I see the cars going by just past the evening rush hour. They see me out on my front lawn, swinging my watering can back and forth. “Surely this man must be mad! It’s raining, yet he waters his lawn like a man in the desert!”

So here’s the deal.

It’s not water in the watering can, but I’m pretty sure you could have figured that out. It’s my latest recipe for worm tea with a bit of my mycorrhizae and garden soil bacteria collection. This year I decided to do all I can to make my lawn monster-scary. I’m shooting for town recognition. “That’s the worm guy with….(dramatic pause)…the lawn!”

Mycorrhizae is a fungi that likes to stick on the roots of a plant. This fungi is able to grab more water and nutrients from the soil and get it to the roots. The fungi also stimulates the roots and makes them grow like crazy, reaching out to points they usually wouldn’t even dream of going otherwise. It’s good if you can deliver the fungi as deep into rooting system as possible.

By watering during a heavy rain storm, I’m able to get the mycorrhizae deep into lawns rooting system. Deeper roots means more nutrients. I’m doubting my neighbors grass will be as green as mine, but we will see. With thunder and lightening all around me, I was experiencing lawn care on the edge!

So much has been going on here that I keep forgetting to blog about it!

I finally have one rain barrel set up with many more on the way to come. People have no idea how much rain actually comes off the roof! I felt in touch with my inner Oregonian! Tonight it rained and filled up the 50 gallon container rather quickly. I’m actually anxious to see it rain!

Having rain water to use saves me from the icky things they put in the city water. I remember hearing for years that if they purify water too much than it is useless to the plant. Now I am informed that the local water lords put chlorine in the drink to kill bacteria. Wait a minute…don’t plants need bacteria!?! Yes, they do, Spanky…yes, they do.

Every time I use water from the tap I have to fill up my empty rain barrel and let it sit for 24 hours. Apparently the chlorine added to my water just disappears it thin air over a short time. A quick crash of some internet forums tells me that using the “de-chlorinating pills” like they sell in pet stores is not a good idea since it could also strip out some trace minerals. Makes sense to me.

I’ve had this deep, dark secret I’ve needed to get off my chest for sometime now. I’m a closest vermacomposter…I have worms.

My interest in worms started over 10 years ago. I was facintated by dirt and soil. I had read somewhere people were actually composting with worms. Not just any worm…but the very talented Eisenia fetida-The Red Wiggler. I had to try it.

My first attempts sucked. I did everything wrong. I lost a lot of good worms in them days. Sad indeed. I needed more info…GOOD info. After some internet searching, I had found a site ran by Mary Appelhof, A.K.A. the Worm Lady. Mary’s site was full of the answers I needed, but the jig was up…people were catching on about my little worm habit. I couldn’t explain the worms, and I didn’t feel like being the guy that did that “worm thing”.

Flash forward to now. I tried to get the worm-doubters out of my life. I’ve since started it up again. I spent a little of my Birthday money on some beautiful Reds last November. I didn’t really tell a bunch of people out of fear I could send these creatures to an early, slithery grave.

Well, It’s February. I’m proud to say my worms are doing very well. They are multiplying quite well, and have plans to move in to a new High Rise apartment I’m almost finished building for them.

I’m not totally sure what I’ll be doing with the worms specifically, most likely something involved with my equally-as-involving habit of gardening. The castings (or worm poop) is the most nutritious in the world (so I hear). I will be making lots of compost tea for lots of growing vegetables for sure.

Ms. Appelhof past away a short time ago, but I’m thankful for the advice that stuck in my head. Mary didn’t actually have worms of her own, but that was because she found her mission in life was to educate people about the importance of composting with Red Worms. She was an amazing woman who obviously loved what she was doing. Please read more about her!

It was an almost 3-way photo-finish!

Mitt Romney (Grecian Formula Spokesman), Ron Paul (Professional pain-in-the-ass to the GOP), and Little Ricky Santorum (He loves to be Googled).

The Perry camp is showing signs of being stunned, tweeting he’s moving on to South Carolina, but canceling all his appointments in town? Rick never was good at multitasking, debating, or interviewing. These things aren’t really needed to run a country, right?

Bachmann is out of the running for the GOP brand of Presidency.

I hope all the laughs we’ve had during the first act will carry on until November.

I say we do it! If for no other reason than to make K.K.K. member and flamboyant artist Gutzon Borglum roll over in his grave.

And think of the jobs! Glorious jobs!

Okay, before I get a bunch of complaints please know I couldn’t take this seriously. Not that I don’t support our current President; I do. Apparently the previous tenants of the land find our graffiti on their sacred land a little distasteful. I think we’ve tagged it enough the way it is.

It’s official! Ted Williams is seeking rehab. I guess he needed to ‘Get Real’. Now if the rest of America could follow.

What did we expect? He’d have it all smooth sailing to be the next Don Fontaine overnight? The man has a history of battling addiction. Giving him a job (regardless of how well paying) would magically make all his demons go away? Ask any family that has a functioning alcoholic and they will tell you it doesn’t work that way.

