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

tick,tick, tick...get me to next year

I ain't gonna lie to you....2008 has been one of the hardest years of my life. I got unengaged, moved out, had a terrible financial year, got deeper in debt & both of my football teams sucked! 2009 has to be better or i am gonna age 10 years. Today is Christmas & i am reflecting on alot of bad times this year. To make matters worse I am doing it alone as the woman i love is in her hometown & my family is dysfunctional to say the least. I will get out soon to visit my dad's grave which I usually do on Xmas & then drive around to reflect on what is next for me. I need to step up in all areas of my life & move forward on my visionquest. The pity party won't last long as i have so much to be thankful for & the future is bright! I am very fortunate to be loved, healthy & have incredible desire to do great things! I will be more active with this blog as well. I am having an event planning session with my friends for 2009 in early January. I already have my birthday trip to New Orleans in February & a Wisconsin home football game in September planned. I have to get a plan to turn 2009 into my best year ever! I'll keep you posted. Merry Xmas & happy New Year.

Cheers,

Rip Pewett

treasure hunter

www.onmeway.com

It is the end of the World as we know it.....

and I feel like crying or seeking political asylum in Australia! Well, the Democrats got what they wanted....a president with no moral compass, no experience & no balls. I had been kidding during the campaign that if Barack Hussein Obama were elected President that I was moving to Australia....I just might. It is the saddest day in American history since 9-11. Our country is about to slip over the edge into an abyss that we may never recover. The picture is of Salamanca Market in Hobart, Tasmania. It is held every Saturday rain or shine & there is all sorts of treasure to be had. It seems a million miles away & it is on the short list of places in Australia that i would live. Cairns, Sydney & Port Douglas are also on the list. This is a scary time for all of us. For me it is especially scary as i start an import & export business & will be taxed out the ass. All we can do now is suck it up & move forward. I plan to get drunk in the immediate future.....My toast...Here is to all the dumb ass Democrats who voted for a man that hates whites & studied to be a Muslim as a child....Thanks for the Jihad you ignorant bleeding heart Liberals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The search is on....again

Well, it has been awhile but I felt the need to speak to the masses. After months of trying to work things out with my ex, I have closed that chapter of my life & prepare to find the perfect woman for me. The girl in this picture got my attention at the UT-UCLA game for her hair but alas she advised me that the cuffs did not match the collar. I have been trying to keep a low profile to avoid upsetting my ex but that is all behind me now. It doesn't take long to realize not much ever changes when you get back out there. Women are still crazy, catty & looking for someone i.e. their soul mate that will marry them, give them babies & provide for them. I know I am painting with a broad brush the entire gender but I listen to their conversations & it will always remind me that i have forgotten to thank God for being a man today! I believe it is time to revive the famed Ripper Chick Questionnaire...guaranteed to remind me to run for Australia. I'll give you an example of how solid this questionnaire really is....Question #2...Do you like beer? If you answer No...proceed to bottom, sign your name....you just failed. The questionnaire is to remind myself that i am 42 yrs young & too old to put up with the craziness UNLESS a woman can pass my questionnaire. I'm not being cynical but I need to find someone as independent as me that does her own thing & likes hanging out with me when I'm not traveling around the world searching for treasure & one of a kind experiences. That is it in a nutshell but she would need to be at least 5'10" tall with a sexual trapeze in her bedroom as well! Until next time....remember Never,Never,Never Quit!
Cheers,
Ripper

Once again we venture to Cali for UT loss but fun!

