willse?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoxMDIyODE5ODk4MTk1Mjc0Nl85MTU0MjgxMzM5MjEyNDI%3D&__cft__[0]=AZWvkIn16x0JyGAy9zQEwjEY6Y-_phPa3TKha0tmFpXUYEBTy_uL6AvlXXD1ObgfvFCRFH9jEoxi74qsk-IXLt3VMVwM7x1-Ks5B_NxUVQBE_Iic_HdWG1Wh3o5AGErv8EWBTYjj4XwDiRm6r3SPQ5zmJD5AxB6e7baljSAuxdcOuQ&__tn__=R]-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="0"><span class="x3nfvp2" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x676frb x1nxh6w3 x1sibtaa x1s688f xzsf02u" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; animation-name: none !important; color: var(--primary-text); display: inline !important; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.8125rem; font-weight: 600; line-height: 1.2308; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; word-break: break-word;">Dorothy S Willse </span></span></a>I have to totally agree!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="x169t7cy x19f6ikt" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; margin-left: -16px; margin-right: -16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div aria-label="Comment by Dorothy S Willse 9 hours ago" class="x1n2onr6 x1swvt13 x1iorvi4 x78zum5 x1q0g3np x1a2a7pz" role="article" style="animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: row; font-family: inherit; outline: none; padding-left: 16px; padding-top: 4px; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="-1"><div class="x1r8uery x1iyjqo2 x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1pi30zi" style="animation-name: none !important; flex-basis: 0px; flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 16px; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; color: #1c1e21; font-size: 12px; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: collapse;"><div class="xv55zj0 x1vvkbs x1rg5ohu xxymvpz" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; max-width: calc(100% - 26px); overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle;"><div class="x3nfvp2 x1n2onr6 xxymvpz xh8yej3" style="animation-name: none !important; display: inline-flex; font-family: inherit; position: relative; transition-property: none !important; vertical-align: middle; width: 174.85px;"><div class="x1ve5b48 x177n6bx x10l6tqk x1ja2u2z xlshs6z" style="animation-name: none !important; bottom: -11px; font-family: inherit; position: absolute; right: 2px; transition-property: none !important; visibility: inherit; z-index: 0;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x4k7w5x x1h91t0o x1h9r5lt x1jfb8zj xv2umb2 x1beo9mf xaigb6o x12ejxvf x3igimt xarpa2k xedcshv x1lytzrv x1t2pt76 x7ja8zs x1qrby5j" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; animation-name: none !important; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; transition-property: none !important; width: inherit;"><div aria-label="1 reaction; see who reacted to this" class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1n2onr6 x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none !important; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-radius: inherit; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none !important; user-select: none;" tabindex="0"><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x1ncwhqj x1nn3v0j xg83lxy x1120s5i x1h0ha7o x9bbmet xqnafso x1tlxs6b x1g8br2z x1gn5b1j x230xth xmix8c7" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--popover-background); border-radius: 18px; box-shadow: 0 1px 3px 0 var(--shadow-2); display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.6875rem; height: 18px; padding: 2px; transition-property: none !important;"><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x15zctf7 xkhd6sd" style="align-items: center; animation-name: none !important; display: flex; flex-direction: row-reverse; font-family: inherit; padding-left: 0px; transition-property: none !important;"><span class="x9bbmet x48pi3f xol2nv x1a2cdl4 xnhgr82 x1qt0ttw xgk8upj x78zum5 x1a2a7pz x1n2onr6 xd10rxx x1mh8g0r" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: var(--popover-background); border-radius: 10px; border-right-color: var(--popover-background); border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 2px; display: flex; font-family: inherit; margin-left: 0px; outline: none; position: relative; transition-property: none !important;">Copyright 2024/Ben Bensen II</span></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;">
</div></div></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-34119660988224626402024-01-23T16:59:00.000-08:002024-01-23T16:59:29.259-08:00"Candelabra Cactus!"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OIO8xfW9WEaQlSOXgbkyAyvDwRccFMJMUr1bhHhAmIrBn9t1zZda7skGSxpC8WhIlru4VMCdj3PwR_X_jruhtcDj-k4Ku0Nx8TMKvUBevE3chp1gNZ9mfQk16SKNeYzLIheV1xRHqywkjnhtsSHneOdLhik3_PEpguDyFJdB9pJBz_pEo_r_Xvvctw/s1980/Cactus.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1980" data-original-width="1255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OIO8xfW9WEaQlSOXgbkyAyvDwRccFMJMUr1bhHhAmIrBn9t1zZda7skGSxpC8WhIlru4VMCdj3PwR_X_jruhtcDj-k4Ku0Nx8TMKvUBevE3chp1gNZ9mfQk16SKNeYzLIheV1xRHqywkjnhtsSHneOdLhik3_PEpguDyFJdB9pJBz_pEo_r_Xvvctw/s320/Cactus.jpeg" width="203" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cactus!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">So funny… Yesterday, the ice that formed on both cars had me totally locked out. Everything was incased in ice, frozen shut! Using some warm water helped me, just enough, to get into the driver’s side door, but it took a lot of patience and the sun to melt a portion of the windshield to be able to drive.The temperature gauge in the car registered at first 21º.</span></span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Today’s a bit different.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><a style="animation-name: none !important; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Three days ago, I started up sketch season for 2024 at Giddy Up by drawing a new plant that replaced the white poinsettias. It is a cactus called the Candelabra which does have thorns but tastefully placed at each little "leaf." Kinda looks like something piano player, “Liberace” would have had atop his instrument if he, and his brother, George, was into that sort of green thumb thing.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">First cup!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2024/ Ben Bensen III</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-78947104439557060332024-01-15T09:48:00.000-08:002024-01-15T09:48:49.176-08:00 "Reading Is Fundamental"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPu1TlvpCt-TBpJToR9iN5LoR5OAtFEyPbJBTUDS-Ba8P7kSowNfZhsqTsOkqk2MEngrOGYv06O0Wrzh9mwNmlfEjhO-hSh1MScc_vaAumWtOQ4KeqTHy9e_Qq9h8EgjCV_bFqi6kCtV2i8XK0-2b8V57-pFQ37vmdV0qW3_Ab16SH_u3z6nFWZ_XN7Q/s1284/Possum%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="727" data-original-width="1284" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPu1TlvpCt-TBpJToR9iN5LoR5OAtFEyPbJBTUDS-Ba8P7kSowNfZhsqTsOkqk2MEngrOGYv06O0Wrzh9mwNmlfEjhO-hSh1MScc_vaAumWtOQ4KeqTHy9e_Qq9h8EgjCV_bFqi6kCtV2i8XK0-2b8V57-pFQ37vmdV0qW3_Ab16SH_u3z6nFWZ_XN7Q/s320/Possum%232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The family that reads together...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Good "MLK" Monday Morning, all bodies.</span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mended a fence board yesterday and felt like I needed every damn tool necessary to complete a simple task. If this keeps up, I'mma need a fancy Roy Rogers design tool belt...</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nothing less will do.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><a style="animation-name: none !important; color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>Also, found some time to play around with a few "Reading Is Fundamental" concepts. No tool belt necessary 'cept my electric eraser!</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;">First cup...