I had typed a really long post on Wednesday evening.  Nothing controversial just lots of good info.  And that damn laptop struck again.  Well,  I am now in the market for a new computer as that was The End of that laptop.  

        On Wednesday, every class period, I drove a yellow bus and hauled every Shattuck FFA student to the ag farm.  We properly harvested broilers.  46 birds that were 8 weeks old and averaged about 8.5 to 9 pounds apiece.  Students were shown how to properly & humanely harvest, exsanguiate, scald, pluck, eviscerate, clean and bag these birds.  Then the students got hands-on.  Yes, some more than others.  Yes, there was a girl or three that hid their eyes.  Sure, there were plenty of girls that girl right in the middle of the action.  And there were boys that watched but didn’t want to do the dirty work.  

       Shattuck is a very rural town.  Roughly 1,200 people with an agriculture and oil background.  Very few of the 120 ag students have a family that farms/ranches full time.  Most are related to somebody with cattle.  Only two of the students had ever butchered chickens before Wednesday.  This is the issue that agriculture is facing all across this country.  Kids don’t know exactly how their food is produced.  

       I enjoy livestock evaluation contests.  I also am a product of livestock showing.  I still love these foundational skills that are learned from showing livestock.  Kela and Duke were raised with family, friends and stock show animals.  There are obviously some things about shows that I would like to change.  My question–Are we properly teaching students about livestock through the stock show program?  That’s a question for each of you to answer for yourselves.  

       As a whole, I don’t think that we, as ag eduators, do a good enough job teaching meats, poultry or grain processing.  I do a decent job, at times, but could definitely do better.  All ag teachers spend time preparing for the next thing on the calendar–stock shows, speaking/judging contests/ leadership events, etc.  Agriculture needs us to make sure students know how and why livestock are grown/processed and how/why farmers & ranchers do the things that we do. 

       Why doesn’t every school have some sort of meats lab?   Don’t tell me cost!   Gyms, wood/metal shops, ag farms and ball fields all cost a lot to build and maintain.  Food sciences & the production of those foods involve every student.  EVERY student.   

       And in the end, we will cook some of these birds.  ALL students like to eat.   And when they have had a hand in the production/processing of the food, they take ownership and learning takes place.  

       It is fall break, the American Royal is taking place and I need to get on the road.  Have a good one and a better tomorrow.  

      I do enjoy listening to younger judges and their terminology.  I don’t understand it all but I get the use of new verbiage.  Call me a crusty, old fart and I will not argue.  But sometimes, it just seems like we are reinventing the wheel.  

      Runs Uphill.  First heard it in hogs a few years ago.  Now, I’m hearing it in other species.  Basically, this means that they are on the verge of being too straight in their shoulder set yet they have a cool, cocky head and neck set.  I get it but dang neart every time I hear one described as “running uphill”, they usually aren’t sound enough.  Well, except for those couple of elite ones that still stay flexible.  And that is what we do in the livestock industry.  We are all unicorn hunters, just looking for that magical, mythical beast that really doesn’t exist.  Yet, if we get close, we make up a term to cover that deficiency.  

    Here’s another hog term.   “Tail Root”.   What?  Who gives a rat’s ass about the circumference of a pig’s tail attachment.  Tail root?  My goodness.  Sure!   Maybe the size of a pig’s tail corresponds to the circumference of bone.  BUT……let’s think about this.  There is a place in the meat industry for almost every part of a pig.  Ears as dog chew toys.  Jowls–pickled or smoked.  It is common to see a jar of pickled pig’s feet in a grocery store.  Yet……yet….no one has seen a jar of pickled pig tails.  Or smoked hog tails.  I’ve seen beef oxtail offered but not often.  Tail root?   Oh goodness.

        However, tonight, as I was soaking in the tub of a remodeled bathroom and reading a cattle sale offering, I read this description “….and has a massive tail, if you’re a believer of the power in that quality.”   That sounds to me like that long-time cattle breeder is not a believer either.  Just going to throw out the newest terminology to the next generation.  Marketing.  

        In all species of livestock, we are at a crossroads.  Judges are selecting wide chested, big ribbed, stout skulled, massive boned creatures packed with meat.  All of these things are indicators of birthing problems and slow growth.  Cut em out.  Save them.  Grow them out and then sell them as breeding animals.  It is a never-ending circle of life that gets none of us anywhere fast.  

