How boring can you be?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
21

We arrived at Lake Pleasant, in central Arizona, late in the afternoon, around 3:00 P.M. This was going to be an evening trip to fish for black crappie.

It was hot. As a matter of fact it was hotter than hot. There was a slight breeze coming from the south about five mph, but this just made it hotter. The temperature at
the lake was 120 F. and inside the parked truck it was 170 F. If we could just make it through the rest of the afternoon and into the evening we would be all right
because the plan was to stay up half the night and catch the night stalker of the lake, Black Crappie.

I had the right idea the night before, get all tackle ready! It was too hot to do it at the lake and you definitely don’t want to be doing it at the fishing hole. I rigged up
three rods. A one piece spinning rod and reel with 6 lb. clear line. I tied on an 1/6 oz. jig head and put a 2 inch pearl plastic grub on the jig head. Then I set the drag
for any crappie that might be two pounds. We had heard that because of the high water conditions at Lake Pleasant, the foliage fish (shad), were in abundance and
accordingly the crappie were getting fat. I wonder why I have to watch my weight and fish don’t. O well.

The 2nd rod I rigged was a very sensitive borron one piece bait casting rod with 8 lb. clear line on it. This was set up for a 1/4 oz. jig head and a 3 inch single tail
plastic grub. This particular grub was my favorite because it had sparkles in it. I thought that if we could imitate the shad that were in the lake we would be successful
in the search for the night stalker.

The third rod was another borron rod, 6 ft. , one piece, bait casting with 12 pound test, clear line on it. I never go to a crappie lake unprepared for bass, so this was
going to be the large mouth bass set up. I set the drag on “none” because I knew that we would be fishing the Palo Verde trees that were half submerged in the lake.
When bass strike the first thing they do is go for the tree.

By the time we got the boat launched and things squared away it was pushing 4:00 P.M… But this was just fine because the sun doesn’t go down until 8:15 this time
of year in the desert.

With everything set we fired up the small outboard that sits on the back of our 14 ft. aluminum fishing boat and we were off. The water was flat calm as we headed
towards an area of the lake that we had pre-planned to fish. This particular spot would give early shade to the water as the sun went down. It also was a long point
with the Palo Verde trees in the water. Water depth at the trees was approx… 8 to 10 ft. then the point took off and about 50 yards from shore it dropped off to
about 35 ft. I knew this was ideal for the crappie fishing that we were about to experience.

As we moved across the water, even though it was hot, I was excited and had a natural high. It was just like so many times before, ever since I started fishing 40
years ago. After a thirty minute boat ride and day dreaming of catching a two pound crappie, the point we were looking for was in sight. Within 50 yards of the point
I shut off the outboard and put the trolling motor in the water. I then quietly slipped the boat to within 20 feet of the Palo Verde tree that was in the water. There was
a slight breeze coming off the shore so we anchored the boat parallel to the shore. I thought to myself that this was perfect, as long as the breeze remained in the
same direction, because we both had perfect casting shots at the tree.

As I picked up my spinning rod I noticed a submerged tree just in front of the boat. This was not advantageous because any nice fish we caught would go for the
tree. I pitched the 1/6 oz jig out and it landed just in front of the Palo Verde tree. The bait hadn’t sunk under the water six inches and I could feel the small tap that
vibrated the sensitive fishing rod I was using. I lifted the rod tip into the air and started to reel knowing that if it was a crappie I didn’t want to rip the jig out of his
paper thin mouth. “Oh yes”, I said, as the fish shook his head and bent my rod over. After a few seconds my fishing pal picked up the net and we boated a real nice
crappie looking to be about half of a pound.

The second cast to the tree was the same. Tap, “Oh yes”, but this time the fish made a short dive and then started to the surface. Out of the water he came, mouth
open, violently shaking his head with eyes crossed. One and half pounds of mad largemouth bass. He went back into the water and right to the submerged tree. This
was all happening as I was wiping the perspiration out of my eye. Then the bass says “Adios” and broke off. Now I wasn’t too sure what to do because we had
both crappie and largemount bass with in striking distance.

As I was re-tying a new bait on my line and deciding which pole to use next, my partner needed the net twice for two more half pound crappies. I think he waits for
me just to make the last loop on my knot before he asks for his fish to be netted. We always make it a habit to net crappie because their mouths are so paper thin;
trying to lift one out of the water will greatly increase your chances of losing the fish.

Well, I decided to stay with the spinning rod, even though I had big bass tackle with me. We came for the crappie and the enjoyment of fishing so I pitched out the
1/16 oz jig again.

