Time to leave 2009 in the rear view mirror

This year is almost wrapped up & I'm not quite sure where it went or what i accomplished but I didn't die, didn't get arrested & didn't declare bankruptcy; 3 things I try not to do every year! So 2009 is gone & I am staring over the horizon & feeling real good about 2010. I've already written down my list of 2010 New Year resolutions which I believe is a necessity for anyone working to improve & get more out of their life. I will not be sharing the entire list as I don't need anyone up in my business too much but I will share a few. #4 Swim 4 miles per week(my belly & fat throat must go) #9 purchase a new vehicle & buy a handgun(Cutlass is restored, Cherokee is on last leg & must protect myself from Democrats) & #1 Get to Cuba(i like living on the edge). This list is on my cell phone so I can refer to it, revise it & check these items off when completed. I am not a pack rat by any means but i still occasionally stumble upon past lists & laugh at how much or how little I accomplished that particular year. For instance 2006 #2 Win Noble Peace Prize after i would bring about College Football playoff for National Champion. Didn't do it yet so i figured you couldn't win it until you actually did something but then Obuma won it for what he might do...I feel robbed. What I'm most excited about is going back to Australia then on to New Zealand for my first official buying trip for OnMeWay,Inc. I will be gone for 6-8 weeks, exploring new lands & buying one of a kind treasure to import back to NashVegas. What fun will be had by the world's tallest treasure hunter! I can't wait to work for myself & build my own company from the ground up. Oh & quit wearing ties like the one I have strangling me right now! I am also excited about being single for awhile & just having fun! I plan to be traveling quite a bit for the rest of my life so a committed relationship just wouldn't be fair to anyone. (Notice the disclaimer statement) O.K. so bring on 2010 & let it be one of the best years ever! Pictured is the river view of the skyline of my town Nashville TN...but i will share!
Cheers,
Rip Pewett list maker

Have you ever intentionally hurt somebody?

I have never hurt anyone intentionally. I have broken my fair share of hearts, disappointed hundreds of times, & pissed off over a 1000 people but i never intentionally hurt someone. So when I see people hurt people for their own selfish reasons, it confuses me, it troubles me & to be perfectly honest...it pisses me off! I believe one of the reasons life is hard is because of events that happen to you that you never saw coming or can't believe happened to you. When these things happen you struggle to find the answers to explain why another person would maliciously hurt you. 9 times out of 10 it is usually for their own selfish reasons. People who can justify their action no matter what are dangerous in my eyes. The ability to justify any action will lead a person to continuously hurt others with no regard to the consequences or feelings of others. I was taught to treat everyone as I wanted to be treated & try to make peoples lives better when possible. I also have been the person who when he makes a mistake or hurts someone to say I'm sorry, it won't happen again. If you make a mistake or do something stupid.....take a look in the mirror & look yourself in the eyes, take responsibility for your actions. It is the way I hold myself accountable for my actions. I learn from my mistakes & I move on. There is no reason to linger on the pain of it. Sadly if you are the victim(i hate that word) person who has been wronged, it is sometimes hard to move on when the other person or persons are unwilling to say they are sorry or if they are continuing on with the hurt. Some people may never get over it. In my personal life I have had many relationships that have ended poorly. Do they really end any other way? It is ultimately one person saying, I don't want to be with you for whatever reason. Sadly, some of my favorite people want absolutely nothing to do with me. I didn't beat them, steal from them, some I did cheat on( i get that part) but they hold a grudge & it may last till the day they die. What I haven't done is go out to hurt them further & I'm amazed when people do this very thing. Learn from the mistakes that were made & try not to make them again. If you choose only crazy girls like your mother....then at some point you have to realize the pattern & quit dating crazy girls(even though they are the best sexual trapeze artists, just my opinion). O.K. I think you get my point......Quit being selfish & quit hurting people. Karma is a bitch & payback is hell!
The picture is of Bigboy drinking himself into a stupor before a UT game. I have been known to do the same when I'm trying to explain why someone would hurt me for no reason.
Cheers,
Rip Pewett barstool psychiatrist

You never really know if you are middle aged

I had a sweet young vixen ask me how I was handling my middle age & i burst into laughter. I told her that if I'm middle aged then I will live to be 86. I came to the realization a long time ago with my St Bernard Elvis that big dogs & big guys don't live as long as the normal size dogs or people. I've embraced it as my call to get busy living instead of getting busy dying. We all have friends that will ultimately look back on their lives and wish they had done anything besides bitch about their plight. I won't be that guy! Sure, I will have things on the list that didn't get checked off but it won't be from a lack of trying, it will be because I burned out....not rusted out;). I wonder if they(University of whomever's hospital) will do a study that links having a positive attitude & sense of humor to longevity over people who are negative, rude & zero sense of humor. I should get a grant & do the study myself! What a great way to spend our hard earned tax dollars. I'm on it.