Well we invested our hard earned dollars into another opening game vacation to the West coast but played like ass. The usual suspects were involved & we picked up a late addition to the team for alot of fun. I could never live in California because I hate traffic but damn it was beautiful! We started by flying non-stop on Southbest to LAX & drank them out of Miller Lite then Bud Light...unheard of was the term Ron the waiter in the sky used. We became founding members of the Shaved white tail beaver preservation society as well...a big honor as we try everyday to do our part. Frank the tank was deemed to drunk to pick up the rental car much less drive it so as usual I default to that roll. We immediately hit Shakey's pizza as they had 2 things we wanted, more beer & pizza buffet. We gorged ourselves, checked into the hotel & went to find $14 pitchers at Chevy's for South Carolina-North Carolina State. Friday wet got up, got a work out in dog & headed to Venice Beach. Weird, Beautiful people everywhere. We ate, drank & took in the scenery. Next stop Los Angeles Angels game followed by meeting up with Barry's hot cousin & her friend. They turned the lights on at 3a.m. & said "u don't have to go but u can't stay here" Trina took us to some world famous 24 hr diner that i can't remember. Next day we were introduced to a Denny's w/a bar by Barry's dad who lives out there. We proceeded to Champ's sports bar in Burbank for roughly 10 hours of college football & beer drinking.... ouch!
Sunday involved a swim in the coldest pool ever for me & then a cookout at Barry's uncle's house. i have never seen so much meat put on a grill ever & i've been to Q-Fest. We proceeded to Huntington beach for some hottie viewing before picking up Brian Hamiltoe at John Wayne airport. We ended up at Duke's in Malibu right on the beach...it was cool but far away from home base so we were instructed to take Topanga Canyon road over the mountains. I scared the shit out of all my passengers but i had been on the curvy road before so it was like a road course for me. Gameday...we proceeded downtown Pasadena & got our pre-game drink on! Those UCLA fans were lame but hot! We made to the game & once again got out coached. We never should of lost to that team. Barry was as pissed as i have ever seen him. Thanks to brian, he & found the Jeep Liberty parked on a golf course. We drowned our sorrows & headed back to Casa la Hampton. We awoke & took the slowest path ever to Huntington Beach...the pacific Coast highway. We went out on the pier & had lunch on the beach as the junior shaved white tail beaver team prepared to play volleyball...much drooling as the food was so good! We made it back to LAX then to Vegas then back to Nashville. Overall a great trip, just like Cal was last year but as Barry said..."We play at Oregon in Eugene in 3 yrs & if we lose, we are never coming back to the West coast!" I concur. Some may equal but none will excel our UT road trip ability.
Cheers,
Rip
www.onmeway.com

I should of kept my mouth shut

Well so much for a good break up. As I said last time I was laying low so as not to capsize the boat so to speak....well my boat took a direct hit below the belt when I was informed that Jennifer was dating a friend of mine & had been for 2 months! I did the math & realized we had only been apart 3 months...Geez. The picture is of us at BBQ-Fest in Memphis 2 years ago. Didn't we make a cute couple? It is hard to see but her new boyfriend is in the picture as he is on my BBQ team. Some people just don't get it. It is all about loyalty & respect. Those two obviously don't have either. Oh well, whatcha gonna do? I'll think of something. In the words of the Magnificent One...."Revenge is best served up after 10 years!" So I have some time.
On a more positive note...I have recently moved into a 2 bdr lovepad & am in the process of tricking it out to Ripper's own specs. I am 42 yrs young & have never lived by myself...Yep that is what you read. I'm digging it & looking forward to many good times & new memories.
It is also 20 days to UT football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Barry, Frank & myself are flying to UCLA on the 28th for some good times. It should be a stone cold groove my man. Always remember....No matter how good looking she is, somebody is tired of fucking her!
See ya,
Ripper "Committee of One"