</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2023/ Ben Bensen III</span></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-30890424649602554322023-12-10T14:55:00.000-08:002023-12-10T14:55:01.764-08:00"I bought a brand new French easel!"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoJ43ii_nfaQLjrPq9wCTHLp5GXibNnIY1nriGuWzNZneimpdpGGkGZAho6c_mhrRXQCyVzbh7txK8XLUl3ZFSr6M5IxQGEJqH0cwjymmzRA1PTfZxFo90WFeR_Uckw0JUnNivmzR1al3d78ag6rOH5lH8loCvHFscQPjqkRjBwjhcwYuRinVXhPiPw/s719/Estate%20shed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="719" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoJ43ii_nfaQLjrPq9wCTHLp5GXibNnIY1nriGuWzNZneimpdpGGkGZAho6c_mhrRXQCyVzbh7txK8XLUl3ZFSr6M5IxQGEJqH0cwjymmzRA1PTfZxFo90WFeR_Uckw0JUnNivmzR1al3d78ag6rOH5lH8loCvHFscQPjqkRjBwjhcwYuRinVXhPiPw/s320/Estate%20shed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sketchbook drawing in gray markers a few days ago! Might even have a buyer...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, I think I left my coffee mug hanging on one of the many fence boards that surround this huge estate. So, I may have to return to the scene of the crime, today. </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: 15px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eCX6Sd9L1F1CO-0LLyEhg5ZY4io60Z1AqSLa4kLFqMPRSzZ5uYHu8kasf0ammLBxumjzwoQOsyUfokap-E0ODrtpCFkbhw5S9xwesMjMtF1m_H9bzp8_NbLqwYjD0tH_bS0olbpiBHW8Hfam-_rS0dcA8vdIYdFbMfBVdyjLznJ95r96K_T-eyk0LQ/s640/0%208.44.50%20AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eCX6Sd9L1F1CO-0LLyEhg5ZY4io60Z1AqSLa4kLFqMPRSzZ5uYHu8kasf0ammLBxumjzwoQOsyUfokap-E0ODrtpCFkbhw5S9xwesMjMtF1m_H9bzp8_NbLqwYjD0tH_bS0olbpiBHW8Hfam-_rS0dcA8vdIYdFbMfBVdyjLznJ95r96K_T-eyk0LQ/s320/0%208.44.50%20AM.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three days later, my coffee mug was "sittin' on a fence!"</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For the second week, <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/gufolsom?__cft__[0]=AZW3jKl5mFagRIjL1ksK_OcKssLP0gSl_SDUkYInjn1Kfl1hO19GtMTvkl7ESUhp2yZCU1VPrOlX_QMX1gClFeJLBoH-gW6y5_OhzmEPGEAcFsYFiIWglhXI76wLgJ19XOG1J1K4KlvfussW7NJwjkCdSK0D_Wf1XEhzJvGsWCTAHg&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">Giddy Up</span></a></span>'s First Monday sketch day turned into a Monday En Plein Air painting session.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>bought a brand new French easel, but haven't taken it out of the box, so I decided to just sketch a scene totally in gray markers. Turned out pretty well for the time spent, I think.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: 15px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYGD-CpwK5OQiIjF_L6quEyfSpfWCXKgfwd6jo710TUfcCRuCph7iryl-CW2K9554SmxxoWH_QY4BsytwU3C1klhqAj9lApMkjboCYv_3eGNJe_bkmpX3mEH74xJDbfylJbPSqHuw5vKFpRyotEMg6nP1y5DG43IiLLPr1hOUDXwO1k94Wm2fkLR3HA/s733/Estate%20shed%233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbYGD-CpwK5OQiIjF_L6quEyfSpfWCXKgfwd6jo710TUfcCRuCph7iryl-CW2K9554SmxxoWH_QY4BsytwU3C1klhqAj9lApMkjboCYv_3eGNJe_bkmpX3mEH74xJDbfylJbPSqHuw5vKFpRyotEMg6nP1y5DG43IiLLPr1hOUDXwO1k94Wm2fkLR3HA/s320/Estate%20shed%233.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The subject matter from which I sketched.</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2023/ Ben Bensen IIII</span></div><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-65821164567683786432023-11-30T13:34:00.000-08:002023-11-30T13:34:06.234-08:00"AND, Babbah bah booooo, BRING IT RIGHT HERE!"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfh142b9XJx7VueoIkl4c2klWvfecRn1vKSo5x492-2YDe7jrZLRtN3yLlYVXK4KpEEh3cYLdiakJ1L8WCHknmqQ2E5EYBX2zXhgMwx5o6YkzGkdHLdKEgKpzLqhD2avFcpkguf_uITySvMyUXkLm4j-voxJnIpSqbkbBcdJtNJUP-IIZbKx-oPtdRAQ/s597/ContraryMary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="457" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfh142b9XJx7VueoIkl4c2klWvfecRn1vKSo5x492-2YDe7jrZLRtN3yLlYVXK4KpEEh3cYLdiakJ1L8WCHknmqQ2E5EYBX2zXhgMwx5o6YkzGkdHLdKEgKpzLqhD2avFcpkguf_uITySvMyUXkLm4j-voxJnIpSqbkbBcdJtNJUP-IIZbKx-oPtdRAQ/s320/ContraryMary.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Contrary Mary...</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Well, Good "Tidings to You!"Thursday Morning, all bodies.</span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The news on NPR was talking the Ukraine, and Tee was staring off in the distance contemplating the day's activity as we make our way to <a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/gufolsom?__cft__[0]=AZWh3DDMvy1Gi1OjugECVaEQ17yB8SB5s-NrVW6D1wj9-1hEDRcuY39_6L9BiH69XkR2miI4VSMF3RQK-ae5DKXSxY2F6XV3CaXr1hqjPBXn0MwChRRfWsE3EVowTsyTZV4&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline;">Giddy Up</span></a>. I was in my own world giggling with my own sense of humor.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I had a Bing Crosby Christmas tune in my head and was laughing at the prospect of doing something with it...</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Mary, the don't call me a barista, barista, is gonna be my prime suspect. But, is she off today? She wasn't. Now, I just have to find a way to single her out from the other, always attentive, ladies behind the counter. Maddie was creating some kind of creamy latte filled with some kind of Christmas goodies and Danielle caught my eye as if to say that I was next to be served, but I winked at her and pointed towards Mary.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Luckily, there's was no one behind me awaiting to be served.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"Hey Mary," I called out in a rather demanding way, which so unlike me, "I need some coffee!"</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"Hey Ben... Your regular?" Mary asks in her matter of fact, ho-hum way.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Yes, I said, the French dark roast, AND...</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"We won't go until we get some,</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"We WONT go until we get some,</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"We won't GO until we get some,"</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Pointing to the counter, I completed the end of the song with a bit of Bing...</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"AND, Babbah bah booooo, BRING IT RIGHT HERE!"</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"Okay, Mr. Ben, (she seldom calls me mister!) In the Christmas spirit already, I see."</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"Yeh, Mary, Bing Crosby style... Babbah bah booooo,!</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">She mumbles, as she turns to pour me my coffee, something like, "You beddah change your tune if you want anything!" She then, hands me my cup.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Trying to be as unimpressed as she can muster up, she asks, " You need anything else?"</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"What? No Bing styled Christmas today," I asked.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Danielle, sensing maybe some tension in the air, and still working up some kind of frothy concoction, smiles to me and says, "I love Bing Crosby especially at Christmas time. My mom used to play his records all the time!"</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"Yeh, I found on YouTube, he had quite a bit of Christmas songs over the years. I guess "I Wish You A Merry Christmas" is gonna be my earworm for today."</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">"I thought I'd share it with someone I love," I said, as I nodded towards Mary, who, by now, is working the drive up window. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Maddie rolled her eyes, shrugged her shoulders and giggled. Danielle nodded.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I sat down with some friends feeling satisfied that I got a bit of a smile from "Contrary Mary!"</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Time to crank up the Christmas music as long as it isn't another Mariah Carey interpretation!