Out of the Office

Had to get a quick post up this morning to let everyone know that I’m going to be away from things for the next few days. We’ve got a couple of out of town gigs that will keep me away from home until Monday afternoon. This will be the most significant amount of time away from email and internet I’ve spent in years! I’m taking my computer with me, just in case, but I don’t know what sort of access I’ll have. It should be a fun weekend–we’ll have some free time all day Saturday (I’ll be golfing), and we’ll have individual rooms (like I’ll take advantage of that). I’d take pics, but you know the story there. Anyway, if you don’t see anything new for awhile, that’s the reason.

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HNT was another smashing success. In spite of problems all day with Blogger. They were “down for maintenance” most of the afternoon and evening. Lots of new faces (or other parts) this week. Be sure to go back and check the bottom third of my comments to check out the late-comers. Many had problems getting posted. They deserve the love too! There’s over 250 links in the Nekkid roll now. It needs to be cleaned up some–there’s some who have dropped out, but I’d say that we’re well over 200 in regulars/newbies. Yay us!

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The whole Mystery Guest thing is working well for me. Hope you’re enjoying it too! If you want to email me your entry, I’ll gladly accept it! I might make a suggestion for improvement, I might not. So far, everyone’s been great about revising their pics if I suggested it, and they’ve been for the better. Have next week’s submissions to me by Monday night so that we can make changes, if necessary! Remember–if I get a camera before I run out of MG pics, I’ll post everyone’s at the end. Guaranteed!

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Have a great weekend! Do something nice for someone. Pet a dog. Skip the coffee and put the change into a Katrina/Rita fund. Buy a hotdog at the football game for a stranger. I’ll catch you on Monday!

HNT Mystery Guest II

The committee has conferred, pictures were judged, and decisions were made. First off, many thanks to those who submitted Mystery Guest entries. As promised, all of them will be posted at some point. There’s no news on my camera–I’ll give it another week before I start looking for a new one. I received pics from males and females, from very sexy to very imaginative, with a wide variety in between. Thankfully, there were no entries involving lava lamps….

As for those who weren’t chosen this week, you’re already entered for next week. Those of you who are interested, you can certainly send me an entry for next week. And if you did send one in, you’re certainly allowed to send more/new entries for the future! The outgoing MG and I both agreed that this week’s choice exhibited imagination, and a nice change of pace for HNT. After all, it ain’t all about the boobies! Other than mine. Hopefully this quick repair will take care of that!

Hope you have a great day tomorrow! Enjoy all that is HNT!

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Be sure to check the comments on my prior post for some early ups, and the birthday tribute in the post below that. Go wish a belated Happy Birthday to Lizabeth!

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This morning I paid a $75 fine for running the stop sign, and $25 fine for no seat belt. And it’s a 30-day deferred sentence, meaning it’s wiped off the books if I don’t get another ticket in that time. Sounds easy, but these things seem to come in bunches for me, so I’d best behave! Oh–my car insurance DID lapse, and that sucker is a $540 fine for first offense, and loss of registration & license for the second! It’s like they’re really serious!

Pre-HNT Humor For You

Saw this on another site. Read it, laugh, then get to work on your HNT!

Donald Rumsfeld is giving President Bush his daily briefing. He concludes by saying: “Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed in an accident”

“OH NO!” the President exclaims. “That’s terrible!”

His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands. Finally, the President looks up and asks:

”How many is a Brazillion ??!”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIZABETH!!

Happy 24th Birthday to my very first fan!

Very early in the development of the Back Row, before I knew that anyone might read this thing; before I knew if I really wanted to spend time doing this; before HNT, there was Lizabeth. Imagine my surprise when I got my first comment from someone other than Moose (who’s a real life friend)! And what a comment it was. I was lamenting the fact that no one was reading my blog, or I had blogblock, or some other trivial gripe that was making me re-think the whole blog experience. She gave me words of encouragement to continue, and to ask her for help if I ever needed it. She also had actually heard of In Cahoots! Well, that did it for me! My ego was generously stroked here! I had a fan! Who actually linked me! And kept coming back! So I offer this Birthday tribute to you–

Lizabeth was a competitive swimmer. She’s a Cobber. Once a Cobber, always a Cobber. Here you can almost see her butt. And those shoulders!

Now she mostly rides her bike. And does some graphics work/web design. She made my first HNT button.

She’s a staunch Republican, and not afraid to say so.

Like most attractive young redheads, she’s snagged herself a boy. Eric.

She and Eric brew their own beer. How cool is that?