Wouldn't it be great if you were notified in the email by God that you had reached middle age & you currently were or were not getting into heaven? Maybe even break it down into percentile so you could see where you rank with everybody else. It would probably have an advertisement on it for a new coke product & a link for suggestions on getting into heaven which you had to pay for by credit card. Well it isn't going to happen so I plow on by trying to JBN (just be nice) to people & see how I score at the end of my run. I am coming to the end of 2009 & haven't checked many things off my list but no worries...2010 is right around the corner & with it new adventures. So it goes for me & I embrace it. If I make it to 86 then yes I am middle-aged right now. Furthermore, if I make it to 86 i will be f____in amazed! I am bigger than the average bear as the saying goes & i still go hard in all areas of my life. The picture is of my father's grave. He died when he was 45, so middle aged to him was 22 1/2. Some of our soldiers have died at 18, 9 was there middle age. So, we will never know if we are middle aged so go out there today & have fun...the grim reaper will find you eventually. Always remember "Don't worry about dying today as it is already tomorrow in Australia" Charles Schultz

Cheers,

Rip Pewett young man

#1 issue in America-the entitlement belief

I was helping a woman last night with a suspended phone line situation & by the time we finished with her, I realized that she is the reason our country is going down the toilet at high speed. She came into the store to reactivate a phone after having one lost or stolen but didn't think it was an issue that the phone didn't have a charge on it. I explained the need to activate the phone after I swapped the ESN(serial number) of the phone but as I explained how she could do this herself; I could see the deer in the headlights look of someone who expects everything to be done for her. She asked repeatedly why I couldn't do this for her...entitlement. She went on to be so lazy to go charge the phone, then come back to make us do it for her. When she left i was so disgusted at this type of mindset. The majority of the population(Democrats) believe they are entitled for the minority(Republicans) to do everything for them. This mindset will lead to the biggest socio-economic gap & a resentment never before seen in this country. I have never understood why Democrats want to help people who don't want to help themselves. They are fine with raising taxes for the middle class & rich to provide for the poor & illegal aliens. This is most idiotic thing i have ever heard in my life. If you are gonna provide for someone else their entire life; why would they do anything but allow you to do this until they die. I expect my Government to protect me from foreign powers & provide an infrastructure(roads, waterways & etc), everything else I can do for myself. It is very frustrating to see the entitlement mentality play out in everyday life. People believe Obama is going to take care of them & they will prosper during his presidency but in reality nothing will change for the entitlement group. They will still lead the country in crime rate, obesity & single parent households. They will still wait for the mailman to bring their check as their children are robbing working people. It is sad because this group lacks the one ingredient that could improve their lives....HOPE. Remember that slogan during the campaign? Here is my belief on the entitlement group....If you don't want to be a contributing member of society, YOU are entitled to get the F__K out of my country as you are a drain on the good, hard working members of our great country! The sign is on the door of our room at the Motel 6 during Memphis in May BBQ Championships. We were robbed of $125.00 & 2 bags with all of our clothes in them. The natives of Memphis obviously felt they were entitled to our things that we worked hard to obtain. Happy Thanksgiving!
Cheers,
Rip Pewett