     After Tulsa.  Now, as an ag teacher, I can get on with the rest of my year. 

      Historically, this is my most hated show.  I don’t like where it sits on the calendar.  I don’t like the fairgrounds.  I normally don’t like showing there.  Even though, in years past, we have had some big fun.  Like winning all 6 goat divisions in one year.  Winning broiler chicken shows.  As well as some sheep, cattle and hog banners.  We’ve been close to winning the livestock judging contest (1 point away).  But, that is all in the past. 

      Now, when I go to the Tulsa State Fair,  I just always feel like I lose a week of my life.  Except, now it costs more to attend.  Even ag teachers have to buy a gate pass, a parking pass and a trailer parking pass.  And wow!   That trailer parking area was outstanding.  Kudos.  That parking place should be good for selling or repairing tires.  Lots of extra iron and broken concrete.  

       Seriously, it would be way cooler to have Tulsa in March.  Two majors in the same month.  Just sayin.  

       Today, I saw a little boy with a lemonade stand.  Main street Shattuck, just a couple of houses north of the hospital.  I don’t know, a kid that is maybe 6 or 8 years old.  Did not know him.  Did not know the grandma helping him.  I just saw the stand and his crappy little sign that was flapping in the wind.  I pulled over and asked, “Dude, what are you selling today?”

       He replied, “Mister, I’ve got lemonade.  Some apple bread and I had some banana bread but I sold out.”   

I asked, “Did you make it?”   

                    “Yes.  Kind of.  My Mimi helped me.  Well, she made it for me and I’m trying to sell it.”  

I opened my wallet, thinking that I would pull out a five-er and call it good.  Well crap!  A $20 was as small as I had.  So, I handed him a $20 and asked for a little dixie cup of lemonade.  This little turd went to jumping up and down.  His grandma came out to check on the sales transaction.  “YES!!  This guy gave me twenty bucks for a glass of lemonade.  Yes!!”  I did not know her.  In Shattuck America.  

       She asked if I wanted a loaf of apple bread.  I declined.  I really just stopped to check this deal out and help a kid that was making an effort.  

       I did not do anything new or original.   I just liked the thought of some youngster trying to make a buck.  Let’s be real.  I can piss away a $20 real quick at a stock show, goat sale, quick stop or the damn Tulsa State Fair.  And compared to the amount of $s that you’re damn government steals from me & you in the form of taxes…..this was money well spent.  

        And since it is only Saturday evening, Tulsa is NOT over.   Damn!!  I will leave early in the morning to go back to Tulsa to pickup ag mechanics projects, ag comm entries and hort stuff.   I can’t wait to pay some turnpike tolls and get another little crappy piece of paper called a “release” so that I can gather our stuff and leave.  I hope to remember to get our plaques and ribbons.  And since we are talking stock shows and Tulsa, I did not like their new grand drive.  Well, I liked most of it but I hated the “interviews” that happened as soon as the judge made their selection.  Too intrusive and too contrived.  Interviewer was too aggressive.   That part did not work.  Give the kids, the families and their groups time to enjoy the win.  

     I’m not even sure what, when or how the addition of “step” came to being.  Why not extra-brother or added-sister?  Stupid, I know.  But why step?  Step? It doesn’t even flow.  

     Oddly enough, the whole “step” deal got to whirling through my skull as a result of a recent conversation with one of my best friends, John Schoenhals  (said Shane-halls)  Yeah, practice spelling that name.  Effed up German names like Kelln, Schoenhals, Helfenbein and Pshigoda contributed to me never winning a spelling bee.  We grew up together in Shattuck America.  He was scholarly and athletic.  I was not.  Although, we both share an identical ACT score on the exact same day–but I didn’t use a calculator.  He grew up a fan of UO.  (his dad actually played for the sooners in the late 50’s).  I like orange.  He started college at uo then ended up orange.  We were room-mates and graduated from OSU.  He lives in a large urban area–Phoenix.  I live near Fargo, OK. Not urban. He understands agriculture.  I live it.  My kids are grown.  His boys are in their teens.  He enjoyed listening to stories of Tammy and I raising kids.  Now, Tammy and I enjoy listening to stories of their kids.  His parents and my parents get along well.  So, about once or twice a year, we all get together and share some stories, some food and maybe a dang good beverage or three.  He attends the Arizona National Livestock Show whenever we are there.  Good bud!