She knows how to party, and she knows how to relax.

I finally got to meet her face-to-face (very briefly) a couple of months ago (with Eric and Just.A.Girl). Other opportunities sort of fell through, but we’ll continue trying.

Lastly, she looks damned fine in a bikini!

Lizabeth–in spite of your incessant reminders that I’m old, you are quickly approaching the same thing. Well, maybe not quickly, but your time will come! Thanks for giving me that extra push in the early days. It’s your fault that I’m still around!

Everyone else–go to her site and wish her a Happy Birthday!

Fate, and Last Call!

What if I didn’t check out the last blog that I did this morning?
What if I had chosen a different route to work–taken a different side street?
What if the person in front of me had taken a different route?
What if the person in front of me had a clue that they were driving a little slowly?
What if the cop had turned around and chased that speeder earlier?
What if the cop hadn’t slowed down to let the deer amble across the street?

Then I wouldn’t have gotten a citation for not coming to a “full and complete” stop at the stop sign, or the secondary citation for driving without wearing my seat belt! I grew up in Montana, where it’s still legal to drink and drive (until Oct. 1st, 2005). Where, when the rest of the nation was observing the 55 MPH limit, our highway patrolmen were handing out $5 “wasting natural resources” tickets. Where most students learned the correct way to proceed at a four-way stop (even the women!). I would put my driving record up against anyone’s (one accident in 33 years of driving, even when drunk!). But he stuck me for rolling through a stop sign. Then, of course, the obligatory seat belt violation. At least he didn’t ding me for not having my proof of insurance (*note to self–check to be sure it didn’t lapse….).

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I’m tired. Went 41 hours with no sleep (and could have lasted a few more, I think). I was named in the local paper as being first in line for Seinfeld tickets. Yes, everything I do in this town is newsworthy! Anyway, I got the exact seats I was looking for, the show was sold out in 5 hours, and “Jerry’s People” (formerly “Jerry’s Kids”?) agreed to a second show for later that night. I’m certain that one won’t sell out, but at least Jerry will have enough money for jet fuel to get to California afterwards!

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Last call for Mystery Guest submissions for my HNT this week! I’ve gotten a handful of very good submissions, but will accept others until tonight. Tonight the “committee” (me and the current Mystery Guest) will decide on this week’s entry (notice I didn’t say winner–they’re all winners!). Just mail any submissions to me (see my profile for address). Looking forward to Thursday!

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I notice that I excessively use parentheses and exclamation points! At least I don’t capitalize everything! (DEAL WITH IT!!)

Quick Review

It’s about 4:30 AM. I just got home from Spokane. I have to be in line to buy tickets to Jerry Seinfeld at 6 AM. Quick review, quick nap, and I’m outta here:

• Sugarland–Fun band; enjoys what they’re doing.

• Sara Evans–Beautiful! Wore tight V-neck button-up blouse. Ample bosom forced the thing to gap all night (nice bonus!). Don’t know how ample bosom didn’t pop that top button right off!
• Brad Paisley–Incredible guitarist; great show! Did “Whiskey Lullaby” (who would sing the female part????)–Had Alison Krauss on huge screen behind him singing her part (video-sync). Very cool.
• Sweaty girls in tank tops (or less)–Sweet!
• Drunk guys in the row in front of us–Assholes. Beer splashed everywhere. People falling over each other, literally. Wouldn’t take off their oversized cowboy hats so that people could see around them.
• Weather–Mid-70s; surprising!
• Car–26.4 MPG
• Gas in Spokane–$2.91/gal.
• Cyrus O’Leary’s–Great food; great service! Huge portions (couple of doggie boxes).
• Return trip–only dozed off about 3 times. Megan was asleep in the back seat, so she didn’t know
• Not having a camera at a concert where they were allowed–REALLY, REALLY SUCKS!

More coming later in the day—

Submissions Wanted!

Just a reminder about the Mystery Guest feature for my HNT this week. If you want to be considered for this week’s post, I’ll need to have your submission by Tuesday night. I’ll be sending them off to the current Mystery Guest that night for her input on her successor. I currently have 3 excellent submissions, but no one has the inside track yet. So if you want to get in on the action this week, you’ve only got a couple of days to go! Regardless of the number of submissions I get, or how soon I get a/my camera, they will all eventually be posted. Let your creative juices flow!!

Concert Time!

I’m heading off in the morning to Spokane, WA, to see Brad Paisley, Sara Evans and Sugarland in concert.

