I actually found myself in a small town in USA about six or seven years ago It wasn't exactly my choice, but that was just how the schedule turned out for us I think I was probably the only visitor there who didn't pose for one of those cheesy photos where you stick your head through a cutout, looking like some local farmer in traditional gear or whatever else they had going on.. A pretty decent way to wrap up my cycling trip
Where exactly are you seeing an old man here? You can barely make out a face in this shot, let alone any details.. There isn't even a hint of those massive fish he uses to brag about for 150 pages This looks more like some 19th-century Catholic monk
Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with this whole socialist nostalgia thing? I mean, look, it’s not Labor Day, it’s not Veterans Day, and it’s definitely not some major national anniversary. I used to always make sure I wasn't caught mid-stride when that siren goes off at 3:05 PM, just so I wouldn't end up standing there looking foolish on the sidewalk. But honestly... it feels kind of wrong not to just stop when the sound hits and everyone else freezes. I remember being on vacation in Turkey once, by the ocean, and they have those periodic calls to prayer that blast from the mosque speakers. Everyone just stops. Even cars pull over. And what am I supposed to do? If I was walking, I’d just stop too. I figured it was the respectful thing to do for the locals, even if most of the tourists completely ignored it. Anyway, I’ve always felt like I get along best with both sides of the political aisle here—it’s a different kind of tension than what you see elsewhere. But let's not get too deep into the weeds. Cheers... though this beer is a little lukewarm, lady.
Chloe Cooper10 said:Napy, ironcobra13, they aren't just random people dropping in... those are my friends from that old coffee shop that should have closed ages ago. They’ve always got a seat at our bar whenever they feel like it. 🙂
I guess I trained him well, huh? 🥳 And you guys always seem to show up right when I'm out of the picture. 🕺
It's not that we show up when you're gone, it's more like you show up when we're not here. 🥳
slyraven27 said:You put a smiley face in one of your posts. You haven't been like that since I first met you. 😁
I honestly don't even recognize myself anymore. What’s next—am I going to start posting on Reddit, Quora, Stack Overflow, or all those other niche forums? 😁
slyraven27 said:Of course not. I'll just walk to that small town in Pennsylvania. 😁
I'm actually around here every day, I just don't hang out down here much. Rarely. I just don't feel like it. As for the stories, it's not like they're anyone's business, and since they aren't related to the forum, I don't see much point in broadcasting them publicly. But for you? I can tell you pretty much anything. 🙂
Give my best to Henry when you see him, and to unknown, of course.
Anyway, I'm heading off now. I'm going to watch some TV, and I'll probably pass out. I overdid it a little last night, so I didn't get much sleep.
You know how to reach me, so just ping me whenever you have the time and inclination.
🙂
Oh, so it's all VIP visits at the higher levels now, while those of us in the lower ranks just... follow protocol in the name of tradition?😁 Just kidding, I'm bored... A person starts looking for new content, new faces, new challenges... fresh blood... or just blood in general. 😁 Well, I'll catch you next time... Hopefully, I'll have internet access at the retirement home. 😁
It’s nothing, yet there’s a million things going on—they just aren't public knowledge. I'll share those once I have the time and energy. Everything else is pretty standard, living the good life. 🙂 Speaking of Tito, I'm actually planning to visit the childhood home of the one American son I truly respect and love. It won't be my first time there, but I've been feeling this wave of nostalgia lately. As for the forum, nothing special. You know me... same old, same old. I end up causing trouble wherever I go. Maybe that's not the best trait to have. I mean, I'm a good person, really.
How is Henry doing, guys? Do you see him much?
Sounds good. I always love the stories that aren't meant for the public, but are meant for me.😁 Same here, except everything with me is public, though I'm not sure who would care. You can only pilgrimage to Tito's birthplace on foot, so... we settled that. Don't make me double-check. Henry... I was over at his place in Des Moines about a month ago. We were driving around and grabbing drinks near the river. I might have eaten the best pancake of my entire life there. We don't talk constantly, though. They just know I'm around, and when they get together to organize something, they just let me know where the action is. Now they're out by some oceans. I have no idea, and honestly, I'm slowly getting ready for a trip myself... a trip to the dentist, obviously. I followed right in your footsteps on this forum. I was gone for a month, came back, and immediately started making trouble. People are going to think I'm some kind of headache, but I swear I'm harmless.