</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Second cup!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III</div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-53780087332328391362023-11-19T17:51:00.000-08:002023-11-19T17:51:47.454-08:00"Up 'til Now, I''ve Never Been In A CarThat Did 120mph.!"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpGhUzgch6Aqt5U_EXrAptsnlpPYf0rcGxgEB8HoQFw1dDiZEkfJ5Fy7N8m7ENNfGyyc11IhmLOSebq4asrr4C5oT9Ej-A-0b9WjEMVfv7ZCfAaSdLmo-VvXAs_LEXFqgfpqp2Nc9eMTK7_e8e3PzUduXCb8CMCtSzZzeuK7ZDJZlkNiuTIdG-vYsHw/s720/Badge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="542" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpGhUzgch6Aqt5U_EXrAptsnlpPYf0rcGxgEB8HoQFw1dDiZEkfJ5Fy7N8m7ENNfGyyc11IhmLOSebq4asrr4C5oT9Ej-A-0b9WjEMVfv7ZCfAaSdLmo-VvXAs_LEXFqgfpqp2Nc9eMTK7_e8e3PzUduXCb8CMCtSzZzeuK7ZDJZlkNiuTIdG-vYsHw/s320/Badge.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"we don't need no stinkin' badges!"</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Good "we don't need no stinkin' badges!"Sunday Morning, all bodies.</span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In between a Southshore birthday party, grocery shopping and other silly running around, I was able to resketch this Chevy badge from the Sixties. I started a sketch, months ago, of the badge as our mechanic was working on the van's brakes knowing full well that I probably wasn't gonna finish it. So, I took a photo of it and until just the other day, found both. I decided to clean up the original sketch. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014526544736&__cft__[0]=AZXricOXJCH0aitnN2kRcGAiEZuAciRSfhcLdTAHfGV7HRl1FF7QXBiCmZFK3dg7O1e8ZeATI7W6btPROGs9K6jILE8PPkBV9aDSgW4SsSe53BIKq0piLf-fWkL09MPEqkY4_UQOhb94su_z_i-8jDZF0U_SXlCaZhuPXmX9CQ0tgg&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">James</span></a></span>, the mechanic, told me it was from a 1967 Chevy Chevelle SS.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I never could afford even the insurance on a car like that, but I sure did lust after it.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsxwIWfVP6kNFsQqRpR7M8GGf9CG7TvmWFG9R5Ab3iy8ArtidgIXtIy09CA784NAYte6hCkDypTd7KZl1hFOTcJEjMYdphaCS03_vLXn-B53_IsrGUYWrwyqDL8bKiTnR_okmR4ye9ICPzZPQDKPAs5zFa2d-1fRfiADKMiOYqd3c7DtcUuihVdm92jg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsxwIWfVP6kNFsQqRpR7M8GGf9CG7TvmWFG9R5Ab3iy8ArtidgIXtIy09CA784NAYte6hCkDypTd7KZl1hFOTcJEjMYdphaCS03_vLXn-B53_IsrGUYWrwyqDL8bKiTnR_okmR4ye9ICPzZPQDKPAs5zFa2d-1fRfiADKMiOYqd3c7DtcUuihVdm92jg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">As it turns out, in my first semester in college, I hitched a ride after the weekends with a friend of a friend. This was in 1968/69 way before the Interstate was put in elevated over the swamp land from LaPlace through Pontchatoula and into Hammond.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Naturally, kids attending school with no parental guidance, know no rules. On one early Monday morning jaunt to school, driving the deadly swamp on one side of the road and even more swamp on the other, on LA#51, took about an hour or so. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">I'd never been in a car, up until that point, that did 120mph.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">At the time, I was in the passenger front seat when my high school football buddy decided he wanted to drive the owner's car and see just how much muscle it really had. I should have traded seats with someone in the back.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Raul Chavez got himself, along with other football players from that graduating class, a scholarship to play for SLC as a linebacker. Raul was really good with his intensity and mobility at that position. It gave me, the right side linebacker, full reign to go after the football basically disregarding all defensive strategies.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">But, Raul was crazy... REALLY, especially if he had one too many at a bar... ANY bar.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">We survived the speedy adventure. I don't think Raul was ever allowed back in that black two door beauty, but, in time, it really didn't matter. In our second semester of college, as I recall, Raul tried to walk, in the night, across the "expressway" at the Carrollton overpass. He never made it. </div></div><p></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></div><p></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; orphans: 2; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: pre-wrap; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">His funeral was the first I ever attended from my own generation... In time, there would be more, but the black Super Sport beauty was now always something special to me... even the badge!</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;"><br /></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-82583678716157073262023-11-15T15:14:00.000-08:002023-11-15T15:14:02.219-08:00"Sokrat Bozo... Just Glad To An American!"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPr94E7Dt_C_lvQ_l63CmDXEMBk2axzimYynyGjZpNZaeoNd-ratJ4VTzMRH-bO0CFf-IfDQcV2NCQYd0T9qSWx4L7vK3YWWTL1RugzkhxIKmf0MnuZvWFElCyz0dXQC2ql-SRpHmXa4OuOBCrN-OXv_IonCKakf1l2iCOXF4rPi-p-B7ttcQtAtLTQ/s649/Sokrat%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="649" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPr94E7Dt_C_lvQ_l63CmDXEMBk2axzimYynyGjZpNZaeoNd-ratJ4VTzMRH-bO0CFf-IfDQcV2NCQYd0T9qSWx4L7vK3YWWTL1RugzkhxIKmf0MnuZvWFElCyz0dXQC2ql-SRpHmXa4OuOBCrN-OXv_IonCKakf1l2iCOXF4rPi-p-B7ttcQtAtLTQ/s320/Sokrat%231.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Good "60 Minute Man!"Monday Morning, all bodies!</span></span><p></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, the Saints are an embarrassment and that's all I choose to say. I wonder what Bobby Hebert had to say on his radio program after the game...</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We went for a walk after the game to check out the Arch and the Drury Hotel. It's not fun for me to walk too far, but this worked out OK.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>the evening, we went to St. Clement Rest Home to take Fr. Gerard LaPorte to dinner. We were concerned about his getting in and out of the Camry, but he did quite well. The food was Cajun style and quite good... Gerard seemed to like it.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The sketch I created was done at the breakfast buffet of a greeter who escorts folks to their table. I enjoyed his enjoyment of the job and decided to try to capture it. It is from a photo I took of him.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCmTZOWi6lBLzPsO5kO6wqCPzkfgpj6tg9DJPeL1FJfkoBgxsYitihFp1sQHwey6vGlHZXi8mH6rdDQETIjBRcgfhS0boo1aXkyMKbu3h2pWxCN03qu2YmRC0m3KBJkibC_RMmHQFfLg-UmwMunA5MZ0OhFHaKgohtY6mJmP_jydu_y4TyHdD0QIYcQ/s750/Sokrat%20composite%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="542" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCmTZOWi6lBLzPsO5kO6wqCPzkfgpj6tg9DJPeL1FJfkoBgxsYitihFp1sQHwey6vGlHZXi8mH6rdDQETIjBRcgfhS0boo1aXkyMKbu3h2pWxCN03qu2YmRC0m3KBJkibC_RMmHQFfLg-UmwMunA5MZ0OhFHaKgohtY6mJmP_jydu_y4TyHdD0QIYcQ/w231-h302/Sokrat%20composite%20(1).jpg" width="231" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I made the mistake of showing him the sketch, but more on that later. We've got a 10am flight to catch in "The Arch."</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No cups, yet!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2023/ Ben Bensen III</span></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-91016765595172891912023-11-15T14:57:00.000-08:002023-11-15T14:57:01.567-08:00"Just Doodling Away!"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GowYmC3eEZC1aZs9Z-BtryUMtCAs3Q9CljIBEFGn3ZpVkBoQtf1OKrwTBXSpYFKwcWmi8mgIBTWqKaF3ifm7FIrqVFxRWbmgzTVNlC8pdOLf-qFnz7CC2iH8ktYYIF5EHgbvMcqsCaVkdiuMUptLEAR6aIZeud9PjNJzZkU6mIv5woZDJ-WqT8vEkg/s757/Doodling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GowYmC3eEZC1aZs9Z-BtryUMtCAs3Q9CljIBEFGn3ZpVkBoQtf1OKrwTBXSpYFKwcWmi8mgIBTWqKaF3ifm7FIrqVFxRWbmgzTVNlC8pdOLf-qFnz7CC2iH8ktYYIF5EHgbvMcqsCaVkdiuMUptLEAR6aIZeud9PjNJzZkU6mIv5woZDJ-WqT8vEkg/s320/Doodling.