men are idiots, just different levels of severity

I am constantly amazed by men & the ridiculous comments we make. In question is the issue of fake or real breasts. We were enjoying a nice fall Sunday at the Brewhouse & watching every girl walk by us when I overheard one of the pigs, i mean guys say..."Ahhh, those are fake & i can't stand fake tits" I responded in my usual sensitive way, "Really, I guess you can't stand blowjobs either?" Come on. I'm opposed to putting anything in to my body that didn't come from the original manufacturer unless it would prolong my time on this world....but if some sweet young vixen wants to enhance her self image; good for her. I'm just not going to pay for it as I would consider it a lease as relationships end & knowing my luck some guy on my BBQ team would be playing with them next. What can be the problem with plastic surgery as i've seen with tattoos is once people start it becomes an addiction & they feed on the vanity of it & become freaks. Boob jobs lead to botox, botox to eye jobs, eyes jobs to face lifts & so on. For the record any man that gets calf implants is gay! We all wish we could change things about ourselves & need to realize that nothing beats taking care of yourself via a healthy diet, exercise, not smoking & limiting booze. I love me some beer & hence I will always have a belly & that awful excessive neck fat, I hate the neck fat! Back to the boobs, let the ladies do as they please & maybe if we are lucky and don't prove how big an idiot we are; they will let us inspect them....thoroughly! Also, if you have real boobs & they are spectacular...please stop me anywhere & with pride tell me so! The breasts pictured are fake obviously & belong to a good friend of mine who happens to be my primary physician's nurse. She is very proud of them & it is only fair that she showed me as she has seen me naked,(tattooed lips on ass an all) unfortunately in a professional setting only, so far;)
Cheers,
Rip Pewett admirer of all breasts

Today is a good day to be alive!

Alot of good stuff happening in my hemisphere & I'm thinking it is a good day to be alive! I feel very fortunate to be happy, healthy & terrific! Working with the public on a daily basis allows me to observe other people who aren't as fortunate as myself. I see people that are too busy to be polite & believe they are somehow better than me for whatever reason. I see people who are so angry at their current situation they must lash out at others to even communicate. I witness people that believe they are entitled to everything without actually doing anything.(you know who you are) And lastly, I witness people that have no hope, these are the saddest of all because they will go through life with very few victories & many self inflicted defeats. I do not pretend to have walked in anyone's proverbial shoes but I have seen alot of tragic events but i always believed that it could be worse & so I remain positive. Oh, i have bad days & certain out side forces put me in a bad way but it usually is fleeting as I believe life is about details. I do it by taking the worst day of my life, the death of my father , and comparing every bad situation to that & i usually put things in perspective quickly. I realize that I am very fortunate & that i have been given a great life so I power on.I love dealing with each type of person listed above & here is how I do it. First, the people that feel they are better than me, I stand up & they realize they are smaller than me(always works). Second, the angry people that lash out with anger; I ask what did I do to them, totally disarms them as they realize they are being rude. Third, the people who feel they are entitled to everything without doing anything, I tell them I'm a Republican & get Obama to do it for them(can cause a ruckus but f__k em they are lazy & using good oxygen meant for me). The fourth, I try to make them smile & realize that they are human beings who although may have been dealt a bad hand, can improve their current situation by hope & the kindness of complete strangers. I have always felt that you can size up a person by the way they treat service people(servers, convenience store clerks or janitors) I was told by my dad along time ago to be as nice to the janitor as you are to the president of the company as they just might be the same person. I would ask everyone to try & make one stranger a day feel better about themselves & just see if you don't feel better about yourself as well. It works for me & I will continue to do it until the day I leave this world. The pic is of Webb Wilder at Frist Friday. His music has made me laugh with lines like" She may not drive you crazy but you will be close enough to walk"& the song Tough it Out. He bills himself as the last of the full grown men & I have an autographed poster of the Webb Wilder credo....Work Hard,Rock Hard,Eat Hard,Sleep Hard,Grow Big & Wear glasses if you need them.....CLASSIC! Until next time.
JBN-Just Be Nice
Rip Pewett

