Nekked Lizard Adventures

The Round Robin Photo Challenge

This Weeks Round Robin Photo Challenge is WOOD.  Our assignment is to take a picture of anything wooden.

NLM and I are pretty much opposite when it comes to everything.  But the one thing we both love, is that natural wood look.

We have friends who make a living out of looking at a piece of wood and creating  beautiful pieces of art in the form of furniture.  Their favorite wood to work with is the Juniper.  It twists and turns and has all sorts of colors when finished.

Here's a couple of pieces we are fortunate enough to have had made.

(note the little hikers.... they're all wood, too)

The "claw" is the base of a large table...

And then (below) there is the Nekked Lizard Man (and dog) Throne.  (we don't have this piece, but NLM is hopeful...)

Make sure to go over the Round Robins.  All wood is beautiful and I'm sure there are some breathtaking shots waiting....

Starving Artists - Part 3, le finale

I thought this was cute in a weird way. It's either a zoo, prison or one of those mirrors that alters your appearance.

I have no idea about this one, but there is a definite pucker factor going on.

I don't think flour is a fruit or a vegetable. I think this is a grain. Who it is another question.

And finally....

Have a happy weekend! NLM

Spike Daddy - Honor Guard Graduate

NLM is stressing out over a couple of papers he has due for his Forensic Psycho class, so I'll share some photos from Spike Daddy's Honor Guard Graduation, which I attended in Washington this past weekend.

Spike Daddy (center) recites the Honor Guard oath.

Spike Daddy accepts his Top Drill award.

Hatch taking a bottle break while Spike Daddy waits for the ceremony to begin.

Spike Daddy, Squamama, and Hatch (who looks really good in a vest and tie!)

Wordless Wednesday - Lap Dance

Can you guess who is who?
(hint:  one is NLL.... one is NLL's really, really, really cool friend... one is Einstein)

Post Brew Ha-Ha

Saturday, May 10th marked the 4th annual Brew Ha-Ha here in our fine upstanding community. The skies were clear but the air was windy (like that sentence?). The scene was one of festivities and frolic. Ales from 21 different brewmeisters flaunted their wares and as was noted in the title, comedians used their wit to entertain the crowd, and it got notably funnier as the samples were readily consumed. Here are a few pics from the event.

The scene was in a grassy area notably named, "Veteran's Park". There was a sign to show everyone this wasn't a retirees get-together.

Egads! There is a line to get in! The first 1,000 entrants receive a "free" mug to sample the various beers. You have to donate $20 to the local art center. I counted many people supporting the arts that day.

Poot was with me as we drove around the scene. We were doing a recon. I was mostly doing a recon for parking and gauging the entertainment value.

We made about three laps. We pretending to be spys taking pictures for the Germans who wanted to create a beer that is not in a green bottle. I noted a few dogs and some little bitty children. I was also becoming well aware that there were no older children Poot's age. It was such a nice day.

We decided to forgo the exciting brew fest and venture to a local pizza joint. There we took our $20 and bought a ham and beef pizza, two cokes and $5 in quarters for the pinball machine. We had a great time. Maybe next year I will support the arts.  Maybe... NLM 

Fun Monday

Sometimes, we are caught with our pants down, etc. It seems I was given this late assignment by NLL just before I was heading for bed.

A loaded question - Do you know any jerks? Duh, yah! However overall, I think the biggest jerk are two separate people and the both involve the Internet.

One is the guy who sends me SPAM and the other is the hacker dude that tries to send viruses to everyone. I have a few more to share with you. Feel free to comment appropriately...

1)

The Jerk is the 1979 rags-to-riches-to-rags comedy film of belated self-discovery. This was Steve Martin's first starring role in a feature film. The film also features Bernadette Peters, M. Emmet Walsh and Jackie Mason.

In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted The Jerk the 48th greatest comedy film of all time.

This film is number 20 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies", and number 89 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs.