       Anyways, he was recently telling about a trial and tribulation of his youngest son.  Good kid that said something wrong at school.  He got suspended for a couple of days.  In the conversation about kids will be kids, he mentioned a website that his boy had found.  I googled it.  Oh snap!!  Step this, step that, step RU kidding me?  How did the “step” term take this form?  I don’t know and I do know that it should not be in that form.

       I, nor my brothers, have a step parent, step brother or step sister.  Huge congrats to our parents for pulling this deal off!  We did, however, have a step grandpa.  And all of the grandkids called him “Pa”.  In a way, for some cousins, he took the place of our Grandpa Kelln.  Thanks to my dad, all three of us boys stayed in contact with Grandpa Kelln.  So, with Pa, we got a bonus grandpa.  How bad ass is that?  Three grandpas.  You damn right!  Yet, to our cousins, Pa was their grand-dad.  Period.  He served the role and regardless of genetics, he was THE grandpa and a strong male presence in their lives.  Irreplaceable.  He didn’t have kids of his own and he did not have to do the job.  Yet, he owned it.  

       Side story–Pa was Samuel K. Barton, attorney-at-law.  His business cards had the motto: “Defend the innocent, prosecute the guilty and protect the widows and orphans.”  He truly lived this credo.  Seriously and literally.  As a teenager, I had to go pickup some pigs on occasion, dairy bottle calves another and shoveled a pickup bed trailer full of wheat seed on another occasion.  These were all payments for legal fees.  This dude won some large cases that changed laws about land owner rights, specifically dealing with mineral rights and damages.  Seriously!  Although he never saw the monetary windfall from his legal battles, his people enjoyed the benefits.  Yet, he was fine getting paid in chickens, pigs, calves or seed.  When I was 12 years old, a friend of Pa brought by a Christmas present.  I opened the door and watched the guy carry in the wrapped offering.  It was supposedly a gag gift.  Yet, once I laid my own eyes on it, it became a credo.  It was “just” a glazed piece of dried cow turd.  That’s it.  A dried cow patty that was painted with a clear coat and then they had glued a pen holder to the top of the cow patty.  Yet, it had a little, crappy brass plate that read, “If you can’t dazzle ’em with diamonds, baffle ’em with bullshit.”  

Now, with that saying, I have exposed the basis of this blog as well as most of my teaching strategies.  I am capable of both.  Dazzle or BS.  

       When Pa passed away, Granny asked if there was anything of his that I wanted.  Ooumph!!  He had several guns, two purple hearts from WWII and that piece of shit.  Being the oldest grandchild, I felt that I might have a chance at this family heirloom.  Too late.  Between Pa having 12 brothers and sisters, somebody else already had it.  I’ve thought of re-creating this piece of artistic and motivational piece of crap but no.  Not yet.  The original is all that matters.  Just as Pa was an original.  He never had any kids of his own.  Yet, he had a BUNCH of grandkids and great grandkids.  Step-granddad only by name.  Not by actions.  

       Let’s change over to Tammy’s family.  At this point, Tammy’s mom is cringing at what I might type.  No need.  The wurst (I like wurst) thing that I will write is there are numerous opportunities for that “step” title.  But here we go.  

      Tammy has a half-brother.  Bull $h!t.  Half– my ass!!!  Those two are damn sure FULL brother and sister.  One only has to deal with them to quickly realize this fact.  Yet, the wicked awesome cool fact is that even though they truly do share different sires, ALL aspects of the family get along and include each other despite some genetic differences.  

        I would like to tell you the fact that Tammy has a “step” dad.  But that would not be a true statement.  Factual or not, Tammy does not have a step dad.  Once again, the step title is Bull $h!t.  He may not be her biological father, but Darrell Gunsaulis is, has been and will forevermore be Tammy’s DAD!  Better yet, I’m really not sure if Kela (age 31) or Duke (age 20) even know that, well, technically, that they have a step……..not even going to type the rest of it.  That dude is our kids Granddad as he is for all the other grandkids as well! Period!!  He earned the title and he will retain the title.  And as a bonus, my parents and Tammy’s parents get along.  Which means that our kids have always had FOUR grandparents at EVERY event. 