I appear to be gaining weight & don't know why

Well, I'm not going to lie to you...I appear to be putting on a few extra lbs. It could be the long hours I'm working, not being able to get to my local Y, the crap food I'm eating, the copious amounts of cold beer OR a complete combination of all these factors. My clothes are tighter, I'm avoiding mirrors & terrified the scales would utter the disastrous phase" One at a time please". Now, let us be clear that i consider myself a manly man so the word diet is not in my vocabulary but it is time to get a handle on this as winter is fast approaching & I am way too girthy. The 2 main things that I must do is 1) get my fat ass to the Y at least 5 times in a week which is tough working Mon-Fri & UT football on Sat & 2) quit eating crap! Anyone who knows me realizes copious amounts of cold beer is pretty much my only vice, well except Black Forrest gummie bears(only found in the evil empire named Walgreens) & I am never giving up or cutting back! I must start eating better which means giving up pizza(except the Chicken Pie @ Pizza Perfect), Bread(except Chick-Fila original sandwiches or Calhoun's Chicken Cordon Bleu) & ice cream(except Gold Medal Ribbon from Baskin Robbins). Every year about this time, I have the same revelation & vow to trim down after college football is over. My calendar says October 8th & college football is over January 8th, that is 3 months. I may be 3bills by then unless I resort back to 1)get my fat ass to the Y more & preferably in the pool. At one time I was swimming about 4 miles(yes miles) a week & was looking like Mark Spitzs without the 7 gold medals of course. I always say that as big as I am....I really don't eat that much, which is true. I just love me some cold beer! So off i go to get my fat ass in gear! And I'm also fully aware that we are our own worst critics so let's work less(constant theme), eat a little better(bad for you food is good) & make it to the Y more. Oh, and praise cold beer everyday the way i praise the Lord that I am a man as it is alot easier than being a chick! The picture above was the carnivore feast that i so masterfully grilled to perfection for the crew on Friday night of the Ocoee trip followed by New York strips on Saturday night. I do know my way around a grill! Thanks Mom for being a terrible cook so the boys had to learn or starve.

Cheers,

Rip Pewett grillmaster for life

My 1st Vol Walk ever!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I can't believe it took me almost 44 years to witness one of the greatest spectacles in college sports but it was worth the wait! To see all the die hard fans young & old cheering on the Vols was an incredible experience. An added plus was seeing former coach Johhny Majors walking with the team!

Fearless party of 1, your table is ready!!!!!!!!

Well , I'm bored & in need of some real adventure. UT football will keep me going until the first of the year but I need some wild, daredevil like experiences. #79 on Ripper's 100 things to do before I die....see Killer Whales up close. I have to admit that the diver is going a bit over board. I'm fearless but hell no! i was thinking in a kayak or watching one come up on the beach and take a seal as I was drinking beer with the luckier seals. I owe my adventure some nature to my dad who, was pretty fearless in his own right. I guess he came by it naturally growing up the youngest of 10 kids in Bordeaux & I don't mean France. We were coming back from Destin when i was about 10ish in his Mercedes 450 SL convertible when he asked if i wanted to have some fun...well you bet was my answer. He told me to lay back on the lip of the trunk, he held my ankles & proceeded to pass at least 10 cars doing over 100 miles an hour. I looked up at the clouds, smiling ear from ear & listening to all the non-fearless people honk at my Dad for being a reckless father. Well that might of been true but it was one of the wildest rides of my life. I have loved roller coasters every since or scuba diving or bungee jumping(once 222ft) or dating; although some of those are inherently more dangerous than others. Now i find myself at a crossroads & need some excitement fast! I guess I will have to try dating until i can figure out another fearless endeavor to undertake. Wish me luck as I usually need it when it comes to the opposite sex.

Never, never, never forget

I would be saddened to know how many Americans will not remember today & what happened to our country 8 years ago. The images of the 2nd plane crashing into the World Trade Center & both towers crashing down will forever be imprinted in my mind. The media made fun of President Bush's reaction when he was informed as he read a book to kids in an elementary school but I had the same look of disbelief. How could a group of terrorist infiltrate our country unnoticed, pass through airline security with home made knives, and commandeer not 1 but 4 passenger planes? I'll tell you, we have become lazy. We are the fattest, laziest & most arrogant country in the world, besides France. If we do not change our course in the very near future, we will lose all that our founding fathers worked & died achieving. I am 43 years young and have no children(that I know about) but it saddens me to think about the future my niece & nephew have awaiting them. If we allow this current government to keep on it's present course, are country will implode on itself. If I wanted to be a socialist, I would move to Australia where they have better beer & the Great Barrier Reef. We need to get off our fat asses & help ourselves. Let us get out of Iraq & concentrate all of our energies on Bin Laden & the Taliban, they are still a threat to our sovereignty. Let us put all of our domestic attention into reviving our economy & getting people back to work. People working means people spending their earnings. Healthcare is a back burner issue to me. 85% of Americans have insurance & 15% don't. What did Spock say in Star Trek 3? The good of the many outweigh the good of the few? We (Republicans) have been sick of Obuma before you(Democrats) elected him and with every single day he proves that he doesn't have the knowledge(57 states), the respect(zero Russians shook his hand at arm talks) & the experience(1st real job) to lead this country anywhere but down the proverbial toilet. Not to mention he wanted to rename 9-11 to National Service Day(WTF). We all need to take this day & reflect on what happened on 9-11-2001 & the thousands of men, women & children that were murdered in cold blood. Also the thousands of men & women in the military that are protecting our country every single day. They will never give up on us but sadly alot of us have giving up on them & ourselves.

