Thursday This n That

I went fishing on Tuesday afternoon and despite what all the fishing reports are saying about bass only being deep and only biting on specific lures and junk, I caught a good sized bass, close to the ledges I was fishing from.  On a worm.  Actually, I was reeling in to cast out again and just as I got the worm almost out of the water, the bass attacked.  It was like Jaws.  Out of the depths it rose and BAM!  It was a keeper, but the water's been so warm I didn't think it would taste awesome, so I threw it back.  Only caught that one fish, but it was worth it.

I really need to vacuum.  The dust bunnies are whispering 'Viva la Resistance' in the corners and shadows.  I must put down the uprising before it explodes into anarchy.

Yesterday, I pulled out of the driveway and something was up ahead in the road.  From that distance, I wasn't sure if it was a leafy branch or a dead critter.  As I drove ahead, I was saying 'don't be a dead thing, don't be a dead thing, don't be a dead thing'.  When I got a little closer, it moved.  It was a broad-winged hawk with its back to me, its wings spread over whatever prey it had in its talons.  I had to stop the car before it moved, but it took off, critter gripped tightly beneath it.  Which was really cool until I noticed it had a chipmunk.  And I was all like "Chester!  Nooooo."  But hey, hawk's gotta make a living, too.  And hopefully, it wasn't actually Chester from our yard.  It's hard being a chipmunk in a woods full of predators.

Yep, nature's a bitch sometimes.  Why the hawk couldn't have come over and eaten one of the dozens of rotten gray squirrels in our yard is beyond me.  To borrow a phrase from Chik-Fil-A, 'Eat Mor Skwirrl'.

Gray Squirrel = Furry-tailed rat.  Would you believe Land Pigeon?

I've been thinking of all the things I've given up since we made the dietary changes earlier this year.  Fried chicken.  French fries.  Tater tots.  Hashbrown patties.  McDonald's.  Little Debbie snacks, especially the Nutty Buddies.  Mountain Dew.  Fritos.  Sugar in my coffee.  Doughnuts.  Muffins.  Danishes.  Candybars.  Bratwursts and smoked sausages.  French onion dip.  Sour cream....  I don't really miss all that.  Much.  I'm still holding onto ice cream, pizza (although I buy the little ones now instead of full-sized), and peanut M&Ms.  Except the M&Ms are dark chocolate now.  I still eat chips and crackers, but they're all baked now.  And hamburgers - 93% lean and made at home on the Foreman Grill, so the fat drips away.  Let's not talk about cheese.  I can't give up cheese. Ain't happenin'.  I do try to eat less of it, though.

Okay, that's enough out of me.  What've you got?