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple of phone doodles!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: inherit; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Good "DoddlingAway" Wednesday Morning, all bodies.</span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, yesterday one of two doc appts. for Therese had me off and running to blow an hour or more. My options for a mid afternoon snack were "Cilantros" or the "Tap Room" but I tired of waiting for the traffic light to change and took off in another direction...</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I ended up at PJ's coffee where the most delightful young barista persuaded me into buying a mocha granita... or something like that. She had the greatest smile I seen <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>in a long time and I told her so which widened her smile even more.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I had a bunch of phone calls to make, to make the best use of the time before I had to pick up 'da Babe. I talked and talked... </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And, doodled.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No cups yet!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2023/ Ben Bensen III</span></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-41693558863407366532023-11-01T22:42:00.001-07:002023-11-01T22:42:05.442-07:00"Four Time World Series Winner... Congrats"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRLR6tB7Jt8gZVrhjWbYc_KlRdVwuf01Ek3o1dX0C11dX6oH2BmIP4Qx4NqzRLC3o172GcvJnorbYkFFf0LFKfnk9axYyGIzzjQwEl1kuycl3dFHl2THmycRBHw46HIjrYhYaxVXegGXRjKxSVH0IswoepDIFmKL5txKdZKl7WP8mOZkYpikWQKpN_A/s3216/Bruce%20Bochy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3216" data-original-width="2176" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRLR6tB7Jt8gZVrhjWbYc_KlRdVwuf01Ek3o1dX0C11dX6oH2BmIP4Qx4NqzRLC3o172GcvJnorbYkFFf0LFKfnk9axYyGIzzjQwEl1kuycl3dFHl2THmycRBHw46HIjrYhYaxVXegGXRjKxSVH0IswoepDIFmKL5txKdZKl7WP8mOZkYpikWQKpN_A/s320/Bruce%20Bochy.jpg" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congrats on Number Four!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Good "Bye Baseball 2023" Thursday Morning, y'all.</span></p><br /><span data-delight-asset="196809267710501" data-delight="true" style="color: #f1765e; font-weight: bold; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Congrats</span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> to the Texas Rangers for securing their place in World Series history with their first Title ever. Stats will abound for the next month or so as MLB attempts to compete with football... ANY football.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">As is often the case, the playoffs are, most times, the most competitive, and this year wasn't any different, which explains MLB selling out to the major cable networks for almost all of the playoff games. The Rangers pretty much swept through everyone and made the Series a lopsided affair.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">But, proper respects go to manager Bruce Bochy for winning his fourth World Series ring, which makes him tied with Joe Torre and Walter Alston, having won three with the San Francisco Giants (2010, 2012, 2014) and this most recent one with Texas.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Love it... First warm and inviting </span><span class="xv78j7m" spellcheck="false" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Giddy Up</span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> cup!</span><br /><div><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2023/ Ben Bensen III</span></span></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-45999145403104273142023-09-21T20:22:00.001-07:002023-09-21T20:22:07.000-07:00"Disheartened That I Sketched A Used Muffin Liner"<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXQMRNLO1oJq83E2MUh_df8K5xUjCwmXSA8yC1a_HavzkCa2xpZaF1V87VWiNDm06RDgkbKmsYVWL_dli-HqKqO8qeSPOSc7fc-bK32V_riSLyOkAPPQf8Rp72sxHL_un8q6WN8hd87EyrXr68HlIOJJQI60Ro5OXuWprzn2WDSkB4zLiqpRZUY-QXw/s3282/Magnolia%20cone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3282" data-original-width="2607" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXQMRNLO1oJq83E2MUh_df8K5xUjCwmXSA8yC1a_HavzkCa2xpZaF1V87VWiNDm06RDgkbKmsYVWL_dli-HqKqO8qeSPOSc7fc-bK32V_riSLyOkAPPQf8Rp72sxHL_un8q6WN8hd87EyrXr68HlIOJJQI60Ro5OXuWprzn2WDSkB4zLiqpRZUY-QXw/s320/Magnolia%20cone.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A kid's hand grenade!<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Good "Gateway to the West" Friday Morning, y'all.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Trying to decide what we want to do today, I decided to post a sketch I did about a week or so ago. Therese decided to try her hand at the sketching the magnolia cone that I brought to the </span><span class="xv78j7m" spellcheck="false" style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Giddy Up</span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> sketch get together and did an admirable job. She hasn't signed it, so I figure it's not finished.</span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuU8XqBzJklKKfsP3V46FPcPuh17Y9Cl8CfQZ98rH6vC5lD5hsWNYCbgqjYG9CSf3gq5n_e0-bbmqPW7KR4mORNAmNl0l1WgJdn65NB-e3e2lcZMrk-zTe38ZA_s8fyhdG22qBEoqz_gTcr689XlIc2aKX2dvmQ2JeqpSnTdPJ50ZhDKZVUfS7AZ0AA/s3512/Tee'sCone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3512" data-original-width="2652" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkuU8XqBzJklKKfsP3V46FPcPuh17Y9Cl8CfQZ98rH6vC5lD5hsWNYCbgqjYG9CSf3gq5n_e0-bbmqPW7KR4mORNAmNl0l1WgJdn65NB-e3e2lcZMrk-zTe38ZA_s8fyhdG22qBEoqz_gTcr689XlIc2aKX2dvmQ2JeqpSnTdPJ50ZhDKZVUfS7AZ0AA/s320/Tee'sCone.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Therese's unfinished symphony!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">A few days later, the red green cone turned brown, opened up its pod leaves and started spitting out bright red seeds. I figured that I'd better sketch the cone before the entire pod explodes.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Talk about explosions, I told the friend who gave me the spikey projectile how, as kids, we use the cone as hand grenades. At one time, we had a large magnolia in the front yard that would drop lots of cones around the early fall. The stem of the cone was the pin that one would pull on a real grenade before throwing it. Kid's imagination, ya know.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Phil told me that he gave me the cone to use as subject matter since he read that another friend of mine found it rather disheartening that I sketched a used muffin liner on a saucer.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">So, I present for one's perusal and approval my exploded magnolia tree cone and my wife's unfinished symphony!</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">First Starbucks cup!</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III</span></span></p>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-62625564874487846712023-09-14T21:57:00.004-07:002023-09-14T21:57:39.671-07:00Every Now And Then, I Gotta "Ride, Ride, Ride The Wild Surf"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzc-0KFkSsDDoWXQaRGUKe_doc-PgdpXFkkIINJAj3TuBtwEQd6pLnCEhIx7wZmE-C-wYu1cmSIxJri60m0n069IBqUTq55wf_hXnDYu-WGs_1HrvpHKkgjrM_kW7lAJn24u-ZLOZfMXyy6steIOV0V9BkvMvl3FVUQwz--L9-_19iw28uibFcL06Og/s1677/370486390_10227384182463268_8043647664322241062_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1677" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOzc-0KFkSsDDoWXQaRGUKe_doc-PgdpXFkkIINJAj3TuBtwEQd6pLnCEhIx7wZmE-C-wYu1cmSIxJri60m0n069IBqUTq55wf_hXnDYu-WGs_1HrvpHKkgjrM_kW7lAJn24u-ZLOZfMXyy6steIOV0V9BkvMvl3FVUQwz--L9-_19iw28uibFcL06Og/s320/370486390_10227384182463268_8043647664322241062_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="" dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r13b:" style="font-family: inherit; padding: 4px 16px 16px;"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: -5px; margin-top: -5px;"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b" style="font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: var(--primary-text); display: block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; line-height: 1.3333; max-width: 100%; min-width: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Good "Muffin'" Monday Morning, all bodies.