I need a drink!

Rip

p.s. can you imagine another terrorist attack that took place during a Titans game on LP Field?

The Ultimate Female Questionaire

Well I've done it to myself again, I've tried to fool the only person I couldn't......myself. I spent 3 years trying to be the person someone else wanted me to be & in the end I like my life as well as who I am. Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely a work in progress but heading in the right direction. I have decided it is time to regenerate the ultimate female questionnaire so I can make sure that no one slips thru the cracks. Here it goes....25 fool proof questions.
#1.Have you ever slept with Darren Petty? If you answered yes, go to the bottom,sign your name, you failed.
2.Do you drink cold beer? if you answered no, bottom, sign name, you failed.
3.Do you want to have kids?
4.What are the ingredients in a Cocaine shooter?
5.Do you smoke cigarettes, crack or meth?
6.What is the greatest rock & roll band ever?
7.How many real live & non imaginary friends do you have?(1 is not a good answer)
8.How many football teams are in the SEC(tricky one since I don't count Vandy)
9.In what country would i find South Pacific Export Lager?
10.Can you make a to die for banana pudding?
11.Do you believe we should help Darfur, Tibet or the U.S.A.?
12.Would you help push California into the Pacific Ocean?
13.Do you eat meat, eggs & cheese?(no vegans will be tolerated)
14.Do you wear hats?
15.Would you like to ride around in a 1972 Olds Cutlass Supreme convertible topless?(dbl meaning)
16.Would you rather go shopping for plants or Sounds Baseball on a pretty night?
17.What is your actual height flat footed & with your biggest heels on?
18.What is your preference in panties?
19.Do you plan on spending $100k of my money on plastic surgery?
20.Do you ever wager oral sex?
21.Do you believe that soccer is a sport(can't use hands,not a sport)
22.Did the North cheat in the Civil War(war of Northern aggression)?
23.Would you of paved Afghanistan after 9-11?
24.Do you ever plan to visit France?
and last but definitely NOT least.....#25 Did you vote for Barack Obama?
There you have it....the Rip Pewett Ultimate Female Questionnaire.
This is a very important tool intended to keep me focused on my business, my football team & my piece of mind. I've always found it a terrible idea to go from one failed relationship into another new,soon to fail relationship. I am going back to being a catch & release fisherman....it is the right thing to do for me & all the girls out there that want to get married, have kids & live in a house with a white picket fence. In the picture are members of our crew & single. See how happy we are & smiling?
Cheers,
Rip Pewett
treasure hunter & single

Christmas is here, time to open my 3 month present

It is Christmas time in Tennessee...for me anyway. College football 2009 kicks off tonight @6pm CST! My world comes into focus, i'm in a great mood & have the time of my life. For some it is opening day of baseball season or deer season but for me it is Tennessee Volunteer football. I get to talk trash to every single person wearing an opposing team piece of swag until they beat us or have owned u for a few years. I set out my tickets for the game every Monday to remind me, no matter how bad a day or week I'm having that on Saturday, I will be on my favorite thrill ride....Big Orange football. Alot of folks outside the South probably don't understand our passion for SEC football but to sum it up....we weren't left with much else after that war of Northern aggression. Some refer to it as a religion & I guess you could use that analogy. Every one gets dressed up in their best outfit, goes to the place of worship the same day, cheers for God or God's team & then proceeds to eat, drink & be merry. People have repeatedly asked if I would ever live in Australia. I say sure 6 months out of the year. I could never miss an entire season of college football or Spring time in Tennessee. I have 36 minutes at work left before I go home, put on my Orange, meet the fellas & cheer on teams i really couldn't care less about. Saturday at 5:45a.m. I will start my UT ritual that the greatest man that ever lived(in my eyes) taught me......my dad. I miss him the most during football season....my Christmas.
Cheers & It is great to be a Tennessee Vol!,
Rip Pewett
treasure hunter & die hard college football fan

