We all deserve friends like this !!

I got this in an email from my mom, and it totally made me tear up; but it's beautiful!

After losing his parents, this 3 year old orangutan was so depressed he wouldn't eat and didn't respond to any medical treatments. The veterinarians thought he would surely die from sadness.

The zoo keepers found an old sick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center. The dog arrived at the same time the orangutan was there being treated...

The 2 lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since.

The orangutan found a new reason to live and each always tries his best to be a good companion to his new found friend.

They are together 24 hours a day in all their activities.

They live in Northern California where swimming is their favorite past time, although Roscoe (the orangutan)

is a little afraid of the water and needs his friend's help to swim.

Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship.

They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on.

Reminds me how wonderful friendship can be.

Long Live Friendship!!!!!!!

I don't know... some say life is too short, others say it is too long, but I know that nothing that we do makes sense if we don't touch the hearts of others... while it lasts!

May you always have Love to Share, Health to Spare, And Friends who Care.....even if they are a little hairy at times.

My latest gig...

So, for those that care, I've been working the last few weeks for a temp-to-hire job, and it's actually pretty cool. (OK, it just doesn't suck like the toy helicopter or the mop-selling jobs) What I'm doing now is working a call center job doing pre-sales for a software company. It's not bad—I generate leads all day. No selling, no commission, no hassles…  Just verify and qualify warm leads from a database, and send them to sales department. It's just kinda funny—I represent a software company and their products, but I secretly work for a call center, but I'm actually employed by a temp agency.  It's like I've got three layers of separation between me and the public I deal with. Secret Shoehead, that's me. So the money is actually pretty good, and I can put every ounce of energy into my writing, my Herbalife, my getting in shape, and my Camp Shoehead 2.0…

A short one...

Not a stellar day, but I did help a neighbor kid with her algebra homework. I totally forgot that I like algebra. I think I'll pick up an algebra workbook, just to hone my math and problem-solving skills. I'm really focusing on Camp Shoehead 2.0! I believe it'll be a totally doable plan! I might even get involved with local politics; maybe even run for mayor! The possibilities are endless! Otherwise, a quiet day... I think I do need one of these, though.

Christmas Outreach

Today was a pretty busy day for your ol' pal Shooey. My church, Northwest Fellowship, had our Christmas Family Dinner and Community Outreach tonight. It was a great time, and not only did we get to celebrate and hang out with our church friends, but we invited people from the community and some of Austin's homeless people to eat with us, and enjoy the festivities. My role, in all this, was the emcee of the Christmas production. My character was actually scripted as the "Credible Host" and I had a couple of bits with the "Comical Host". It really was a great time, and the show went off absolutely 98% without hitch or glitch.  I was actually sorry it was over.  One thing tonight's experience impacted me with, is how much I miss live theater. I'm primarily a film guy. I love being on set, working with the cameras, doing cool stuff, and take after take of intense acting. But—after tonight, I realize how much I miss the excitement and energy of live theater. I think I'll insert myself back into theater world. Austin is a great town for it.
Another thing I really was impacted by was my heart for the homeless. Tonight I was drawn to three young people—"Sideshow", "Phoenix" and a girl who called herself "Toxic"—who lived in a homeless camp that my ministry feeds. They couldn't have been more than 22 or 23, but probably younger.  I took an instant like to these three, and made sure they got enough food and felt loved and wanted there. After they told me their names, they tripped out when I introduced myself as "Shoehead".  They even stayed behind and helped us stack up chairs and clean up. I plan to visit them, and help them as best I can, especially during the winter months.
So that was my weekend. Tomorrow, I go back to work. Oh, yeah... I haven't blogged in a while. I'll tell you about my new job, and bring you back to speed about what your ol' pal Shooey has been up to recently.
In the meantime, hasta tamale!

Cajun Pizza joint, off McNeil & 183

Cajun pizza

Very sad and forlorn...

Today certainly was a lazy day!

I overslept this morning, until about 10am. It was kind of a drag, because I was supposed to go to a meeting of the prison ministry I'm involved with. I've been fending off this allergic-kinda stuffy nose/sore throat thingie for about 10 days now, but it finally went into my chest a little bit this morning. The rest of the day has been an exercise in laziness (Is that an oxymoron, or what?) I did manage to speak with the Realtor® about the Camp Shoehead 2.0 plan that I'm putting in place, and things are looking good on that front. I ran errands and paid some bills—which is productive, if unfulfilling.
My self-imposed exile from Facebook is seeming to generate curiosity and concern from my friends. That honestly wasn't the intent of the hiatus. I have several reasons for going dark on FB for a spell, which I've been formulating the blog in my head for three week. I'll put that as a new post; perhaps tomorrow. But I believe discovering the house in Ranger and following through with Camp Shoehead 2.0 has something to do with my FB blackout. I'll explore that one a bit later.
Tonight, I rehearse our Christmas Dinner Show at the church. I'm the "Credible Host" who plays against the "Comical Host". We've been working on our bits, and it's coming along pretty well, I must say!
Until next time, my awesome readers...

I may have found the site for Camp Shoehead 2.0

I've been checking out Ranger, TX ever since I saw a Facebook story about it about three months ago. It looks like the kind of place I can set up the next Camp Shoehead, the 2.0 version. It looks a lot like Firebaugh, actually and the house I'm eyeballing has remarkable similarities to Uncle Nemo's place back in the 'Baugh.  Ranger is an oil boomtown from the 1920's that slowly went bust over the last 80 years. It was named for a Texas Ranger camp nearby. Cool, huh? I need to make some definite changes in my life, and setting up Camp Shoehead 2.0, with Uncle Shooey's Cabin is definitely an imperative. The house has a fenced-in yard for the dogs, and it sits on a 1/2 acre corner lot; much like Casa Nemo in Firebaugh. R!anger is actually smaller than Firebaugh--Ranger boasts a population of around 2000, where Firebaugh has a bustling 5000!
So, my awesome readers, I'll again keep you posted. This seems to be part of the new plan...

My roomie surprised me with roses!

I had a tiff with my roomie and good friend Martha on Saturday, and things were--shall we say--not right around Casa Shoehead for a few days. But I got home yesterday, and a nice bouquet and some candy were waiting for me. It was the sweetest gesture! I really can't remember the last time someone gave me flowers. Probably at some point in my marriage to the Lovely Mrs Shoehead, but I still can't succinctly recall an occasion. It really made me happy!

A rough one...

Wow, it was a really bad day for me emotionally today... :(

The NEW H-E-B at Lakeline...

My last purchase at Lake Creek H-E-B

Adios to my H-E-B. You were convenient.

...what do we have here? :)

Pepper plant's ROCKIN', and...

Our little feline trio we feed.

Don't know what it is.

This is the way to fix your car! :)

The way to have you car repaired...