2)  Jerky is meat that has been cut into strips trimmed of fat, marinated in a spicy, salty or sweet liquid, and then dried with low heat (usually under 70°C/160°F) or occasionally salted and sun-dried. The result is a salty, stripped, semi-sweet snack that can be stored without refrigeration. Jerky is an early application of food preservation techniques. It is also very expensive. On a recent road trip with my cousin, Nekked Lizard Man, we ate our weight in jerky. My teeth were sore from gnawing on that leathery substance. We tried every flavor from teriyaki, to peppered, to liver flavored, to sweet and spicy, Jamaican jerk jerky, Cajun, and, my all-time favorite: hot enough to melt your tongue and fry your brain. My digestive juices are still working overtime.

3) This one, I TOTALLY understand, Yes, I do. You know I do !

It is well known that the first derivative of position (symbol x) with respect to time is velocity (symbol v) and the second is acceleration (symbol a).  It is a little less well known that the third derivative, i.e. the rate of change of acceleration, is technically known as jerk (symbol j). Jerk is a vector but may also be used loosely as a scalar quantity because there is not a separate term for the magnitude of jerk analogous to speed for magnitude of velocity.

In the UK jolt has sometimes been used instead of jerk and may be equally acceptable.

This was exhausting research as I spent many an hour looking this stuff up and posting it for your entertainment value. Please visit all of the other participants (except Swampy's) for their Fun Monday contribution (PS - don't go to Swampy's - there might be a virus or something... maybe SPAM... anyway, wait till Tuesday to make sure the virus is gone...)

Thanks! See ya! NLM

Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington

So I'm in Washington DC, visiting the Hatchling, the Squamama, and Spike Daddy who graduated from the Honor Guard today as the top performer of his class. (how cool is that!!)

And I called home last night to the Nekked Lizard homestead, ask NLM "What are you going to post tonight?"

He says, "Why can't you post?"

I say, "I've just driven in circles for the last 8 hours with my daughter who bought a new GPS for navigation, but believes she knows more than the GPS because she's been here in Washington DC for a grand total of 6 days!"  (it took us 2 hours to get to a Chilis that was only 5 miles away and the traffic was NOT backed up)

and "I just walked a couple of miles to get to the Metro and rode to an obscure part of town, walked deep dark streets to get to a pizza place I found on the internet that serves gluten-free pizza, which ended up being the absolute best pizza I've had since high school." 

and "I need to set up my air mattress, brush my teeth, wash my face, rearrange my suitcase and dress for bed so I can get up in another 6 hours to be picked up and taken to the graduation ceremony."

So then I ask him, NLM, the same question he just asked me, "And why can't you post?"

NLM reply: "I'm really tired, I just don't have it in me."

Nekked Lizard translation:  "You're not home, and I'm playing my PS3 games with the surround sound so loud that our windows are at risk for shattering."

I'm not as stupid as some Nekked Lizards think I am.....

NOTE: little did she know NLM posted anyway.... ha

The Brew Ha Ha

Almost Friday again and time again to plan for the weekend. NLL is still in Washington DC after flying to visit Squamama et al., so Poot and I have been hanging out. I have a big day tomorrow involving 21 individuals; and you add two factors: medical and legal. Doesn't that sound like fun? If my plan works and everyone is happy, I will take my show on the road. If not... well, I suppose we'll chalk it up to experience, cut our loses and hide the bodies....

Saturday is our town's 4th annual Brew Ha-Ha. It is a benefit to support the local something.. Of The Arts. I know where the building is, but I haven't been in it to take in the abilities of talented others I don't have...but let me tell you, I can sure support it by having a beer or two.

The concept is for $20, you get a beer mug/glass/container thingie and go around sampling different local microbrews. I think someone said there will be 30 to 40 vendors. Between 3-6pm there will also be comedians to provide the afternoon's entertainment - hence the "ha-ha".

NLL flies into DIA - landing about 4:30pm. It will take her two hours to get home and that after chasing down the luggage. So... 6:30p.. 7ish. I will make it. So that is the plan. Don't let her know I am doing this. I am pretty sure if she knew I was planning on having some fun, she would forbid it. :) NLM

Starving Artists - Part 2, two, II, too...

Yet another series in the series of serious artisians of art... and food.

I am not schooled in the finery of art, but I do know that the above is a piece of bread. And the prop is not a bread knife - it is a steak knife. If one is to flaunt their talents, get it right.

Now we know what came first... the egg...

the real Mr Potato Head.There is one more set, but that is it for now. Thanks for stopping by! NLM

From our Trochilidae family to yours...