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">We should be getting an appreciable amount of rain today from that storm headed for Florida. Even the badass azaleas are feeling the heat.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Well, Adam and Eve might have been satisfied with an apple for breakfast, but feeling a twinge of deprivation and knowing I shouldn't, I bought myself a "Morning Glory Muffin" at the coffeehouse.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">It <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>is not gluten free!</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">But, every now and then, I gotta "Ride, Ride, Ride The Wild Surf" ya know? It was delicious and to celebrate the event I decided to sketch what was left of the temptation. I think it turned out quite nicely.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">First very early home brewed cup!</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="x168nmei x13lgxp2 x30kzoy x9jhf4c x6ikm8r x10wlt62" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic" style="border-radius: 0px 0px 8px 8px; font-family: inherit; overflow: hidden;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="x1n2onr6" style="font-family: inherit; position: relative;"><div class="x6s0dn4 xi81zsa x78zum5 x6prxxf x13a6bvl xvq8zen xdj266r xktsk01 xat24cr x1d52u69 x889kno x4uap5 x1a8lsjc xkhd6sd xdppsyt" style="align-items: center; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--divider); color: var(--secondary-text); display: flex; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; justify-content: flex-end; line-height: 1.3333; margin: 0px 16px; padding: 10px 0px;"><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x1iyjqo2 x6ikm8r x10wlt62" style="align-items: center; background-color: white; color: #65676b; display: flex; flex-grow: 1; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; overflow: hidden;"><div class="" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="x4k7w5x x1h91t0o x1h9r5lt x1jfb8zj xv2umb2 x1beo9mf xaigb6o x12ejxvf x3igimt xarpa2k xedcshv x1lytzrv x1t2pt76 x7ja8zs x1qrby5j" style="align-items: inherit; align-self: inherit; display: inherit; flex-direction: inherit; flex: inherit; font-family: inherit; height: inherit; max-height: inherit; max-width: inherit; min-height: inherit; min-width: inherit; place-content: inherit; width: inherit;"><div class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1o1ewxj x3x9cwd x1e5q0jg x13rtm0m x1n2onr6 x87ps6o x1lku1pv x1a2a7pz x1heor9g xnl1qt8 x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1vjfegm x1lliihq" role="button" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-radius: inherit; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; max-height: 1.3333em; outline: none; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; user-select: none; z-index: 1;" tabindex="0"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="x1e558r4" style="font-family: inherit; padding-left: 4px;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div></div><div class="x9f619 x1n2onr6 x1ja2u2z x78zum5 x2lah0s x1qughib x1qjc9v5 xozqiw3 x1q0g3np xykv574 xbmpl8g x4cne27 xifccgj" style="align-items: stretch; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #65676b; display: flex; flex-flow: row; flex-shrink: 0; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; justify-content: space-between; margin: -6px; position: relative; z-index: 0;"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-89783561941022207462023-09-14T21:44:00.007-07:002023-09-14T21:44:39.959-07:00"I'll Take The Plane With The Teeth!"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtEpuyEhYjKlS9lmSf0mv3246W5Wx_udh-HwqEqHJtXYFbO7kl7t_vOlPJFSkTyS_kTOL1FprDTZfefJZkHaLyQQpssjEUemWTmwQ-yNtSQw0DArO68Bq4WhrHeOmMpngKO_7mwSGMKm-gzuNVpeRn0n9AsK3ad82rnBw6584ZLUlK6Q2ISyEhmv-ow/s320/33573395_10214312926010026_3597008717825966080_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="320" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOtEpuyEhYjKlS9lmSf0mv3246W5Wx_udh-HwqEqHJtXYFbO7kl7t_vOlPJFSkTyS_kTOL1FprDTZfefJZkHaLyQQpssjEUemWTmwQ-yNtSQw0DArO68Bq4WhrHeOmMpngKO_7mwSGMKm-gzuNVpeRn0n9AsK3ad82rnBw6584ZLUlK6Q2ISyEhmv-ow/s1600/33573395_10214312926010026_3597008717825966080_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beechcraft Model 18</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Good "kinda freaked out" Friday Morning, y'all.</span></p><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I received a call about a month or so from a woman representing the Sonoma Valley Airport looking to use one of my Beechcraft on-site drawings from the Van Nuys Days circa 1986. It threw me for a loop.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Vintage Aircraft Company has recently completed a rebuild of a 1946 Beechcraft Model 18 with plans to roll it out at the airport's Chili Cookout Car and Aircraft Show in mid-October. They wanted permission to use one of my drawings for a tee-shirt fundraiser. But, just yesterday morning, I told Therese that I didn't think it whole idea was gonna happen since I called many times attempting to negotiate terms and never got a return call.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">A bit disappointed, I decided to forget about the whole thing.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">While sitting at a local Wendy's still trying to decide what Wendy's Frosty flavor I was gonna get while Therese went shopping, I got a call from Sheryl.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">After apologizing for responding, we talked about the project, the fundraiser and the price for the usage of my illustration. When she mentioned a possible ride in a WWII Warhawk or Mustang, I got the feeling the museum board didn't wanna pay what I was asking for the design.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">So funny. When I mentioned to my wife about the option to fly in a WWII fighter, she was, amazingly, all for it. I mean, SAY WHAT? My demure, shy, Miss Prim and Proper companion of 51 years wants to go air combat over the skies of Sonoma!</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">"I'll take the plane with the teeth," she said.</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">"Whoa!"</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">BTW, the check's in the mail!</span><br /><br /><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">First cup!</span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III</span></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-72881552473876732092023-08-25T12:41:00.000-07:002023-08-25T12:41:13.071-07:00" Procrastination Has Its Cost"...<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wSq4mRphL20d0KdLBx5l0Eec14_LfnEd8w-4zv6PxG8zXmoKrQ53ra_ZJo_iWlcBFdIpTX0DXMQSUsPhAuTKGWlISx1q4UA4IZG2GbYklnvxRSvmHBI16kP_7XZS8ra3AHPZrOKDLLxd5alXBuwam4KPhtQBQhpJ9-rQsUZOjcICu1lDyCzT-cYpxQ/s1007/370539990_10227367690410977_4277276945602490309_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1007" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wSq4mRphL20d0KdLBx5l0Eec14_LfnEd8w-4zv6PxG8zXmoKrQ53ra_ZJo_iWlcBFdIpTX0DXMQSUsPhAuTKGWlISx1q4UA4IZG2GbYklnvxRSvmHBI16kP_7XZS8ra3AHPZrOKDLLxd5alXBuwam4KPhtQBQhpJ9-rQsUZOjcICu1lDyCzT-cYpxQ/s320/370539990_10227367690410977_4277276945602490309_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Good "frosty" Friday Morning, all bodies!