It seems like everyone I meet already has their own blog and once again I'm being dragged kicking and screaming into something new. I guess this isn't surprising since I was the last person I know to get a cell phone (which I still never use, but it sure is shiny) and I still don't have pages on MySpace or FaceBook.

I spent my first 35 years in upstate New York in a town that had more cows than people. Literally. Even most people that live in that area of the Southern Tier have never heard of the Town of Maine. That's really their loss since it's full of...ummm...color...yeah, that's it...color. One notable used to drive his tractor into town since his driver's license had been revoked for DWI's and New York state, at least at that time, didn't require a license to drive a tractor. This is the same fellow that would wear a gorilla suit and stand in the middle of the Route 26 (the main road) directing traffic. To be fair though, the town didn't have any stop lights so he was really just doing his civic duty. This is also the guy who, when told I was being transferred to New Mexico, was very concerned the company would try to pay me in pesos.

Then there were the two brothers who used to play demolition derby on the back roads after they'd had a few (cases) of beer. Considering that the back roads were mostly poorly-maintained dirt it's amazing they never got hurt.

Well, more on the inhabitants some other time, not just from Maine but some of the surrounding areas, such as Endicott. For now, let's just leave it that I was transferred to Albuquerque, which has it's own brand of characters. I expect future postings to be combination of off-beat stories from my past and present, some more serious things, some things that caught my eye/ear in the news or on the web, and, of course, some general musings. Who knows, this blog thing could be kind of fun...