Keep it Gay

The title of my post today, from the surprisingly funny and very entertaining Broadway show The Producers, is far from subtle. Much the same can be said for the rest of the show, and that is why it's good. My mom (affectionately known as "MA") and stepfather (affectionately known as "Lair") invited Karen and I out last night for dinner and some culture. The travelling production from Broadway was a hit in small town Fort Smith, I would say. The audience was laughing throughout most of the show, and was obviously highly entertained.

I'm not going to go into a full on review of the show, because that's not really my thing. Suffice it to say that it is worth seeing if you have the chance to see it somewhere. It is definitely not a show for the easily offended. It is an adaptation of a Mel Brooks production, and anyone that can laugh their asses off at the movie Blazing Saddles or appreciated the show Get Smart will enjoy this Broadway production for what it is-high comedy.

The world we live in today- well, the United States is really all I can speak of since it's my home- is a place where it seems being politically correct is often taken to an unpleasant extreme. Sometimes the nonsensical absurdity of the far left really hits like a five pound sledgehammer to the head with the pounding of news feeds we get twenty four hours a day from news channels on television and stories galore on the internet. When people are overly concerned about offending anyone, our society as a whole is diluted and seems unreal. I know there are some things that shouldn't be done or shouldn't be said, but I'm talking about things that defy common sense. When we have people that push the envelope and produce shows, movies, and plays for purely entertaining reasons, we should all appreciate the color and brilliance it brings to a sometimes dull life.

Dinner was fantastic, as usual, because dinner with that half of the 'rents is always delicious and entertaining whether dining in at their house or eating out. I sometimes feel guilty because they don't let us pay, but you all know how parents can be. It's always greatly appreciated. Larry was his usual self in a public setting last night, giving the waitress a little bit of a hard time in a jovial fashion. This cute blonde stood in the batter's box and took Larry's pitches like Reggie Jackson in October.

I sometimes look at situations in daily life differently now that I've been in a managerial position for several years. Candace, I believe, was the girl's name. She was very energetic, fun, and had a great personality. Now, those of you that know me well would realize that this girl would have been a prime target when I was in my twenties. I would have locked in on her like Maverick and Goose in an F-14 Tomcat. She had all of the attributes I appreciated. I liked girls with spunk. I liked better-than-average attractive girls. She hit the proverbial nail on the head.

Now, part of the reason I started this blog is because I have recently come to realize that I'm entering a new and exciting part of my life. I think it's as exciting as my twenties were, albeit for different reasons. I put a nice little ring on the finger of the most beautiful woman I know recently, and it has changed me. I feel solid. While munching on the delicious chicken pesto pizza last night, I saw that energetic girl as a target. This time, though, sex drive had nothing to do with it. I saw her as someone I would hire in a heartbeat. Yep. Being a manager now, I look at everyone in the public service sector as a possible hire. That's part of the change I see, and it's a good change. A professional change that is rewarding both emotionally and financially and comes with age and experience. When you hire good people (and I think I have GREAT people that work with me), you are rewarded in many ways. When people that work with you are directly tied to your income potential, it makes you work hard because it's an investment. Work hard to find good people, put them in the right positions in the company, and make sure they are happy. This effort is rewarded in spades. I'm not hiring for anything right now, but being a manager has taught me that a man in my position should always be on the lookout for potential hires. Life is too unpredictable not to be on your toes 24-7.

Those of you lucky (unlucky?) enough to frolic in my new blogosphere recently will have to find somewhere else to play until Monday evening at the earliest. I'm venturing out into the woods for the last full weekend of hunting this season. I'm going with my father (he also has an affectionate nickame- "Pops") and it should be fun. I love to camp out with nature and all of the animals, but alas, I'm strapped down to real life, bills, and very little time these days to enjoy it as much as I'd like. I'm going to soak it up Sunday and Monday. There's a big bobcat that's been taunting me for months, now. These animals are very territorial and are very, very elusive. Success rate for most hunters is only about 10%. For every 10 times one ventures out to hunt one exclusively, the cat will see the hunter 9 times before the hunter sees the cat. Most experienced hunters recognize this particular game animal as one of the toughest in the U. S. to harvest. They do everything perfectly in order to survive. Whether that includes sniffing out Joe Hunter and staying away for safety or hearing a dying rabbit a half-mile away and zeroing in for the kill, Felis Rufus is king.

Have a great weekend, everyone. Karen (and I'm sure a few of my readers) will no doubt pray for the safety of Rufus, but I hope to foil those plans and bring him home with me to be mounted and displayed proudly in my old man's humble abode. CZ