left field

My wife left for her annual yoga trip to Mexico with a girlfriend yesterday (always on Valentine's Day ... what's up with that?) so I am at home with her cat, pizza, good whisky, cubans and movies on Lifetime. Could be worse.

Add Ontario to the region of euchre. In fact, I believe it is a commonwealth game. It was the first adult card game you learned after Snap and Go Fish (and 52 Pickup), and very popular in high school where there would be a dozen games every lunch. Competition, strategy, socialization, clear winners and losers - and no screens. Miss it.

"How he got in my pajamas, I don't know."

Yet they continually get dinged by people who people who call them ugly. I'm not sophisticated enough to say why.

Thanks. Reddit is a rabbit hole I'm not sure I want to go down. That's one of things I like about this forum - it's a manageable size. As to drinking, I'm Irish so not sure I can live in a world where a drink isn't the answer to some problem. I say that jokingly, fully aware of the power of alcohol.

Quick update on my friend. He's now in isolation at the psych ward as he wants to leave and was getting agitated. He may be coming out of his pyschotic state and now is pissed he's in the hospital. This is a guy who likes control. As for myself, I went through a weird period when it was all over. After a weekend of intense focus, confusion, concern, stress, sleeplessness and the experience of the cops hauling my buddy out of my apt, I dropped into a little depression and a deep sadness that I couldn't shake. Running the scenarios over and over in my mind - what could have happened, what could I have done better? Though everything worked out perfectly in the end, I couldn't shake the feeling of sadness and the guilt. Had a long talk with my wife last night which helped immensely. Feeling better now but was really surprised at my reaction.

Everybody had a crush on Barbara Feldon.

Yes, I believe so. When I first saw him I thought he was on something. Then considered that he was off something. Due to his former profession he has ready access to any drug. Everything and anything is possible. Working in TV, I can assure you that there is no relationship between a neatly tied up hour of procedural TV and having your best friend handcuffed and dragged screaming from your apartment. I don't think he needs a straight jacket. I think what he needs now is the right drugs, counselling and his family. I do believe this was either totally out of his control or that little switch inside his head that modulated social behavior turned off and every thought came gushing out all at once. I think a part of him realized the stress I was under when he saw my attitude change on Day 2 and I told him that he couldn't stay on Sunday. That may have made him escalate the situation and push me into calling the police. He is that smart. I didn't feel concerned for our safety but I wasn't going to take a chance. That was the hardest part ... when to call it. I'm grateful that I was able to speak with his ex wife who dispassionately and professionally talked me into calling 911. I was too caught up in the emotion of the situation. I will admit that I broke a little when he was handcuffed screaming and I looked up to see my wife crying. Oh well, I think it''s probably okay to cry a little in 2019.

Sorry, I misread that. Raining bags of pot may be a better story.

Thanks. I shudder to think what would have happened if my wife and I weren't around. My guess is he would have become a statistic. No history at all. Very smart, big ego with regards to his smartness - believes he knows better than everyone else - but would listen to me and take my counsel. Generous to a fault. My aging mother who lives part time in Canada was having some trouble with her car and I called my buddy for a mechanic reccommendation as he is a car guy. He offered any of his cars to her for as long as she wanted. "Thanks, dude, but I don't think she can handle a Porsche." It seems that he started acting off at Christmas. My understanding that he and the GF having having issues which exploded on Friday. But they travelled down with another couple to go on this cruise so things were good enough. I don't think he would be an easy guy to live with and have some sympathy for her. HOWEVER, you find out that your live-together partner has just been taken from his friend's apt in handcuffs and admitted for a psych evaluation, you don't get on the goddamn boat. I hope his family acts quickly and has her removed from his place. May not be that easy. Anyway, just wanted to unload that. Thanks for the concern. Back to fun topics and Al Bundy's druggie grandma neighbour.