</span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Oh, about a year ago, something in the studio smelled musty and kinda mildewed. After a month or so of investigating every corner of the place, I surmised it wasn't the window AC. I believe it was a throw rug near the back door. Problem was I practically took apart the window unit to check it out and never reassembled the damn thing because I just don't bend and twist like I did when I bought and placed it in the window years ago.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Well, <a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a>in late summer of last year, some industrious wasps decided since I wasn't using the damn thing that THEY would. I wrongly assumed that the buzzing sound the bugs were making</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">were nothing but another flying insect desperately trying to extricate itself from a spider web.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Good riddance, I'd say.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">But it kept getting louder and louder and more frequent. I decided it was time to create my own "RAID riddance" on the gang, and put back the air conditioner into service . I actually thought about calling a repairman to put the unit back together again, but figured having one come out to "service it" would probably cost as much as the unit did years ago. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Well, you know procrastination has its cost. it took me the entire year to think about it, until yesterday! Ah yes. The added expense to our electric bill never sounded so sweet as when I plugged in that beauty. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">First <a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/gufolsom?__cft__[0]=AZU2ClrvWuWBGHkOhrGHR8wlNT17XDaeigM7Y-n-Ub7nbY_eUWFYwNSPlou5-OCgfi0Hwxkm64n1LyUeWU7gbsCYOy7I1XiFIqvRVrsaBi5JeBxTorZs0SqGn7qnvm_DELyaez2HHAl8T47IYKmat4zmFDtX2MrAuRBQUe95VQwCHw&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline;">Giddy Up</span></a> cup, y'all.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III</span></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-58345035464657359042023-08-17T10:32:00.003-07:002023-08-17T10:32:17.299-07:00"I Never Look A Gift Chicken In The Beak!"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDxJz2KlSf_t_T0Nmnhizf5KZWfGkWSlDEKS2-0npOdlwikyJkie0gasQQQjmh5iVwKh9HmTEplIZa-zKd_tT0i68MixoRnyVujfz8teIcAnkUIrV_JMDTaLkphbZtw9OXfKbSe1m7hsY_UN6bT-Qq0r-qulP6B9hhFuJ-mdKUH4c668zgsD6YDO0oA/s747/366205887_10227253659720281_1460815513565322057_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="747" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDxJz2KlSf_t_T0Nmnhizf5KZWfGkWSlDEKS2-0npOdlwikyJkie0gasQQQjmh5iVwKh9HmTEplIZa-zKd_tT0i68MixoRnyVujfz8teIcAnkUIrV_JMDTaLkphbZtw9OXfKbSe1m7hsY_UN6bT-Qq0r-qulP6B9hhFuJ-mdKUH4c668zgsD6YDO0oA/s320/366205887_10227253659720281_1460815513565322057_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "system-ui", ".SFNSText-Regular", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: start;">It didn't turn out like I planned. <br />My approach was rather vague to begin with.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Well, good "Mayhem Monday Morning," y'all...</span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It's Back To School Monday. Back to dodging school buses, sitting in 3pm traffic, and school zone tickets. Gotta leave yourself plenty of time to get anywhere on time!</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Yesterday, I mellowed outside on the patio deck at <a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/gufolsom?__cft__[0]=AZWSzbCVvJj5g0aPC_vBbMNzrKxa_6-nNBf4qQ16xZrBaT1mb4-oZEl4X-cBY04tgricsFzBR7OP0KnvCBHyNUzUqeDOqISlsyNINmsMiCKMfifbWksVsFR7NXj2kXwJKyNmHrFe3o_v6jg1G2aw30GRgJBoVrdCzNiFieHFqWbMjQ&__cft__[1]=AZWSzbCVvJj5g0aPC_vBbMNzrKxa_6-nNBf4qQ16xZrBaT1mb4-oZEl4X-cBY04tgricsFzBR7OP0KnvCBHyNUzUqeDOqISlsyNINmsMiCKMfifbWksVsFR7NXj2kXwJKyNmHrFe3o_v6jg1G2aw30GRgJBoVrdCzNiFieHFqWbMjQ&__tn__=-]K-R]-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline;">Giddy Up</span></a> to finish a value sketch of more broken down fences from the back paddock. Later, as the morning got a bit more uncomfortable, I left the markers behind and did a few touchups indoors with a second cup.</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKpYx0CPrm6XijcxttXfpqZjCy-36P_6jTDJ4KNJWUC04ut3ljrPQ-xeZGOoahnWpV9j-sxeDKkRTU3yfQR5NiMgD1zXsddtURTa7UuSYW9suN5WcqYxAu9Was6TtyN5SbKxwUO93O96mNLvTE8lRZm5lBBaLjPiwRQs2hect_9jrPTalMxvnVURjKA/s1009/366032122_10227253660560302_3373720152732621561_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="757" data-original-width="1009" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKpYx0CPrm6XijcxttXfpqZjCy-36P_6jTDJ4KNJWUC04ut3ljrPQ-xeZGOoahnWpV9j-sxeDKkRTU3yfQR5NiMgD1zXsddtURTa7UuSYW9suN5WcqYxAu9Was6TtyN5SbKxwUO93O96mNLvTE8lRZm5lBBaLjPiwRQs2hect_9jrPTalMxvnVURjKA/s320/366032122_10227253660560302_3373720152732621561_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a>Paula Alario came by to drop off a dozen or more fresh eggs. She apologized for the size of the eggs blaming it on the recent heat wave. I thanked her and told her that I never look a gift chicken in the mouth... I mean, beak!</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">First cup... at home!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Copyright 2023/ Ben Bensen III</span></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-88500620002235056712023-08-06T13:11:00.001-07:002023-08-06T13:11:35.401-07:00"The Insurance Company Never Admitted That It Was A Tornado!"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5jA9t9o3xsl91pxD1m0Pb-idlpglKasKEvwsrdDUn1ChXSoZ-5WXFzThugHwPy18lF-9ra92T-rZWzZtG8zUZAopUkt-yHfcN8QWEX_XcG6GzNj9fLXa9dpBBaoA84vQoACJKU2L9fqjK29PUn5r0yJxbExhdphw9vCZdqnOBfVETT61dXTwuvJ3aQ/s1193/TornadoDamagedBarn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1193" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG5jA9t9o3xsl91pxD1m0Pb-idlpglKasKEvwsrdDUn1ChXSoZ-5WXFzThugHwPy18lF-9ra92T-rZWzZtG8zUZAopUkt-yHfcN8QWEX_XcG6GzNj9fLXa9dpBBaoA84vQoACJKU2L9fqjK29PUn5r0yJxbExhdphw9vCZdqnOBfVETT61dXTwuvJ3aQ/s320/TornadoDamagedBarn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Good "a bit sketchie" Sunday Morning, y'all.</span></span><p></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Decided to spend some time sketching today. Too hot to do much more than that. So, while Tee took off, in the cool of the early morning for her Jazzercise class, I decided to take the lawn tractor, a cup of coffee and my sketchbook over to the running shed in the back paddock to sit and render the destruction.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The insurance company never admitted that it was a tornado that, three years ago, skipped across the back paddock, but they found enough damage to our roof to replace it. I also got reimbursed to fix the shed, but life got in the way. So, the next best thing to do is to sketch it...</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">First cup!</span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III</span></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-69103167965818414802023-07-15T11:59:00.005-07:002023-07-15T11:59:22.430-07:00"A Marker Sketch.. On site!"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIz_6s4BupzAjIMCdQCXsSTtpSmsg4zMKSh8_71LmXLJYgMbcCg3g0vzEj2ixePWWA65pA2INSKo53xAcXVo_evDieg_Po_wv36QBPTxrT7xFbPAwS929jRmauGlxYtlZGFiniIWIH6yC8auV3pFPr-tIcPV6RW_9oZ6kFzovlppacNgwdtB0ouvNxxQ/s989/OnionRings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="989" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIz_6s4BupzAjIMCdQCXsSTtpSmsg4zMKSh8_71LmXLJYgMbcCg3g0vzEj2ixePWWA65pA2INSKo53xAcXVo_evDieg_Po_wv36QBPTxrT7xFbPAwS929jRmauGlxYtlZGFiniIWIH6yC8auV3pFPr-tIcPV6RW_9oZ6kFzovlppacNgwdtB0ouvNxxQ/s320/OnionRings.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large; text-align: left; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Not as plentiful as when I started!