       And technically, genetically, whatever, Tammy has a step brother and a step sister. Once again, although factually correct, NOT true when you watch the family get-togethers. 

 Stopping.  Have a good one.  

        I finally got sleepy and stepped away from the keyboard for a minute.  Woke up a couple of hours later. 

My point about the “step” title is that there is no need for the addition of that word to a name.  Blood or not, people can still be family.  Our family has been very fortunate.  I hope yours has as well.

       How can a post about step family NOT include a comment about the great movie Step Brothers?  That movie is so funny yet so wrong.  

Prestige Worldwide.

     Cornhole has became very popular the past decade or so.  There is even televised collegiate cornhole matches on one of the 12 different espn channels.  It’s big fun.  Even goats like to play cornhole.  Seriously.  

      Well, not all cornhole is fun.  There is one facet of the goat industry that is hard to explain to those that have never had a pen of 8 month old bucklings.  On the east side of the place is a pen with 8 eight month old bucklings.  There are no does, or doe kids within 20 yards of them.  Doesn’t matter.  This pen has recently learned how to play cornhole.  And it is loud!  The sounds that come from that pen would make George Lucas want to create some sort of aliens just to use these sounds.  Wookie kind of sounds.  

      This evening, I decided to give this set of bucklings a copper bolus.  Our part of the world is deficient in copper and a bolus or two is cheap.  However, in order to put a bolus down one of these bucks, you have to catch them.  For some reason, their heads and ears are sticky.  Their backs, hips and tails are sticky.  It’s just wrong.  These dudes mount up and get in a konga line…..dun dun dun dun dun..DUN!  And on the beat of that last DUN, there is a thrust.  The front goat doesn’t have a chance. 

       Enough of talking about playing cornhole–prison goat style.  I’m going to log off here and go burn my t-shirt and shorts.  Might even take a bath in gasoline to get rid of this odor.  

       Sometimes, this dang blog feels like an unpaid job.  Other times, it feels good to pound the keyboard.  And yet, other times, you just wish, that maybe, this is all a bad dream and it didn’t even exist.  And then crap gets real.  

        Things got real during third hour today, food science class, on this fine Thursday.   Now, just to give the readership some background, this is a class of all seniors.  Yes, we discuss things like the 8, soon to be 9, major food allergens.  Other topics include nasty cheeses, bell peppers, mustard and tomatoes.  (All nasty except for mustard!) Today, we spent about 15 minutes discussing the proper & improper methods of euthanizing chickens.  In the next week or so, we will butcher broilers in class.  Yes, a couple of them are a little too excited and a couple don’t want no part of this activity.  It doesn’t matter which side they are on, things are going to get real.  Also, in this class, we cook things.  Not every week, but every so often.  Not quite home ec class, but at least they understand the different cooking methods and how ag products are utilized.  Fun class?  YES!   We also find time to work on ag mechanics, public speaking, scholarships, community service and basically whatever we want to do from time to time, as the need arises.  In short, when we get time, we cook stuff and talk about the ag products utilized and the methods used to produce these products.  One would have to really piss me off in order to not make a B in this class. 

      On this day, one of the girls asked a direct question to me.  She said, “Hey, Mr. Kelln, I have to write three blog posts for an assignment.  How do I need to write them?”  

       Not thinking, I asked, “What, specifically, do you mean?”  

       She then asked, “Do I need to keep it in paragraph form or just double space in between so I can keep things straight?”

       Instinctively, I answered, “Keep it as grammatically correct as possible.”  Then I asked, “Did you say three blog posts?” 

      “YES.”

             “For what class?” 

                        “College.”

                                     “College what?”

                                                     “English.”    

Wait!  What?  How in the?

       At this point, I had to ask, “Your college English class is asking you to write three blog posts?”

            “Yes.”     

For further background.  This is a NON-stock show, NON-goat oriented student.  How in the heck does she know about this worthless page?  Basically, $h!t just got real (still clean).     

Oh snap!!!!   I now see where this is going.  So, I tried to be as professional and educational as…..I tried.  I tried to answer questions as how to write three different blog posts.  Right about the moment that I am answering questions to a student that has read THIS blog, another student asks the obvious, “How come you are asking Mr. Kelln about how to write a blog?”

           Her reply, “Duh, he’s been writing one for years!”   REAL!