It has been a wild & wacky ride

Well....it has been 2 1/2 months since my last post. Jennifer & I broke off our engagement, I moved out & the roller coaster began. It took nearly 2 weeks to get all my things as her parents came in for a week followed by her best friend & i really didn't feel like facing down that gauntlet. It is normal to fear for the worst(all of your stuff burned in the chimney) but people amaze you in the end. We have kept things civil for the most part & i've laid low as not to capsize the boat if you will. So....once again I am single & dealing with the opposite sex again. They still smell nice but I still don't understand the majority of them.
I have been using my Y membership like a maniac with swimming being my main focus after the Country Music Marathon almost did me in. I am retired from that crazy mess. I am concentrating on tri-athlons from here on out...less running. It is summer in Nashville & trimming down is my main goal.
OnMeWay is moving up the mountain like the little engine that could. I attended a import/export seminar at Emory University in Atlanta. I discovered quite surprisingly that i am alot farther along that I had first thought. I am still working on my business plan & hope to have it completed within 2 weeks. I have set a goal for Australia/New Zealand for mid-January 2009 right after college football season is over. 70 days to UT football by the way.
All in all this has been a trying 2 1/2 months to say the least but i'm staying focused on my VisionQuest & looking to the future. And a qoute that helped me thru this time....."I'm against marriage & zoos, I believe wild animals shouldn't be caged" a Ripism if you will. Until next time!
Cheers,
Rip Pewett
Treasure Hunter
www.onmeway.com

I hate working for the MAN!

I some times just wonder if I'm flat out lazy. I have a great idea for my own company but yet I am the slowest entrepreneur in the history of the free world. I have been talking about starting my own import/export business for at least 5 years & still no business. I understand the concept of baby steps but I'm not out of the womb yet. The picture is of a tool I found in Australia called the Super hammer. It is pretty damn cool! I reminds me of the Leatherman series but has a hammer & wire cutter at the top. I checked Home Depot, Lowes & even Sears but no Super Hammer. I was getting very excited until I spotted one at a Mapco Convenience store. The wind was out of my proverbial sail but i still wonder why the Big 3 don't have it. The bottom line is ....I need to get off my fat ass & complete my business plan & then start pitching people for investment capital. I hate going to work everyday & being told how to think, how to dress & the proper way to sell. Screw all that. As I've always said, I am the only boss i will ever truly love.
I should also note that i am too hard on myself as i have come along way in those 5 years. I have paid for my domain name for those 5 years, I have built my own website & designed a pretty badass logo. I've been back to Australia & built a possible network of Aussie vendors as well as started my business plan. It is coming along but i am more restless than i ever have been in my life. I want to be walking the walk as I'm tired of talking the talk. I will keep you posted as my VisionQuest is bigger than me & it is on a roll. Until next time remember..."You can't steal 2nd base with your foot on 1st"
Cheers,
Rip
www.onmeway.com
proud sponsors of the PegLeg Porkers
http://www.peglegporker.com/

I didn't win the Powerball....Damn it all!

The Powerball was $230 million & I bought 2 tickets. One had my lucky digits & the other was the lazy QP(quick pic), I didn't hit 1 number on either. I must go to work today as a result of this piss poor performance. I realize the odds of winning are a bazillion to 1 but I play when the jackpot gets to a crazy amount. I enjoy day dreaming of exactly what I would do if I was the big winner. First, I would get the title of my 1992 money pit(Jeep Cherokee) & drive down to the Lottery office with at least 2 pieces of I.D. Then I would request cash pay out and when they came to take my picture with the big check...i would put on my Carnicus face for the picture. Next, I would drive to the nearest American made auto dealer preferably a Chevy Tahoe dealer. I would ask who is the newest sales person & I would pay cash for the ride after I made them take my Cherokee out back & shoot it. Next I would go to my fiance's bank & deposit a $1,000,000 check in her account anonymously. I would donate money to my 2 favorite charities Safehaven & Nashville Rescue Mission. I would call up my key people & tell them to meet me at Sportsman's Grille in the Village as I needed to talk about our friendship. I would give them all shit for the things they had done to me over the years in jest of course, then write them a fat check. I would get really loaded with my friend & bartender Rod....then write him a fat check with the stipulation that he must quit bartending & travel on my dime for no less than a year. I would go to my bank & take half of the $125,000,000(gross estimate after my dues for being a citizen in the greatest fucking country in the world) and fly first class to Grand Cayman,BWI to deposit said $62.5 mil in a high yield savings account. Then I would take the next two weeks diving the Cayman Islands & drinking beer. Once I returned I would buy a house, find people to maintain the house & drink beer. Then I would help some more people as that is what i like to do. I would like to think that money wouldn't change me but it would.....it would allow me to help other people, my friends & especially what is left of my family. Well that is what I would of done if I had won the Powerball but I guess I better get in the shower as I have to go to work today...SHIT! Until next time, always remember "Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be"
Cheers,
Rip

The world is a funny place!

