Badran

Dang! I thought the only thing I lacked was a sure-footed sense of what's fashionable in men's wardrobe accessories, like belts and watches. This idea that I might be lacking "character" -- whatever that is -- is entirely new to me. Is character anything like chocolate? I don't have any chocolate in the house at the moment. I can see my lacking character if it's like chocolate.

Squirrels are much underestimated, vicious, primitive animals. I saw one on a tree not three days ago teasing a cat that was at the bottom of the tree, and hoping to eat the squirrel. The squirrel was just playing with the cat. Playing with death. Squirrels fear nothing, and are not to be trusted.

By the way, for the first year I was in Colorado, I lived in a motel, paying a small fortune in rent. Then I decided in the summer to move to the mountains -- I camped out for two or three months that way, while still holding a job in the city. Each morning, I would wake up with the sunrise, take a hour long "bath" using cold water from a jug, and then eventually go to work. There was squirrel in the tree above my camp that took fierce objection to his new neighbor, and he used to chatter at me every morning. I tried staring him down once, but it didn't work. I can't even stare down a squirrel!

It's been about 20 years now. I moved out here shortly after leaving my second wife and closing down my business. After I had done those things, I wondered what to do next. The thought occurred to me that I should move somewhere, live somewhere different. The Southwest was my first choice, but once I got there, the economy wasn't all that great at the time, and there wasn't much rain. I moved to Colorado largely for the economy and the rain, since I had very little motivation to consider other reasons.

Thank you so much for your concern! I'm well away from where the floods and mudslides are happening -- a good eight miles -- and there are no streams immediate to my cottage. So, I'm pretty safe. There have been four deaths so far, and a few more are expected to be discovered when rescuers can finally make their way to the sites, but nothing like the mid-1970s when 145 people died in flooding here.

I love the rain, too! I had a choice between Colorado and New Mexico, and I picked Colorado, in some part, because it had much more rain. I would have dearly missed it, if I hadn't.

As I was telling DS just recently, in Colorado, we've gotten half a year's worth of rainfall in just this month. The soil is saturated and cannot absorb more water. Every hour or two, I get a new email warning of flash floods and mudslides.

This would be a most excellent time for you to come visit. We could go up in the hills and watch the Elk and bears float downstream. Colorado is justly famous for the many opportunities it offers to view wildlife.

I couldn't frubal you just now -- like I wanted to -- like I always want to.

Anyway, this one wasn't as cute as the last, so I didn't hang around to watch him.

Well, since you asked so nicely, I'll cower and submit to your demands.

Did it make you jealous? The way he was showing off his posting prowess? I miss him already.

It was like he was a posting ninja, or something. Don't worry, I made a note of the website. I can go there for late-night Truth Sessions.

You can see right through me, can't you?

I see. Skoda Octavias are known (at least in the UK) for being reliable, sensible, practical and good value for money. Personally, I think the post-2007 models look quite nice too (I personally like conservative-looking 5 doors).http://images-2.drive.com.au/2010/11/02/2020724/skoda-octavia-07-09_420-420x0.jpg
They're quite spacious too.

I guess you'll have to ask yourself what's more important for yourself: having a cooler car which you generally prefer, or having a more "practical" and successful car which will most-likely be easier to sell in the future?

Ah, good thinking!

Just out of curiosity, what is it you like about said model of Opel Vectra, and what other cars are you considering looking at?

Are you specifically after 5-doors, Opels in general, or did you just like the "look" of the Vectra?

I hear you sold you old car. Have you managed to get hold of one of those Opel Vectras you wanted?

It was an Opel Vectra you wanted, right?

Thanks. My interpretation of it is that it means you idolize me, and compare all women...well all people...to me. Is that accurate?

I'm PMing you with her reply.

I wish my head were clearer tonight. In case she emails back.

I don't know her at all. When this has happened in the past, it's always been the same way: Someone who's never posted on my blog before. Unfortunately, the usual thing is for them to not respond to even my first email. But sometimes, I can get an exchange going.

Thanks for the clarification! That's a good point about writing longer stuff could be great exercise, too. I hadn't looked at it that way.

I might be up quite late tonight. I don't know yet. A woman left a terse suicide note on one of my blogs. I've emailed her, she's emailed back. This sort of thing has happened before, and there might be a long exchange between us. We'll see.

Thanks, Badran! Genuine thanks for the encouragement! Next time around, I'll try to make my Ruths more plausible.

I think that story could be the seed of a novel about Stan, but written by someone else besides me. I haven't the patience to write a novel.

Is this most recent post a bore?

I'm fully depending on you to politely lie and say it isn't, that everything is fine with it, and there's nothing that could have been done better.