My reply–Write one blog post that is informative.  Write one that is personal, almost like a journal or diary.  Write another one that is like an advertisement or review.  “Just remember that some people make money from a blog.  I don’t.”  

As I was answering her questions, I was also asking questions of myself.  And as I am typing tonight, I am still asking and trying to answer these questions.  

1–Keep it informative.  Answer a question that readers will appreciate.  Which brings up this question–What is the target market for the readers of this blog?   Who are the readers?

Answer–started out as a goat page.  But, then rapidly shifted to a livestock page.  Now, it trends towards an ag teacher page, yet there are some readers that are just waiting for the next train wreck.  (I hate typing on this laptop–I may go find a rusty ice pick and stab myself).  I TRULY do hope that readers learn something.  Yet, still, if you don’t, it is your own fault because you clicked to this page of your own volition.  

2–Keep it fun.  Do all readers find this blog fun?   

Answer–NO!   Everybody likes to rank sports, movies, songs, whatever.  We like stories.  LOVE real life stories.  It is cool that I get texts asking about the Dragon Lady (now known coast2coast, border2border), Duke or what adventure is Kela now on.  Now, I am real sure that there are a couple of judges and some crooked sacks of monkey crap that do NOT enjoy reading this blog.  Yet, they have read it.  Yes, they have.  They probably had to have a buddy say, “DUDE!  Have you seen?” And then they read it and then have to decide their next step.  You know what?  If the shoe fits, they can take their own shoe and shove it ………”

3–Commercial/Promotional    Do all blogs make money?    

      Answer–No!! Dang sure not this one.   I’ve never taken a dollar for this blog.  Not one damn, I mean dang, dollar.  I should have.  I’ve been offered.  I’m retarded.  In fact, it actually costs me $s to have a blog.  And the more that read it, the more it costs.  Those of you that really know me understand that I like the pursuit of $s and I do know how to be profitable but I really don’t care about the value of a $.  

How many people read this blog? 

answer:  Too many.  Not enough.  Yes, I pay by the number of clicks but how many are the same person clicking from a computer, laptop (yes, there is a difference), phone, work, home, etc.   I don’t know exactly.  Does it matter?  In the end, it all depends on the server.  

Is thig blog a Kelln personal diary?

answer:  NO.   NO.  NO.   From my mind to my fingers to the keyboard is an filtered version of what goes through my skull.  Most everything that I have written has merit, yet some was just hypothetical.  I have learned that it is easier for some family members to keep tabs on me to read this crap.  Those of you that have never encountered the LIVE version of “Kelln” would not understand.  Sometimes, it is easier to read about it.  For example–I have a great mother AND a great mother-in-law.  Need I say more?   No, I don’t.  They are both wicked awesome.  Maybe I need to write a blog about the power of step parents.  Yes, I should.  Wicked powerful.  I should and shall do it and yet, I have just made some of you forget about your normally negative feelings towards me because you now relate.  Do I have step-parents?  Does it matter?  No.  

     Regardless of the media that one uses, no matter how you decide to write, be mindful of the consequences.  Seriously.  I don’t use instagram, snapchat, tiktok and I limit my book face interactions as anybody can involuntary see that crap.  On a blog, you, the reader made the decision to read this crap.  Have I hit submit on things that I shouldn’t have?   Valid question.  

        The answer is…..yes.  For dang sure YES!   I have hit submit on blogs that have cost me problems.  Do I wish that I could go back and change things?     HAAAA!!!!   No.  My life could have been easier but when you’re right, you’re right.   I now feel the urge to play a Jerry Reed song.  

        Here’s the reality of this stupid damn blog.  I have made friends from sea to shining sea.  Not contacts.  Friends.  I’ve written about some, mentioned others in passing on here and think fondly of all of them.  As bad as Tammy despises this blog, she understands the reach and loves the people that pull into our piece of paradise and exclaim, “THE Dragon Lady!”  Yet, others meet her and will NOT call her by that name.  Until she gives permission, which is not a problem.  She earned the title.  In all seriousness, the friends that we have as a result of them relating to some part of this blog….unreal.   

        Is this blog getting long?  Yes.  Too long?  That is up to you.  If you want to keep reading, have at it.  If not, click away to another site.  