Feb 13th,2010 boarding a Qantas 747 jet to OZ

I've got a need, a need for speed! Well, if you have ever seen a fully loaded 747 take off the last thing that comes to mind is speed; more like wounded duck. I have been taking baby steps to start my company but that shit is over, it is time to dive head first into the deep end of the proverbial pool. In the next 5 months I will finalize my business plan, find between $25k-$250k, & get the hell out of this country for 6-8 weeks. My plan is to start with the markets in Australia but take 3 weeks to do some treasure hunting in New Zealand. I have a good feeling about the possibilities of finding all sorts of unique treasure. Time of your life kid! Once I return, if I return, then I'll go about setting up my first ever trunk show for friends,family & investors. I've always found if you write something down, refer to if often, then it begins to take on a life of it's own if you will. I am currently the lion pacing in the cage waiting for his chance to run free & Feb 13th,2010 the cage is opening for me. A friend of mine sent me this quote that I think is spot on..."Everyone is born into the world with a certain unrealized capacity. Let him accept his hand as it was dealt to him, and play the game, without wasting his time bemoaning the fact his cards are not all aces&faces. Accept yourself for what you are, and for what, by the Grace in God, you may yet become, and play the game!" (Charles Brown) Strong!!!!!!!!
Gotta get back to it but figure out what you want to do & write it down.
Cheers,
Rip Pewett
treasure hunter

Having a good crew is vital!

Well as you can see from the picture the boat is taking on water & the crew is in dipshit or having the time of it's life; really it's all about your perspective. We were having a blast as my crew is solid & the captain Robert"Bobby Chuck"was a damn fine skipper to boot! This is an annual event with the crew as alot of our epic adventures(Que-Fest,Steeplechase&New Orleans) are. We have combined my crew with the Matt Davis clan & good times are what we get guaranteed.We all get along well, laugh at each other(key) & cocktail with the best of them. We also have an unwritten rule that we will allow new potential members but they must not be vegetarians, non-drinkers & above all else NOT high maintenance(women) or pricks(men)! The crew is only as solid as each link so we must adhere to the strictest of policy when it comes to new members. My GameDay crew is the most seasoned & tested of all. I have FP as my driver & fellow saucer, AE is my hottie beer bitch in the back alongside BM our UT football expert. This crew on occasion will be substituted with JJ if we need to go into hostile territory and need an all male crew(Arkansas, Florida & Alabama).

I consider myself to be very lucky to be able to surround myself with such great people who like & tolerate me. You can never have enough good people! I also highly recommend a Ripper policy I call friendship attrition, the right to get rid of any friend who doesn't meet the criteria that I put forth. Bad friends should be left on the side of a road like a stray cat that won't leave the house. That is all I'm gonna say about that. I must sign off to organize my UT season tickets which I acquired late last evening as well as assemble my crew for Friday Happy Hour.

Cheers,

Rip

i'm on the record....more fun, alot less work!

Alot has happened since my last post, good,bad & some ugly but that is the path for me. It is 29 days till UT football so my world is coming into focus. I spent the last year living by myself for the first time ever & really enjoyed the committee of one feel that going solo provides. Moved out of my dream pad to help a friend out & that was probably the dumbest thing I've done in 2009, I think! On the OnMeWay front, I finally incorporated my business, opened a business account, finished my rough draft of my business plan & set my goal of Australia/New Zealand buying trip for Feb 13th, my birthday. I have taken the advice of one of my sweetest vixens Leslie Revill(who got married"sucker"& knocked up"slut") to spend every birthday I have left out of this country! Good stuff. Today, i am going topless in the YeloSub with 4 days off & heading to the Ocoee River with good friends & cold beer! I am constantly striving for more fun & less work. I always get tickled when people tell me they are workaholics, I respond..."I am a funaholic!" The man pictured with me is Robbie our cab driver & aspiring pimp for Memphis in May BBQ Cookoff, he is alot of fun & funny like a clown. i just bought a laptop & aircard for my business so i will strive to report back more often of my adventures along with the trials & tribulations of a treasure hunter.
Cheers,
Rip

Land of the Free.....for NOW!