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Good "no news is good news!" Saturday Morning, all bodies.</span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">But then, there's no such thing, right?</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Spent a good portion of the afternoon, yesterday, at the service dept of Honda in Slidell. It's so bad they lent me an Accord for five days, and after 2.5 hours waiting at a local restaurant, I found that as I was calling them in the traditional way... by phone, they were trying to get a hold of me with the prognosis through text messaging.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Oh <a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a>bruther... The onion rings were good but not as plentiful as when I started sketching them... Ha!</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Second cup!</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Copyright 2023/Ben BensenIII</span></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-17272668533399047902023-06-30T08:57:00.007-07:002023-06-30T08:57:44.000-07:00"She's Such A "Good Egg!"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybYnbkuw5I63hN6RgT3Mz_biEcjRmfgktyil66NwJlKH_OXhK9n_D7ww-5YrC8s6cPNrpiw2xz60A3G9XB3WrT_eRTB2WfmvA_INWX2jInOW5YaoOtK-M122X8dofcN-oNwBr0M6VXb3d5zkt8aOjffhVcIYSk91PcG2zD-El2U0uW8bo8kFoqBZ89A/s2376/Paula's%20Eggs%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1548" data-original-width="2376" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgybYnbkuw5I63hN6RgT3Mz_biEcjRmfgktyil66NwJlKH_OXhK9n_D7ww-5YrC8s6cPNrpiw2xz60A3G9XB3WrT_eRTB2WfmvA_INWX2jInOW5YaoOtK-M122X8dofcN-oNwBr0M6VXb3d5zkt8aOjffhVcIYSk91PcG2zD-El2U0uW8bo8kFoqBZ89A/s320/Paula's%20Eggs%232.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paula's Dozen Plus...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Good "you're such a good egg" Thursday Morning, all bodies.</span></span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When I walked into the coffeehouse, Mimi was having an egg fritata with a friend. She waved and said hello in between bites.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I promised Mary (<a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/gufolsom?__cft__[0]=AZUPoIbnihzJg6xbhFcGiXXbuClDstkc0i4cJkL9SfYc9P7zCVDmKWS7wqBMatNsmPGGKOGMk8WLOUKO6NZlpWQgFfwqqoNAp3Dq1cmmvpSS3YjHLvxtI92s2DXPpkR0PZ7Iy1XLLq85XHbWeAu2fn-zIotMDWOzyo3_fqxzkWk-Yg&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline;">Giddy Up</span></a>'s "don't call me a barista", barista!) a half dozen or so from the two dozen or so of fresh eggs a friend had bestowed upon me. I didn't have an egg carton, so I placed the eggs, nice and snug, in a small square box stuffed with plastic grocery bags and delivered it to <a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a>Maddie who was working the counter.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Maddie's a "good egg" and can be completely trusted with delivering the goods.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Badass was sitting all alone, so I decided to spend some time with him, but soon the two sofas were filled with friends chewing the fat. Phil brought a dolphin skull for Frank to put on the community shelf and Big Al had to get up to further inspect the alien being.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Someone said the skull and Al had much in common.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Dennis, who has relatives from Australia, got to talking about aborigines and boomerangs with Erich, while I tried to talk to Jeanie about her days in college at USL. MaryJane and Maureen waved hello having arrived late from the local gym.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">About twenty minutes later, Paula Alario, who provides me, on occasion, all the eggs I need, dropped by to return a baking tray that I used to make her a ham and cheese quiche earlier in the week.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">It was my way out, having already spent so much time. As it always happens, when one person decides to leave, EVERYONE decides to leave too!</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Having temporarily solved all of the world's problems, I grabbed my baker's tray and split.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">First decaf cup this morning...</span></div><div dir="auto"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Copyright 2023/Ben BensenIII</span></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-43469849345339194902023-05-26T22:57:00.003-07:002023-05-26T22:57:29.599-07:00 "Mary, Can You Change The Music, Please".... <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB4rsb-hhFqbuLJ3vcKQtSQQ2f4cJ7yKARRg1UONbccD-_KNzJ1z7I-Ak06MvWMgDiPWPg3mY6pL9cWljr5D_kAmYumWI_RD2icvJ_XgBFQyVjz0JJGGzZL9jnkdHB8yEwqiQk-jotTd1uR12OW9kQR2pSKo4ft78gRFDjwbfu1EAl8Ek4ACEqfM/s344/Big%20Al....jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTB4rsb-hhFqbuLJ3vcKQtSQQ2f4cJ7yKARRg1UONbccD-_KNzJ1z7I-Ak06MvWMgDiPWPg3mY6pL9cWljr5D_kAmYumWI_RD2icvJ_XgBFQyVjz0JJGGzZL9jnkdHB8yEwqiQk-jotTd1uR12OW9kQR2pSKo4ft78gRFDjwbfu1EAl8Ek4ACEqfM/s320/Big%20Al....jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span>Good "I hate the f%@*king Eagles, man!" Saturday Morning, y'all.</span><br /><br /><span>Well, ya know, it's one of those pre-programmed stations whose playlist just overplays certain songs and certain groups. </span><br /><br /><span>Big Al and I arrived at the counter to the mellow sounds of "Take It To The Limit" to order some coffee. Al always gets a small expresso cappucino. He normally stays only long enough to finish his morning jolt, but today was a bit different.</span><br /><br /><span>"Mary, can you change the music. I hate the damn Eagles," I said rather irritably since I hadn't had my first cup yet.</span><br /><br /><span>"Dude, exclaimed Big Al, The Big Lebowsky!"</span><br /><br /><span>"Hey you mean like the Dude, his Dudeness, Duder, um, the effin El Duderino?"</span><br /><br /><span>"Yeh, man, Al said, that line is from the movie,"The Big Lebowsky!"</span><br /><br /><span>"Oh man, Mary jumps in and says, I love that movie!"</span><br /><br /><span>Next thing you know, we three are recreating our favorite scenes like bowling alley confrontations, the sweater, the rug, the Dude's penchant for a white Russians... stuff like that.</span><br /><br /><span>Al and I got our coffees, sat down and for another twenty minutes or so, we're mixing the movie with other subjects like the finer points of welding (Big Al's a metal sculptor) and my Air Force paintings in the Pentagon.(I had just received my new copy of ASAA's "Aero Brush" magazine and brought it along to read.)</span><br /><br /><span>His cappucino finished, Al gingerly extracts himself from the leather sofa and as he heads for the door, Al turns and stops, smiles and points to the heavens and says, "I hate the f%@**king Eagles"... Ha!</span><br /><br /><span>"Take It Easy" was playing on the radio.</span><br /><br /><span>No cups, yet...</span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span> Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III <br /></span></p>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-58037777157776009952023-05-24T09:49:00.002-07:002023-05-24T09:49:33.971-07:00"A Friend Liked The Photo Better"...<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2gn9ffafjXNrx7viQ6W3jNOXqLnDaSRHCkrCWHIrzjHmcLbKWLroeavYZYbQ0NXzjKz3S8SuXqk27Vtzn68kK6sLt2s9fhtd0KIokWkt0FlBaT8D8eavM5oh-wmZ4EQhOp8Ydv0CXnw6YUogSp1t7Pe4Ba0Nu8fACRiTWd7zJ2tmTgG6O5IE6mY/s864/GiddyUpSpur2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="607" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2gn9ffafjXNrx7viQ6W3jNOXqLnDaSRHCkrCWHIrzjHmcLbKWLroeavYZYbQ0NXzjKz3S8SuXqk27Vtzn68kK6sLt2s9fhtd0KIokWkt0FlBaT8D8eavM5oh-wmZ4EQhOp8Ydv0CXnw6YUogSp1t7Pe4Ba0Nu8fACRiTWd7zJ2tmTgG6O5IE6mY/s320/GiddyUpSpur2.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A friend liked the photo better, so I sold it to him...