Well, since you asked, I had one of the most "insane" weekends of my life. Friday afternoon, I received a call from my oldest friend who lives in Canada. He asks me to pick him up in the Bronx and, please, ask no questions. After a few attempts to find out what was going on, I hopped in my car and drove to Bruckner Blvd. I found my friend in a gas station hugging everyone and flashing a few thousand dollars. He was, not himself. Kudos to the attendant who didn't call the cops. I sussed up the situation, took the money for safe keeping and finally got him outside where I found his girlfriend's car. It seems that they came to town for a cruise leaving Sunday but had a fight Friday afternoon and he fled with her car, purse and money. Shit happens and emotions can run high in realtionships, but this was something else. He was physically and mentally spinning: "I pinch myself and it hurts, real, I pinch myself and it doesn't hurt, fake news, I need to get to Mother Earth and pinch her to see if she is real or fake news, text C and say her car is safe in the clouds and she should come a get it." I calm him down and tel him to follow me and we will put my car garage then deliver the GF's car back to the hotel. He seems to be able to function and agrees. We get to the valet at the hotel but have to go in to deliver the purse and are met with security. I ask to speak with the GF but she won't talk to me. We leave the purse. He seems to function better in a crowd under social constraints so we go to a bar. The conversation continues and he a little better until he dumps candle wax into a wine glass and effectively gets us kicked out. I text my wife to give her a sense of what's going on and have her prepare the guest room. That night, he's walking in circles in my LR as we try to have a reasonable conversation with him. My wife becomes "Mother Earth." She can handle it and him. I finally get him to bed and he sleeps the night. We sleep fitfully behind a locked door. A little background. He is very smart and was a successful medical professional. He sold his business for 8 figures and retired at 50. Owns multiple houses, cars, etc. Very generous and kind guy. Not a violent bone in his body. Known him for 50 years. I have a lot of tolerance for him. The next morning he comes out and he's a little worse. We talk and I realize I should get him out and maybe a long walk will blow out some shit. We circle Central Park for hours where he asks random people if he can hug them. Surprisingly, everyone says yes. Power of the hug. A guys asks us for a buck and he hands the guy 100. Apparently, there was some money I didn't know about. I suggest I keep that with the rest of the money as they will feel safer. He agrees. I keep trying to get him to tell me stories and that seems to focus his mind. In the interim, I reach out to the GF and tell her that she needs to get him, but she responds that he's a big boy and he should check into a hotel. I explain that he's not quiet sane right now and she tells me to call his brother. She intends to board the cruise. My opinion of her will remain unsaid. We return to my apt and he is getting a little more agitated. He walks out my front door and tries to enter a neighbour's apartment. I grabbed him just in time and read him the riot act. I also hide all the knives in the kitchen. At this point, I order some pizza and reach out to his ex wife in Canada - another medical professional. She tells me to call 911 as it will be the best thing for him and us. Apparently, this behavior started at Christmas. He is getting very agitated that the pizza still isn't here and starts to scream, "if the pizza isn't here by 9:22 last Thursday I will hurt that cat." That's my limit. I step into him and tell my wife to go to the bedroom, lock the door and call 911. I manage to convince him to come to his bedroom and lay down. He agrees and a few minutes later eight cops have surrounded his bed and we are all trying to talk to him. I explain that I want to take him somewhere safe where he can get some rest and these guys are here to help. I would love it if he would hold my hand and walk out with me to the EMS downstairs. He agrees but then begins to flail and they drop down on him and put on the handcuffs. He is screaming the usual stuff, "I'm going to have all your jobs" as they carry him out to the gurney. It's been about 24 hours since his first call. EMS tells me they will take him to Harlem Hospital where they have a psych evaluation department and to call in a few hours. I get in touch with his brother and nephew in Canada and tell them they should fly in asap. They agree and book to arrive at 7:00 am. At midnight, I call Harlem and they have no record of him. Wait, what? How can I find someone? She tells me to call 311 and they have a record of everyone taken by ambulance. I do so and they tell me Harlem Hospital. I call back and go through a few people and finally get a guy who says, "I can't really tell you anything, but by your description he might be here." WTF? He left my place with a wallet and passport so I'm not sure what this is so difficult. The guys arrive the next morning and head straight to the hospital. He there's. The doctor tells them that they are one hour away from him admitting him for 72 hours but he will release him if, he takes a certain drug prior to the trip and they drive home. I go rent a car for them and we get him into the car at 2:30. He's calmer and hugs me to apologize, and they take off on a seven hour drive. He still quite a bit off. At about the half way mark the drugs are wearing off and he starts talking about saving people. His nephew tells him that's a great idea and they should go to the hospital where there are a lot of people who need saving. I had his ex wife arrange to admit him at the hospital and as they pull up he's met by a few family members. They walk inside and two cops take over and he's admitted. 51 hours after the first phone call to me, he's safe and getting help. I assume the girlfriend is enjoying her cruise. Anyway, that's what I did this lovely weekend. Oh, and drank a bottle of wine myself, last night.