Today is Memorial Day & the perfect opportunity for me to tell you the truth; if we don't get our heads out of the sand in lieu of another term....we may be speaking a foreign language & i don't mean Spanish. I mean Chinese or worse Russian. The 2 main reasons we are the land of the free in my opinion is geography & that we have the best military in the world. In the past, it was highly unlikely another country would mess with us because we had real men as President of this country. With the exception of Jimmy Carter's 4 worthless years, we have had stand up guys that wouldn't take shit from other countries & hence they feared us. Fear is good by the way as is respect. We kept rogue nations at bay with embargos & supporting rebel causes around the world who opposed these governments. Now we have a spineless president who wants to sit down & talk with every rogue country in the world. This shows nothing but weakness & will put our men & women of our militaries at risk as well as our citizens traveling abroad. If the great people of the U.S. elected me President...I'll wait until you regain consciousness....I would limit entry into this country from only friendly approved nations & I would cut off every dime of aid to any country that thinks we are arrogant. We have earned the right to have a swagger as thousands of Americans have lost their lives & orphaned their children freeing countries from aggression. No other country has given so much but is hated so deeply. I say F___K them all. I would do away with Secretary of State too as this would only confuse people....bye bye Hillary.
Please remember today that we are the land of the free & the home of the brave. We don't owe anyone an apology when terrorist surround themselves with women & children causing innocent loss of life. Support our troops & their families as they are making the ultimate sacrifice so we can drink beer, grill out & play by the pool! Next time you see a soldier in uniform, stop them & tell them you appreciate their service. It is a moment of your time but means the world to these brave men & women. Oh & the next time you over hear some bleeding heart, liberal Democrat bashing our military...offer to buy them a glass of shut the fuck up!
Cheers,
Rip
treasure hunter & proud American
p.s. BigBoy was detained by the Memphis P.D. for unruly speech but I paid them off
with BBQ & coldies.

Just got out of prison...wrongly accused of course!

Zoltar the Great & I found him in the Big Easy. I spent about $10 worth of quarters & got alot of predictions into my future. These will be listed in no correct order as i was drunk & people were staring at me.
#1-UT football will be better in 2009( I yelled No Shit! no refund policy)
#2-You will go on a long journey(8 hr drive back to Nashville)
#3-Soon you will be sitting on top of the World(could mean many things)
4#-there will be old love rekindeled...maybe(still working out my relationship w/Jennifer)
5#-you are moving in the right direction(finally incorporated OnMeWay & opened my biz bank account)
6#-you will relive first time memories & smile(been drinking Busch beer again-headed to the mountains at 14)
7#-Expect many people to look at you & think you are really cool or a freak(no downside here as i really couldn't care less what people think)
8#-You will travel to a forbiden land before some dumbass liberal makes it legal.(could be North Korea, Iran but i'm leaning towards Cuba)
9#-You will offend millions of religious fanatics by drinking beer & eating lots of swine(has to be Memphis in may BBQ Championships)
10#-you will go in the direction of your dreams & live the life you've imagined!(maybe I carry this one around with me)
Well, Zoltar has spoken & i must believe that he is all knowing. My future is bright hence i always wear shades but never indoors cuz that ain't cool. I'm sorry for the lapse & i vow to update my website & blog more. Until next time, always remember..."Don't worry about dying today as it is already tomorrow in Australia!"
Cheers,
Rip
treasure hunter
www.onmeway.com

Ouch my liver hurts!

Well, we did the best that we could but New Orleans & the French Quarter will always conquer the tourist. I won't lie to you, it was like revisiting the scene of a crime that you were involved in but not really guilty. Frank, Barry & I headed down with lots of uncertainty & obscene amounts of cold beer at crack ass of dawn on Thursday. We arrived without incident & checked into the Hilton on St. Charles after parking Frank's ride for the duration. We cleaned up & disappeared into the madness. I wanted to eat, drink & forget reality....then enter the Quarter. All weekend we ate, drank & left Nashville in the rear view mirror; and sang karaoke....Matt Davis arrived on Friday...hello. We grifted(see steal in dictionary) breakfast at Embassy Suites one morning in search of crawfish omelets(out of season) & held down bar stools at numerous places like Ryan's Irish pub, Margaritaville, Cat's Meow & Beerfest to name a few. We ate great seafood at Ralph & Kaccos, Johnny's Po Boys & the Alibili(3 times for me) Our friend Josh Hoge played a show at Harrah's & I threw a pair of size 10 purple panties on stage(new from Walgreens). None of his band knew where they came from which made it even more humorous. Bottom line....we did New Orleans spot on for tourists anyway! Katrina destroyed alot of New Orleans but frankly; the areas it destroyed were in need of demolition in my opinion.