Williams appears to be a great guy. I’m not knocking the guy at all. I’d love to have lunch with the guy, but he’d have to pick up the tab though. As YouTube and his cardboard sign have indicated, he definitely has a God given talent. He’s also human, so we shouldn’t be surprised that he may still suffer from a demon or two.

What grinds my gears is WHY he had the quick rise…so we could all feel warm and fuzzy. We were all hoping for the ‘feel good story of the year’ because we needed one. I was sucked in too. I wanted to hear the rags-to-riches as only Matt, Ann and Meredeth can tell it.

Quickly after Mr. Williams was off the news cycle, Dr. Phil got hold of him. Where would we be without Dr. Phil? More important, where would Mr. Williams be?

Dr. Phil isn’t exactly someone I respect. Any time a pudgy talking head comes out with a weight loss program, I have to wonder. I’m pretty sure he was riding on Teddy’s 15 minutes, much like he offered to help Brittany Spears through her darkest hours of baldness. I don’t think he gives much of a care about these people. It’s all about the eyeballs glued to the tube.

But why stop there? Why not exploit it for all it’s worth! Let’s televise the hidden talents of all of our down trodden! It sure would be better than ignoring them and pushing them under the rug. I think I know just the guy to host such a show.

So this is my first post of the year. The new year greets us with a gunman taking 6 lives away from us in Arizona. 31 bullets went flying. It’s nice to see our country united in it’s prayers and well wishes. I’m hopeful we learned SOMETHING from 911.

I don’t believe that Ms. Palin’s poster with cross-hairs are the reason Jared Loughner decided to spray bullets at a crowd, but since it was brought up…what a dumb-ass thing to attach to a campaign! Seriously, Palin! Is that what Jesus would do?

Would Jesus ever agree to a “Repent or Run…Cuz the Savior has a gun” type of campaign?

A tea-bagger at a "battle of brains"

Seriously, would her and her teabagging 15-minutes of lame stop!?! PLEASE!?! I swear, politicians can be so narcissistic.

This is a non-political issue, but a personal one. Every day we wake up and decide what we’re going to do with the next 16 or so hours. A deeply troubled man in Arizona chose to let his demons manifest in a horrific fashion last Saturday.

How can we prevent this from happening again in the future? CAN we prevent it from happening in the future?

I have no solid answers, but like with meditation sometimes the questions are more important than the actual answer…at least for now. I would offer up that anytime a finger is pointed at who may have indirectly caused the shooting, we revisit the original question of how can we prevent this tragedy from happening again?

Perhaps giving anymore time to a quiting media-whore ex-governor from Alaska, we look at things like salvia abuse…or mental health programs…or gun control laws. We can (and MUST) do and be better!

I’m for gun owner rights…really I am. People hunt. People want to protect themselves. I get that. But do we need things like the extended magazine to take down Bambi? If someone invades our home, how many bullets are required to take him down? If it’s more than 14 or 15, I would suggest the user try throwing the gun and not enroll with the NRA next time around. Someone that bad of a shot should be embarrassed to be in the NRA.

On my last visit to see my Doc, he gives me a prescription for something I can’t pronounce. The stuff goofed with my head for a couple of days, but that could have been the holidays. I haven’t seen hardly a trace of my nueropathy since. I can now walk upright, and not like Quizimoto

STu walk FINE! STU WALK REAL FINE NOW!

I can’t say enough good things about my doctor. I was seriously scared with the pain I was having…I just wouldn’t go away! My muscles ached and I was hating EVERYTHING. Now it’s all better…ON WITH LIFE!

Soph is in Disneyworld with her school band. I’m SO PROUD OF HER! Me and my Ladyfriend are on our Staycation. Jamming with friends tonight. Things. Are. Good!

I can practically smell next year. I’m thinking it’s going to be AMAZING!

Is it like the war on drugs? Some people just lack enough faith to let other people have a holiday without them.

Can you see the Lord Jesus being the spoiled brat? “MY BIRTHDAY! MINE! ALL MINE! Is it time to sing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me yet?” I don’t think so.

He’d most likely not care at ALL what the Holiday was called. I like to think he’d just want to hang out with the family..

Today was pretty good. I was able to move around the house with only minimal pain. I think I’m on the mend from whatever has yucked-up my immune system. My muscles still soar as can be but I’m expecting that to go away. The Neuropathy still makes me want to take a hack saw to my limbs, but I’m faithful that pain will go away.

Tonight the band will march up through downtown. Other cold parents will wave and smile. Then we will all seek warm shelter. Great times! I need to get out. Even though it’s still over a couple hours away, I need to rest and get ready. If I don’t I’ll never make it. I HATE having all my energy drained.

Small date night tonight! YAY! Me and my lady friend are getting out afterwords. Hello, Big Boy!!!

Another day to be thankful for.