Well, I decided to grab a drink at this local dive bar and have a little chat with a portrait of Tito hanging on the wall. I'm doing alright. No complaints here. How about you? Pull up a chair, light one up, head over to the bar and grab whatever you want. If someone happens to have passed away there, just step over them or nudge them aside—someone will probably clear them out eventually... but I'm not doing it. I'm just sipping a beer, staring at this beat-up old piano, and waiting to hear from you. Phil can wait a little longer if he needs to.
I’ve never actually been a coffee drinker; I just never liked it much. I think I’ve had maybe two or three cups in my entire life. The last one was probably a decade ago because this coworker of mine spent years teasing me about it, saying things like, "Am I ever going to see the day you actually sit down for a cup of coffee with me?" Then, out of nowhere, she brings it up again. So, I finally just said, "Alright, fine, pour me one." I honestly couldn't believe it. I was like, are you kidding me? I told her, no, I'm serious... just make it a regular cup and feel free to load it up with plenty of sugar. I downed the Eksiro in about three gulps, and man, it completely ruined the taste of everything else I ate that day.
Chloe Cooper10 said:Some guys from the war actually make it back home eventually🕺 And now..Drinks are on me for everyone 👋
Ever hear about that guy? Some Japanese person they found out in the jungle back in the early 2000s who genuinely thought WW2 was still going on. He spent 50 years trying to skrivati himself from the Americans
Look, alright... it’s not like I was out on a battlefield. Just grab me a cold one and get everyone else a drink. Drew Lee9 is picking up the tab—he spent the whole day yesterday just talking nonsense. The guy practically threw you into the red.
It feels just like those old taverns you see in movies about ghost towns out in the Wild West. Somewhere in the twilight, I slowly drift into town. I peer cautiously from under the brim of my hat, one hand resting lightly on the reins while the other stays ready to grab my Colt at a moment's notice—just gently stroking the mane of my one and only loyal companion. There isn't a soul in sight, yet you can feel a thousand eyes watching you from everywhere. A prayerful silence hangs over everything, broken only by the persistent creaking of an old weather vane on the edge of town. The first thing to greet me is a scrawny three-legged dog that suddenly darts out from under my horse's hooves and vanishes across the dusty street. Finally, I reach the center of town, where I spot a sign for a Poor Man's Tavern sitting right between a locked-up bank and a failed barbershop. I thought to myself that maybe luck was finally on my side; a chance for some refreshment, a warm bath, and a real bed after nineteen days of riding and sleeping under the open sky with nothing but a stone for a pillow. I pull up and slowly dismount, glancing discreetly over my shoulder to see if I can figure out where all those stares are coming from before I shake them off along with the dust. I check the pump, give it a try... water comes out, yellow and smelling like a dog, but it's water nonetheless! I lead my horse over to get a drink and tie him loosely to a nearby hitching post. Then, with slow but steady steps, I approach the doors of the tavern. They are slightly ajar, fluttering occasionally in the warm desert breeze that’s preparing to turn into a sharp, cold wind as the first darkness falls. I walk up, stop in front of the door, and then, out of habit or some unknown force, I turn around one more time before stepping inside. The first thing I notice is an old, battered piano; I could tell from the doorway that the D key is missing, along with a few black keys in the lower octave. I take a couple more steps and look to the right—the bar is empty. I look to the left—four vacant tables with an odd number of chairs. Then I glance toward the corner—Drew Lee9. When our eyes met, I felt so harmless, almost like I was in a trance—existing as a ghost outside of time, yet fully present and aware of everything happening around me. I gave a slight nod of my hat as a greeting, and he responded with a lift of his eyebrows before taking a long pull of whatever he was drinking. I ask if there's anyone around who might serve a drink or let me stay the night. Drew Lee9 sizes me up again, and it's as if that look allows him to see things about me that I don't even know myself; he takes another sip, this one shorter and sharper, and says: "Hello stranger, my name is don Francisko Long Play, and for everyone else like me, this is a black-and-white world."
Maybe she’s just a little revoltirati She completely lost track of the tavern and her guests Drew Lee9, you’re kind of like that guy sitting at the corner table that nobody ever notices. You know the type—always there, watching everything unfold between two sips from a glass that's perpetually half-full. Then, when a brawl finally breaks out, you're the only one who can tell the cops exactly who threw the first punch and how the whole thing actually went down 😁 In that spirit... go ahead and drink to DJ all day today. I'll settle the tab with the manager later