Life's guilty pleasures

Bonanzadriver

Don't know bout you guys, but it's been a pretty busy last several weeks.  With our youngest graduating H.S. and all of the other things going on in our lives it's easy to look up and wonder where the time has gone.

I've already vented about my frustrations with a particular picture hosting site, rhymes with PHOTOBUCKET,  so now I'm sittin up in the mancave, enjoyin my briars and listening random music on youtube as I peruse the pipe forums and sip my favorite Scotch... Glenrothes.

The man upstairs has blessed me with more than I'll ever be able to say or even realize, and to make it even better, it's now raining.  The sound of rain falling on the roof and the deck below my window is almost mesmerizing.

Looking forward to a few days off from work and spending time with friends and family, a couple rounds of golf and a poker game in the mancave Saturday night.

So here's to you, my pipe pals.  Hope this finds you all doing well and appreciating the many blessings we all experience here in this wonderful country made possible by the sacrifice of countless selfless individuals and the incredible foresight of those 56 individuals that signed their death warrants 236 years ago.

Take care
&
God Bless

Dino

motie2

@Bonanzadriver and everybody else:

Have a peaceful and safe Independence Day extended (?) weekend. 

(And especially those of you who are able to take Monday off....)

ghostsofpompeii

Dino, pipe smoking provides you a lot of time to sit and ponder - and it's during those moments of clarity that I feel the same wave of peace and tranquility you're expressing. And when that wave of peace washes over you, you can't help but count your blessings. Maybe it's my advancing age and the fact that the hands of the clock seem to be spinning like a pinwheel in a hurricane, but those quiet moments when it's just me and my pipe, the winds seem to calm, the clock slows down, and the chatter and static of the world around me dissipates and the big picture and what's really important becomes more focused. 

Hiker007

Great reflections. Thank you for sharing.

P.S. - My daughter just graduated from HS this year also. It proves how fast time goes by. It seems like she was a little girl just yesterday.

PappyJoe

@Bonanzadriver @hiker007 - Congratulations to the graduates. 

When I first started pipe smoking in 1972 it was partially to give me something to do during my downtime about ship. It was a good way to sit and relax after getting off watch before I had to do other work. Now I use my pipes as a way to sit and relax after getting through with my work or when I just want to relax. 

I don't know if that's a guilty pleasure though because I never feel guilty about smoking my pipe.

jim102864

@bonanzadriver - well said, sir and same to you!  I've been a bit nostalgic, also wondering where the time has gone, now that my youngest has graduated from high school.  Sounds like your life has been as hectic as mine and my wife's with the graduation preparation, his proms (he went to both Jr and Sr) and his graduation party here at our home.  We've been blessed with two great kids, an old and humble home, jobs and reasonably good health.  I thank God for everything I have including living in the greatest country in the world, bar none.  I thank the veterans for preserving our liberty and freedom and as you pointed out, our forefathers for clearly having brass ones when they signed that document all those years ago.

jim102864

@hiker007 congratulations to you and your daughter too, sir!

Bonanzadriver

In retrospect, I prolly shoulda titled this thread "Lifes Simple Pleasures", but there is still something almost decadent about sitting up in the mancave with a wonderful blend bellowing outta the briar, splendorous sip o' Scotch and good music playing in the background.

After the recent Photosuckit hostage crisis, I've found myself spending hours this evening downloading all of my Pipe Pics and then reloading em on Imgur.  Gotta tell ya that the Imgur experience, thus far, is heads and shoulders above the pain in the A$$ PB was to load and share pictures with.

While moving pic's this evening I found myself doing what I often do, and that is to que up youtube and find a music playlist to listen to.  After going through several this evening for some reason I put it on The Voice highlights.  One of the artists that blew me away was a young lady by the name of Christina Grimmie.

https://youtu.be/zTIfBXxgfrk

Sadly, as most of you probably know, she was gunned down by a mentally ill man while she was signing autographs in FL.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jun/11/us-singer-christina-grimmie-shot-outside-concert-in-florida


I realize pop music isn't everyone's cup of tea, I however listen to a pretty eclectic mix including everything from classic rock, southern fried rock, Classical, Country, Folk, etc.., anyway, I'd encourage you all to que up her "The Voice" playlist on youtube.  It's absolutely amazing how talented this beautiful young lady was.

ghostsofpompeii

@Bonanzadriver I found myself listening to an old Flock Of Seagulls CD ... and you can't get more 80s' pop than that. And I enjoyed the heck out of it. And for some unknown reason this past month I find myself going to YouTube just before bedtime and pulling up the music of the 60s' Chicago band, The New Colony Six. Something about that band puts me in a better frame of mind (probably nostalgia) and makes it easier to sleep when I finally crawl into bed sometimes after 2:00 a.m. So I'd be the last person to criticize anyone for their playlist.