Going over with Megan, who lurks around here once in awhile, but doesn’t have her own site. Yet. Unfortunately, she has to be to work at 8 AM on Monday, so she’ll be sleeping in the back seat while I’m falling asleep driving back from the concert. (Hope she didn’t just read that!)

I’ll be sure to get plenty of pics at the concert!! Oh, wait. Nevermind…..

Stuff

What a fine response to the “Mystery Guest” HNT! I know that she certainly enjoyed the comments, and was fully deserving of them! Curiously, no one commented about the “special treat” that we added if you clicked on the picture! Not until Tim mentioned it on a return trip at around comment #150 or so! So how good was it? This was Tim’s reaction to it! He tried to blame it on coffee, but we know better! YES, IT WAS THAT GOOD!! Click on it all you want now–the “treat” has been taken down! But many thanks for the compliments! No, I’m not going to tell you who it was….

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Reaction to the “Mystery Guest” concept has been swift and positive! Before the end of the day I received not 1, but 2 different submissions for next week’s “Mystery Guest” HNT! Since I’m making up the rules for this as I go, I’ve decided that each prior week’s “Guest” will have some say as to who their replacement will be. If we run out of interest, I’ll try something different. If I get my camera back before we run out of material, I’ll do a huge post of everyone’s shots, and a list of participants. So if you want to get in on this, bring it on! My only request is that I look good (at least as good as I did in my HNT picture!). So feel free to ask me to send you a higher resolution file that will print well. Or to ask what’s available. For those who are relatively new here, and are interested, you can find all of mine in the archives back to May, which is when we started all this.

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AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!
I may have found my future wife.

I don’t know which one, nor does it really matter!
There’s just so much that’s RIGHT with this picture!

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I’m severely disappointed that no one left a comment on my audio post from a couple of days ago. I don’t know if the music shocked you, or if you’re afraid of Castpost, but no one commented. Twenty-one times it was listened to. I’ll leave it there for a few more days…. More stuff later!

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iTunes: Soul Vaccination, Tower of Power

Mystery HNT

**EDIT**–Because I think she is BY FAR one of the best and funniest writers out there, I’ve agreed to help out Crystal (Boobs, Injuries and Dr. Pepper). She’s just gotten engaged, and now has the chance to win a FREE WEDDING! The downside–she got entered late and the voting ends tomorrow at midnight. It’s one of those things where you have to vote for her and Chris. She describes it a little on her site too. SOOOO….go HERE to cast your vote! Tell your friends to vote! You should be able to vote at least once/day. Maybe more–it’s hard to tell…. They are the couple towards the bottom–Crystal Ross and Chris McKee. Do it for love, do it for me, do it for a fellow HNTer!!

As you have all read by now, I have no camera. It’s been a week, and I’m not terribly optimistic about getting it back. This, of course, poses a problem for posting HNT pics. What to do? What to do?

There were a handful of you who emailed me with some suggestions, and I appreciate all of them. But one suggestion stood out over the others, and that’s what I’m going to go with. It was suggested that, for the time being, have some of you HNTers download a picture from one of my old posts, print it, and pose half-nekkid with it, email that picture to me, and that becomes MY HNT picture! Seems like a good idea! So this individual and I emailed wildly back and forth, and came up with a plan—

Until I get some sort of a camera again, I’ll use a “Mystery Guest” to share my HNT post. Hopefully, this won’t last too long. I won’t reveal who the “Mystery Guest” is until the end, and then I’ll do what my boy Ty does. I’ll name everyone involved, but I won’t name which picture goes with which name. If I get alot of volunteers, I’ll post them all at the end. If I only get a couple, I’ll use them until I run out of weeks, or until I get a camera. Whichever comes first.

So I put the call out to you. Anyone interested in helping me out here can either download one of my older HNT pics, or can email me for a high resolution copy. If you want to remain mysterious, don’t let jewelry, tattoos or kids or pets or anything else give it away. If you don’t care, then don’t worry about that. Email me the resulting picture, and I’ll submit it in the upcoming weeks. If you’re really into it, like this week’s Guest is, you’ll send me a few pics to choose from!

And so I give to you my first “Mystery Guest” HNT picture. No hints, no clues. Other than the fact that the “MG” is female. Let the guessing begin. Even if you comment that you know who it is, I’m not going to tell. Have fun, happy HNT surfing, and take time to say a prayer for those living in Rita’s path.

By the way, Binsk, Shannin, Robin, Sojourness, kb and Aughra all had early posts.

Don’t forget to check out the new HNT buttons that are now available! You can find the codes for them in the “Guidelines” post (click on the blue HNT button in the sidebar).