Advertising can be hilarious if the writer wants it to be. I saw this in the Sydney subway & I had no idea who Barry "The Cougar" Dawson was but I was leaning towards porn star. Turns out he is like the big stud on some soap opera. It ain't easy being cheesy comes to mind with this ad. I saw another ad in Adelaide on the back of a horse trailer that read.."We bring baby animals to you" Once again my mind went straight to the gutter but let's be honest, Aussies & Kiwis alike have been known to have a little romance with a sheep when no one is watching. Back home there is a sign on I-65 N to Louisville that reads "Used cows for sale", are there any other kind? I get emails all the time that have pretty funny messages. Another way for advertising to be funny is if the writer is not very smart. You see contradictory signs & terrible spelling that can only be lack of smarts so to speak. Also, the public bathrooms of the world are a great place for perfect phrases. As i was going thru my divorce in 1998, the men's bathroom at The Villager had this one: "No matter how good looking she is, somebody, somewhere is tired of fucking her" A true classic cuz it's true. Until next time.

Cheers,

Rip

www.onmeway.com

Your birthday is the only day you get to do it all

2 clowns both born on Feb 13th, John is obviously 3 yrs older than myself. I made it to 42, now on to 43. I feel pretty good for 42 but my belly is stuffed from the incredible brisket tacos from Pat Martin's BBQ Joint. I took him my last 11 Schlitz regulars for his store & he paid me in grub. Now I am reflecting on my life before I take a well deserved bday nap, then rise & shine for some more festivities with friends and the UT-Arkansas baskeball game. I'm sure the entire team will thunp that soooey ass for my birthday present. I took the day off as i can't be expected to work as i battle with my own mortality. If I lived in a third world country i would be considered on my last leg but not so much in the U.S.A. I could realistically be half way home. Only God & the Grim Reaper know for sure. Back to the other bday boy, John & i grew up together with both of us spending all of our summers at Wildwood Country Club. He lived in Wildwood Estates & i just squatted at friends houses. The Harpeth River flowed behind the club & we pretty much lived in it. Those were the days before bills, engagements & other forced responsibilities. If you could go back & do it all over again would you? I'd think about it. So today my 42 birthday is dedicated to those times & kicking Arkansas's ass in basketball.
Cheers,
Rip
www.onmeway.com

I feel the need for adventure travel

My 42nd birthday is Wednesday & I'm spending it in Nashville watching the UT Vols basketball team play Arkansas on the tellie as the Aussies say. I guess it could be worse...I could be spending it on death row or in Darfur. Fuck Darfur,save America!(great idea for a bumper sticker) Winter time in Nashville makes me restless for some travel. I rarely do anything but brave the bitter cold, slow down my drinking & watch alot of movies. I am training for the Music City half marathon which takes place April 26th. My brother & I run together with a beer stop at the half way point. It really freaks out the hard core runners! That is what i'm here for...shock therapy. Back to travel...not much scheduled so far. In my quest to see more minor league baseball & another major league park; I am taking a car trip up to Fort Wayne to see the Wizards & on to Detroit to see the Tigers new stadium. I have two good friends that live in these towns so it should be a blast! No return to Australia with sidetrack to New Zealand planned just yet but I feel a change in the wind. If I could just win the Lotto then it would make things easier. I guess it is common to take stock in your life on your birthday to see where you are. I am headed in the right direction & nothing is going to stop my VisionQuest!
Cheers,
Rip