Alone - On The Eve Of...

[ARCHINSTL]

So I'm sitting here looking at the sparkle from the shiny aluminum poles in the living room and out on the lawn and am wondering why, once again, I am forced to arm-wrestle myself.
But the worst part is airing grievances against myself.

But - the yard display this year is comforting - ENJOY !
Tom M.

[danzo]

Cool stripper poles Tom, great way to keep it real for the Ho Ho Ho's....

[ARCHINSTL]

Hmmm - maybe I can sell them to one of the "Clubs" in East St. Louis (Illinois) when Festivus ends.
Tom M.

[Petros]

Keep them and just add elves doing the pole dance for next year!

Merry Christmas to you and all!

Petros

[dlb]

a happy belated festivus to all of you! tom, here are some pics from our feats of strength last night. the skinny guy and the blonde won!

[takza]

So I'm sitting here looking at the sparkle from the shiny aluminum poles in the living room and out on the lawn and am wondering why, once again, I am forced to arm-wrestle myself.
But the worst part is airing grievances against myself.

But - the yard display this year is comforting - ENJOY !
Tom M.

So...is there some reason for having metal poles in your yard and inside your house? Maybe THAT'S why nobody wants to arm wrestle you?

Best bet? Be your own best friend. Women advertise but seldom deliver. You still have time.

[ARCHINSTL]

Uhhh, takza - at the risk of doubting your knowledge of Pop Culture...
For an explanation of the "Holiday," see http://www.festivusweb.com/.
The actual episode is available, of course, on YouTube; just Google "Festivus."

I sent the original thread to the list of HS classmates which I maintain (as the biographer of the class). I had to send out an explanation last night because I received 8 emails and 2 calls from distant places, all of commiseration and sympathy.
It took quite a while to compose a response and complete explanation for these guys without dismissing their genuine concern.
I did include a note that I used my Photoshop™ clone to move the aluminum poles from a site that sells them (true!) and then garbled the date from 12/21/2010 to 12/26/2011 (emailed on 12/24/2011). We actually had snow in 2010 and this weekend it was 51° (none of my STL buddies noticed that, either). I added that I made the pole transfer purposely a little crude and made the date switcheroo kinda kiltered as well.
Tom M.

EDIT - note that I changed the date to 12/23/2011, the correct date for the Feast's celebration, in case I want to use this in a greeting card next year.

[dlb]

ha! i didn't click to enlarge it until after reading your last 'post' (double ha) but now i see what an obv photoshop it is! pretty funny. the stained glass window is a nice touch, too.

off topic but i love your house. bricks are classic. not enough brick homes around here.

[ARCHINSTL]

Actually - the "stained glass window" is not that at all, nor did I "add" it.
It is placed right in front of one of the chimneys and is an arched form filled in with cement and "decorated" with - ready? - pieces of broken ceramic bathroom wall and floor tile from the three adjacent homes which were all built in 1936 by the same builder. Mine is the largest (HA!) of the two survivors and the only one with such a decoration.
Why the builder chose broken bits of bathroom tile for this, no one could ever determine; maybe it was at the request of the first owner?

We moved from the (now-razed) middle house to the "big" house in 1954. I always thought the decoration was kinda kitschy and told my friends the tiles were from a renowned architectural design house.
Now, of course, my view on this (and many other facets of life) have mellowed.

As you note the colors of the tile...Yes, the other surviving house actually has the BLACK wall tile with light green trim and blue floor tile in the bathroom...better them than me.
The bathroom of my own house has pink wall tiles with turquoise 2" trim. The floor is white tile with little purple squares inset. So kitschy it is now retro and au courant. Really!
Tom M.

> Left-click to enlarge and enjoy Tom's Folk Art Detail.

[takza]

Uhhh, takza - at the risk of doubting your knowledge of Pop Culture...
For an explanation of the "Holiday," see http://www.festivusweb.com/.
The actual episode is available, of course, on YouTube; just Google "Festivus."

I sent the original thread to the list of HS classmates which I maintain (as the biographer of the class). I had to send out an explanation last night because I received 8 emails and 2 calls from distant places, all of commiseration and sympathy.
It took quite a while to compose a response and complete explanation for these guys without dismissing their genuine concern.
I did include a note that I used my Photoshop™ clone to move the aluminum poles from a site that sells them (true!) and then garble the date from 12/21/2010 to 12/26/2011 (emailed on 12/24/2011). We actually had snow in 2010 and this weekend it was 51° (none of my STL buddies noticed that, either). I added that I made the pole transfer purposely a little crude and made the date switcheroo kinda kiltered as well.
Tom M.

Musta missed that episode? Well...you can't fool mother nature?

'Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive' Shame...shame...shame....

Nice solid brick house there. I'd get rid of those poles though.....

[danzo]

Best bet? Be your own best friend. Women advertise but seldom deliver. You still have time.

Amen.

Hope everyone raked in the goods from S-Claus this year.

[solarlord]

TOM- your not the only one arm wrestling alone ,join the club- ah well me and you are still young theres lots of new horizons out there, just got to get this bloody holiday over-yours in simpathy -DEC -- hold steady there now me boy- and lots of good luck in the new year and remember if dont wish for anything you wont get any hay ho