Agreed. Not paying more attention in school is one of my life's great regrets. P.S. Can you correct it for me?

Imagine how far he could get if knew how to spell cat? We have the technology but that would take away the fun. People will help each other out for about three days. On day four, they will kill you for a D battery. It's all surmise, but Cormac McCarthy's, The Road seems a pretty good illustration of what will happen after an extinction level event. (It ain't great. Helpful hint, keep a bullet for yourself.) The book is a devastating read - I felt the blood drain out of me - and the excellent movie stays pretty tight to the realism. To the answer to the OP's question, technology becomes too much when it ceases to affect the quality of human life and instead alters the nature of life itself or what it is to be human. That said, I look forward to my sexy robot body.

Is that how it works? I thought property used in a F&G crime was never returned.

The guy lost quite a bit: The elder Renner faces three months in prison and a $9,000 fine, and has also forfeited property that was confiscated from him, including a 22-foot Sea Sport ocean boat and trailer, a 2012 GMC Sierra pickup, two rifles, two handguns, two iPhones and two sets of backcountry skis that were used in the crime. His hunting license has been revoked for 10 years. Whether it's enough, I can't say. Do other states honour hunting license suspensions?

I didn't want to take this in a different direction. I have been looking at a new project dealing with plastic in oceans and it's pretty heartbreaking. I will say that there is something satisfying about a traditional shave as it requires time, ritual and focus; aspects that I find myself needing more of in an ever-growing hectic distracted life.

I use a safety razor as well. A merkur purchased 15 years ago and a few that my grandfather used in the '30s. Either feather or persona blades. The older ones will be given to my 15-year-old nephew this year. More info than you could possible need: https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/ (Seriously, these guys are nuts about shaving.) Maybe, but a lousy shave and more disposable plastic tossed somewhere I don't want it to be. P.S. By the way, the safety razor was invented by King Camp Gillette. Cool name.

A little wet this morning in the city. Does anyone know of a snow accumulation site? Want to check my cabin.

I would estimate the average age of the BH&A get together last week was 30.

A femur is worth about $35 to the shell cordovan wearing crowd. https://leffot.com/shop/abbeyhorn-deer-bone.html

Tom said you were there but ducked out early. Sorry I missed you.

Thanks for organizing, Tom et al. Fun event with an excellent turnout.

If anyone arrives early, there a very good cigar store (DP) just west of the bar where you can buy and smoke.

Cool story and bragging rights without a doubt, but sponsorship and speaking engagements? I guess I don't understand the world. It's kind of like the professional bass fishing world. Bass were put here to be caught by kids and old men while casting from the dock. Turning professional and buying a 100K boat, then parking it 30' offshore and casting back toward the dock is one of the more ridiculous things I've seen.

Colour me surprised that someone could make more than a couple of dollars from a deer. I know guys who have caught massive trout and I couldn't care less what rod, reel, line, leader, waders, boots, hat or underwear they were wearing when they caught the fish. Maybe a passing curiosity about the fly. Sometimes, America is one kooky place.