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Good "on the road" Wednesday Morning, all bodies!</div></div><p></p><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r9u:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">A couple days ago, first thing in the morning at <span><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/gufolsom?__cft__[0]=AZVd6EXrFhaOXUanyoFum-SnMRKvifa-oDr5VM72s8WWbmnwk_GaaO_TUSw0vDSWRNqbwBRuE4HEzr-ybowKB_QUYyPdSmIt92pp_d_fgn6QtBOpCWVU8UqVEeKhmDdRM73k_Csbrt1LctJgrDxW_U81jLJQZddqm-EPynoSy1oJ4g&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2"><span>Giddy Up</span></span></a></span>, with a first cup I decided to draw this rusted stirrup that I found behind one of the western saddles outside.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">It took a bit longer than I anticipated, but I got it done to my satisfaction before the gang showed up...</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">So, I sketched it as is on one of the <span><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/gufolsom?__cft__[0]=AZUaklySNkrgdbnoatSsvsdiI7weFh0XvE-lxpGgo-qFWQHGxm7TVUyQ00CR93qEQGc0T40QMqTckpm-tKFxV2lYYlypo8-R7feYE5-BRCe3kVcNWtL3vMmtolrRiXnNCFjwEchnRBlN8SCPdJfZeHMRGBrlIiyi3Q9Y865mW6Y5Aw&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2"><span>Giddy Up</span></span></a></span> coffee tables and posted it. David, who earlier had bought a saddle painiting I did, saw this post and loved it. He thought that the real rusted spur sitting on the table in front of the Giddy Up branded logo was gonna be a nice edition to his collection. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">So, he asked to purchase just the photo... How could I refuse him.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Check's in the mail, man...</div></div></span> <br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Copyright 2023/Ben Bensen III <br /></div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-68919171027377738122023-05-16T22:40:00.002-07:002023-05-16T22:40:23.766-07:00"The Kingbird Returns!"<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bmtNdzzrUzEGa4IPoATjVBX7QTYbyvRkdPPXaYe-D6YP8pYjMbyJLp2AQ1mLH7XOapMZld5Gk8UFQqMkqTyta8c0CcAOFqZFGbrwd__pjhjm-4P3HVe3CH1z5Fjulj-gp-x8rybKp0JrNNbvHE6uGUS417vajvpY6eZWD0tXyDdVeIcUaCiAHtw/s726/EasternKingbird%20Returns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="726" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bmtNdzzrUzEGa4IPoATjVBX7QTYbyvRkdPPXaYe-D6YP8pYjMbyJLp2AQ1mLH7XOapMZld5Gk8UFQqMkqTyta8c0CcAOFqZFGbrwd__pjhjm-4P3HVe3CH1z5Fjulj-gp-x8rybKp0JrNNbvHE6uGUS417vajvpY6eZWD0tXyDdVeIcUaCiAHtw/s320/EasternKingbird%20Returns.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kingbird is known for the red gold crown he flashes!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <span>Good "westfull wetreet!"Wednesday Morning, all bodies.</span><br /><br /><span>A warm, humid breeze had been gently wafting its way throughout the soft fragrant new leaves of our cypress trees. I turned to the east along side of our long gravel laden driveway to check on our neighbor's very tall pine tree that is slowly dying. So sad.</span><br /><br /><span>A horsefly buzzes by my head as I get closer to our next door </span><br /><span>neighbor’s property. They have three horses in the pasture and the flies aggravate them as well as all horse lovers. I’ve not been bitten yet this year, but just the other day, two of them zoomed into the opened car door to bounce around the interior and the windshield.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76jT1MaIjPQpD5y8IRc_ibpA_QaUWm7DYpcixBsJIBxxqBA-17f-pu2INvbaOZv21mdC8tuR-DIB2KJ-pZLEEMUb1T4NS-iBTtA-vrda2XaxZ8_HzFnLcfaYRDWD7n6a_k-lGqn7gymFaXSRx_7WjtENbk5HQlfCTjksIXyKB9MA2XG_ajVvq3lI/s2774/HorseFly%231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1651" data-original-width="2774" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76jT1MaIjPQpD5y8IRc_ibpA_QaUWm7DYpcixBsJIBxxqBA-17f-pu2INvbaOZv21mdC8tuR-DIB2KJ-pZLEEMUb1T4NS-iBTtA-vrda2XaxZ8_HzFnLcfaYRDWD7n6a_k-lGqn7gymFaXSRx_7WjtENbk5HQlfCTjksIXyKB9MA2XG_ajVvq3lI/s320/HorseFly%231.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The annual aggravating "Gadfly!"</td></tr></tbody></table><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /><p></p><p><span> </span><span>We used to get annual visits from the Eastern Kingbirds that would sit along the fences to intercept the flies midair. Their aerobatics are fun to watch and their presence certainly make a difference, but I hadn't seen them this year.... Until now, yeah!</span><br /><br /><span>It's gonna be another air "Battle Roya!" to "decrease the surplus gadfly population!"</span><br /><br /><span>First Hampton Inn cup!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright2023/Ben Bensen III <br /></span></span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span> </span></p>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990302765872413444.post-57492769032271089402023-05-08T10:30:00.000-07:002023-05-08T10:30:01.052-07:00"I like EX-CA-VA-TORS," he said..<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-l_Fik-9UhnRwxsuHX6vMaM8_7JJ4A4XvyMxr2dCAksqLjc3ADtrWummKgFX5PDD1WCL-x9mwzFa_RHipQaatsHJMn7XXAm-aTFi7_DtOKrCK70uZFiCl0LbKevB6L6sVj1jXT9-ke4E-UjEgvemsLhTzwF_bH9q9exBGVyxGy1vqkcPTNYLRF4/s2200/TonkaComp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1700" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-l_Fik-9UhnRwxsuHX6vMaM8_7JJ4A4XvyMxr2dCAksqLjc3ADtrWummKgFX5PDD1WCL-x9mwzFa_RHipQaatsHJMn7XXAm-aTFi7_DtOKrCK70uZFiCl0LbKevB6L6sVj1jXT9-ke4E-UjEgvemsLhTzwF_bH9q9exBGVyxGy1vqkcPTNYLRF4/s320/TonkaComp.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tonka Toys... Sorta!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Good "late morning TBT" Day, y'all.</div></div><p></p><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r5s:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Well, there's a new kid in town. One of them, named,"Ben" is four years old and his little brother, who's name I've forgotten, is three.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Just about every morning for the last month or so, they drop by with their mother, a wedding photographer, named Whitney, to entertain and terrorize the coffeehouse. Two days ago, the boys were wearing their plastic, red, firehouse helmet as they colored with their brand new set of crayons given to them at <span><a tabindex="-1"></a></span>the firehouse.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">I was told about a week ago, by Ben, that he likes construction machines. And, he knows the names of many of those thunderous, ground shaking instruments of destruction and... construction. Backhoe loaders, bulldozers, steam rollers, EXCAVATORS, he knows them all.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">"He likes to draw them all, Mr. Ben," Whitney said.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">"I like EX-CA-VA-TORS," Ben said. So, I made a deal with the little Ben.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">"Hey, Ben, I said, " I like drawing machines and I'll bring my drawings and share them you if you promise to show me how you draw an EX-CA-VA-TOR!"</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Well, a small crowd gathered around to see my sketchbook of about a dozen construction scenes... and to see Ben's own artistic interpretation, but it was not to be. He was not into performing for the crowd today. Impressed, Whitney inquired about purchasing prints for the walls of the new house they're building in Franklinton and that's pretty cool.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">But, later, he and I did analyze the work and name all the of those magnificent, mechanical earth movers." </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Fun to be a kid again... with another kid!</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Second cup!</div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Ben Bensen IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08063667151570644210noreply@blogger.com0