I went back to work on Monday & was informed I was being let go...although I was fired during my birthday week, I would of been really pissed if they had done it before I went down there to celebrate my birthday & reunion to the Big Easy. I've decided to dry out for 6 weeks as interviewing for a new gig while drunk is harder as i get older. As always I will keep you informed.

Cheers,

Rip Pewett

un-employed on the wagon treasure hunter at heart

www.onmeway.com

It has been a long time coming....Big Easy

Top 5 Ripper cities in the U.S. 1) New Orleans-great food, Bourbon Street & The French Quarter. 2) Key West-great food, Duval Street & Sunset celebration on pier.3)Chicago-great food, Wrigley Field bleachers drinking Old Style beer & The Shedd Aquarium.4)Las Vegas-overpriced food except the older casino buffets, Roller coasters & all the National parks. 5)Dallas-great steaks, God's team the Dallas Cowboys & the great night life. Now I've been neglecting New Orleans since Katrina because i was afraid of how it might have been truly destroyed by the hurricane. I found out through a reliable source that God did bring his wrath upon New Orleans for centuries of decadence but also learned that Satan said "You can destroy it all you want but I'm saving the French Quarter & Bourbon Street!" Seems fair to me, so we embark on the first of many travels for 2009. Pictured above are me & former Big Easy adventurers. We are road tripping down Thursday a.m. & I plan on gorging myself at the numerous old haunts like Johnny's Po Boys, Port O Call & the crawfish omelettes at the Embassy Suites(might be tough since we are staying at the Hilton on St.Charles) Oh well, I've always been the ask for forgiveness instead of permission guy anyway. There will be a we bit of gambling at Harrah's...i play $2-$5 black jack for a couple hours, lose $50 & drink a liter of Crown Royal. I also plan to see some of the destruction but not going looking for depression as it is a short but sweet vacation from my own reality. Might even get a haircut like I did last time...left the hotel at 9a.m. to get a haircut & 2-3 miles run before getting cleaned up & hitting the quarter. Well the fellas found me at 6p.m. that night on Bourbon Street, drunk & with a great coif! I love this town! New Orleans & I are going to get reacquainted ASAP. Stay tuned.
Cheers,
Rip Pewett
adventure seeker

5,4,3.....fuck this

That is what happened in 1996 when I decided it was time to knock off #o3 on my list of 100 things to do before I die. I was hoisted up on a crane 222ft over water,how deep i never knew, to bungy jump outside of the Whitsunday islands in Queensland, Australia. The man who rode up with me told me to look straight ahead to these hills that resembled women's breast as he counted down to 1 & wanted me to yell Bungy! He started counting & when he got to 3.....I yelled fuck this & jumped. It was one of the most exhilirating things i have ever done & flat out stupid. I was imformed of the bungy cord being named Big Bertha & had only been used once by a man weighing 500+ pounds. So as I am riding up the crane strapped into Big Bertha by the ankles, I start thinking of 2 possibilities of Big Bertha. 1st....this cord has been tested by a man or woman(Bertha) that is twice my weight....so i will be just fine. 2nd...this cord has been stretched to the limit & will break as i plummet to the once safety of mother Earth...me hoping the water is more than 3-4 feet deep. Well as you must have figured out...it was #1. I came inches from touching the water with my hands. The guides apologized for this & offered a freebie so i could be dunked in the water.....F__K No was my response. The reason for this story....It is a new year & it is time to make my mark. The picture above is of my future.....Jennifer & I are back together,even though she is being secret agent woman until I can sit down with her parents & explain how i lost my ever loving mind(Jennifer's words). Also in the picture she is holding Tim Tams, an awesome chocolate treat from Australia, sporting a koala visor & wearing a cross necklace handcrafted by a aboriginal woman i met in Kuranda,Queensland. It is going to be my best year ever! I will become a freight forwarder & start importing treasure to the U.S. & exporting classic cars to Australia....how exciting! I will keep you posted. Is this your year to do what you have been talking about? My advice is to write it down & make it happen, no matter how long it takes. Vision, passion & experiences are musts in life. Don't be that person that looks back on their life & realize they never made their mark.
Cheers,
Rip Pewett
treasure hunter & soon to be freight forwarder to the stars or common man
www.onmeway.com