        I try to keep it real on here.  There are some old-school livestock legends that read this.  And they wish that “could you please tone it down when talking about judges?”  Yeah, I can if they are on the up & up.  Too many have stood back and let these crooked ass-hats keep judging.  I’ve got no political ties and am not afraid of retributions for said actions.  

       All of a sudden, this blog sounds like a D Mitch phone call.  Started off very cool, educational and complimentary.   And then let’s fast forward to the cool music, keep kids in perspective speech.  He’s very rarely wrong–on music or perspectives.  And since he is one of the best ag teachers in OK——fight me if I’m wrong.  

      Here’s the jist of the story. 

It can get real, real quick if you ain’t ready.  And bein real is way more important than keepin it real.  If you stayin real, you don’t have to worry about fakin’ real.  

    Thank you Mr. Kelln for the example of how-NOT-to write-a-blog.  

The scary yet realistic part, is that several readers, will read this deal TWICE.  Which will actually cost me money.  

I’m done.  For now.  

        I spent an hour or two on this evening watching a movie that I have seen several times.  Tammy had never watched Gran Torino.  So, I gladly sat and watched it with her.  Bad ass movie!  Hard to argue with anyone that says that Clint Eastwood is the most influential person in Hollywood….EVER!!!  It was not a waste of time watching this flick.  Which was completely unlike the teachers’ meeting at COLT conference today.  

        Had an ex-ag teacher call me this evening.  In the conversation, he asked, “So, how was the meeting during COLT conference?”   Seriously dude?   

       I asked if he could remember the itinerary of the last COLT meeting that he went to.  He rattled it off.  He hasn’t taught in over a DECADE yet he still knew exactly how the meeting would go.  EXCEPT for the part of a lecture about how many teachers have taught less than 5 or 10 years.  Well, thanks to some unoriginal thinking on behalf of our leadership, once again, we have a bunch of teachers leaving ANOTHER meeting, thinking, this was a waste of time.  And they would be correct.  

       But, it is supposed to be for the kids.  The kids said that their part was “okay”.  Well, that’s worth a day out of school.  I would rather be in school teaching than wasting time.  Yet, the state office sends us emails how “attendance is required”.  You know what, have a good meeting and attendance will never be a problem.  Do something!  Earn the respect.  Give us a reason to want to be there.  

        At the end of the meeting, I had a career teacher tell me (damn neart 40 years experience), “You need to put a like button on that dang blog page of yours.  It would be fun to see how many ag teachers “liked” that summer conference post.  Because this one was just as worthless.”

       I don’t need a “like” button.  Numerous teachers that do NOT like me have told me that they agreed with my thoughts.  Nobody likes to admit that they agree with somebody that they don’t like.  Guess what? I know that I am right.  I know a waste of time and this crew, once again, delivered in spades.  The great thing is that they delivered this same sack of monkey crap itinerary to FIVE different areas.  One thing about it, they have worthless meetings perfected at this point.  

      Question everything.  I question everything that I do.  And if I don’t like the answer, I fix it.  And if I need help fixing it, I ask for help.  

Why did that meeting suck?  We don’t have the time nor the space to answer that.  It isn’t my job but I will gladly point you in the right direction.  The question–Could this have all been sent in an e-mail?  The answer is YES.  Therefore it should be sent in that form.  Which means bring something constructive to the table.  This meeting would best be described as “an un-original POS.”  

Why is there always so much food left-over?  Waste of money.  Waste of food.  Waste of time.  The food sucks.  The fruit tastes like cardboard.  The donuts/pastries are tasteless.  Seriously, donuts leftover at an ag teacher meeting?!?!  That is some worthless stuff if ag teachers ain’t eating it.  

      Congrats to Ponca City and Mr. Kevin Frazier on being the 1st ever 5 star superior chapter!!!   Wicked awesome!  

I’ve got to deal with Blue & Gold and DJs products coming in tomorrow.  Only $70sumthousand dollars worth.  In a town of 1,200.  I will fire up the reefer trailer in the morning and have it cold.   

      Oh, yeah.  There was a state fair of OK goat show this weekend.  I didn’t go.  I sent a student with a couple of does and she won 2 classes.  That’s my kind of stock show.  

Have a good one and a better tomorrow.  Don’t waste anybody’s time.  Make it worthwhile.  

         No, I’m not talking about a classic car from the online auction.  And NO, I didn’t get the Cadillac limo bought either.  I had the bid during extended bidding.  But this sale was closing during class.  A student asked me a question and I lost my focus.  I turned back to check the bidding and it was CLOSED!!!  

       Meanwhile in a different class period, I was trying to teach a class of 8th grade girls how to use gestures while speaking.  I told them that gestures need to emphasize while still looking natural.  Not robotic and don’t look like you are moving to the beat of some crappy song like the ‘Macarena’.  A couple of them looked at me odd. 

       I said, “I’m sorry.  That song is way before you all’s time.  You don’t have a clue what I’m talking about.”

       One of them said, “Uhhh, you mean the dance that goes like this?” 

       At this point, eleven 8th grade girls were now doing the Macarena.  No music playing, they were just humming and dancing.  

       In 1996, I had served as a senior class sponsor for a senior trip that went to Peurto Vallarta.  There was this damn song that played the whole time we were there.  I was glad to leave Mexico and that song behind.  On the plane ride home, I made the comment, “I’m glad to be going home so I don’t have to hear that song again.”  A month or so later, the ‘Macarena’ had found it’s way to America.  And then it was everywhere.  Still is.  If a group of 14 year olds in Shattuck, OK know this song and dance in 2021, I guess it is a timeless classic.  

       Think of some other timeless classics.  They were hits yet they weren’t very good.  Sometimes you hear them and they transport you back in time.  

      For me, 1985 had some really crappy songs that I will still listen to when they come on the 80’s on 8 xm channel.  ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ by Falco and ‘I wanna be a cowboy’ by some damn band that I would have to look up.  

      1990 brought us ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ by Billy Ray Cyrus.  Which he in turn gifted us with Miley Cyrus that brought us another generation of crappy songs.  

       Older you say.  Okay.  How about ‘Afternoon Delight’ by THE Starland Vocal band.  And ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ by Carl Lawerence.  

     Newer.  ‘Baby Got Back’ by Sir Mix-A-Lot and THE timeless classic of ‘Ice, Ice Baby’ by Vanilla Ice.  

And NO matter the age of the person, all of us know ‘Y.M.C.A.’ by the Village People.  

      Have fun reminiscing some crappy tunes by below average artists that we all remember.  And maybe think back to that random showman and animal that NOBODY expected to win a show, yet they did.  What’s the saying?  Even the sun shines on a dog’s ass on some days.  Regardless of industry, the sun shines somewhere.  

       The power of the internet is absolutely scary yet amazing.  This morning, while taking a perch upon some porcelain.  I opened a week old High Plains Journal.  I had read all of the articles but had yet to study the ads.  As I looked over this info-laden, weekly rag an ad caught my eye.  Classic Car Auction.  Online.  OoooHH Snapp!!

      There are several sale lots that have caught my eye.  Some more than others.  The cool part is seeing what town and state where each sale item is located.  If interested, I google the town and see how close it is to somebody that I know.  That’s where it gets scary.  Dang neart every item of interest is located within an hour drive of somebody that I know.  I did not say “somebody that I absolutely trust”.  But, somebody that I know.  Anyways, I could make a call and give somebody some cash to go “put their eyes on it” if needed–before I bid.  

      If I can do that with old vehicles–El Camino, Mustang, dump truck and even a fire truck–then online livestock buyers should be able to do the same before blindly purchasing a sight unseen animal.  However, most don’t make the call.  They just get a fuzzy feeling from the picture OR the price tag.  Then they go to bidding.  

       Here’s to hoping I have to make a call.  Not that I need anything, but like a lot of online buyers, I have the wants.  

      From time2time, I go back and read the crap that I have written.  I enjoy this as it is like reading it for the first time.  Even though, I was the author, mentally I am taken back to what was rolling through my skull at the time.  Sometimes, I am amazed at how calm I kept it.  Others, I wish somebody would have been there, looking over my shoulder and saying, “Don’t hit publish!  Don’t do it.”  Regardless, I will stand by all that I have written.  Why?  Because the author was RIGHT.  

       I would like to dispense some new info but maybe it is best if I don’t.  Prayers to those that need it.  I hope that nobody has to have their time wasted at work.  May our leaders not miss opportunities to do better for all of us.  As big of an a-hole as I can be, I truly want good people to excel.  Hard workers to find success.  And I am fine with there being a special room in hell for……….

       People, have a good one today and a better one tomorrow.