As the sun started to set behind the mountains the
crappie became more aggressive. Just about
every cast was a bite with the fish either ripping
the bait off the hook, having a short battle until the
fish came loose, or boating the crappie. “This is
some of the nicest fishing we have seen in a long
time,” my fishing pal uttered as he was battling
another crappie only to be unbuttoned as it
reached the boat.

Now, with both of us having our limits of crappie, we were enjoying the thrill of catch and release as daylight was disappearing and dark was upon us. “Take off
your sunglasses and you will get another 15 minutes,” my friend whispered to me from the front of the boat. As I removed my sunglasses a big smile came across my
face and I looked at my fishing pal and nodded my head saying, “Isn’t this Great!”

22

How did I do?
BTW, I haven’t read my post yet.

23

Re: the crappy story by Kenny.
What a coup! Never thought I’d nod off while laughing! :slight_smile:

You should submit this tale to Field & Stream.

Cheers!

24

“I attend a small midwestern college, and I never thought something like this would happen to me…”

I’ll bet now I have the attention of some of you!!

Well, that sentence above, is, alas, considerably more interesting than my life…

25

AAAAAAHHHH!!! Nothing is more tedious than a fishing story. You won, Kenny, for the love of Gods.

HUGS!
Sqrl

26

Thank you, thank you,

<takes a bow>

27

I am very boring. I live in a building without
laundry facilities, so I have to go to a
laudromat. I have not dryer lint to talk about.

I have a frost-free refrigerator.

I do talk about my CD collection till people’s
eyes glaze over.

28

Wow!! A frost-free refrigerator? Please tell me more.

29

I’d like to tell you about my collection of vintage Canadian government forms, particularly the 1944 “Application for Maximum Rent Increase for a Dwelling under 600 Square Feet.” Although similar in size to the 1942 version, the 1944 release includes the French-language version on the reverse side of the application.

The other forms worth mentioning include the 1943 Federal Individual Income Tax form, remarkably with the Tax Table still included. This form differs in colour from the Business Income Tax form, being more of a buff colour, whereas the Individual form is a saffron.

To move into the realm of the truly exotic, however, the “Accident Report Form,” or MFM 349, is a rare find. This form was supposed to be carried in all Canadian Army vehicles, and filled out in case of road accidents. This baby is foolscap-sized, black on cream paper, with English-only text. I assume there was a French version as well, but have not yet found a copy.

Now, the “Application for Supplementary Sugar Ration (Canning)” is very different, being a light orange coloured heavy card stock, with green and black text. This card is perforated at the left side, and sized to fit within the standard personal Food Ration Book.

Shall I go on?

30

I collect stamps. Just sit right there and I’ll run upstairs and get my box of stamps from around the world. Yessiree, bob.

31

Okay, I’m so boring that I want to hear more about the Canadian tax forms. But not so boring that I want to hear more about fishing, so I guess I’m in the middle of the pack. And dryer lint can be saved to fill homemade stuffed animals, if you want them to smell sunshine fresh.

You Chicago-Reader-types have blown any image I had that you led lives more exciting than those of us suburbanites.

32

I used to collect metro transfers. I got up to 65. One for every station in the city. (They’re labeled with the name.) Then I stopped. Yay fun. I’m waiting for the STCUM to open some new stations so I can collect some more.

33

I am so boring I thought I was witnessing the birth of a new porn saint: St. Cum :smiley:

34

I like to sew. Sewing is fun, really, but you kinda have to be in the mood.

First you have to find a pattern. And then you lay the pattern out. Make sure you get the fabric folded right on the grain, now, and make sure that you lay the pattern out on the grain. And then you cut out the pattern. I like to use one of those cutting boards and one of those roller cutter thingies that the quilters use. And then you pin the seams together before you sew it. Now, get the right kind of thread. I don’t like Coats and Clark, it snaps too much and breaks. I like this German kind, but I can’t remember the name. But you can’t miss the thread - it comes in narrow little spools.

Then you maybe have to baste the seams together. And then sew up the seam, making sure to keep that 5/8" inch seam allowance. And then you have to finish the seams. Gotta finish the seams (by doing a zig zag or serpintine stitch) or else the garment’s seams will ravel badly later. Then you have to press the seam open. You sew all the seams together, then you have to add the collar and buttons. And pockets. But if you add pockets, you usually do that before you sew the front and back of the garment together. Then you do the collar, make sure you get the interfacing in there right. And the buttonholes. I like to use an attachment for my buttonholes, because the built-in buttonholer in most sewing machines just doesn’t do it good enough. But so often you don’t get the buttonhole just right, so you have to rip it out and do it again. Sometimes several times. Before you cut open the buttonhole, make sure you put some sort of anti-fray liquid in there. I like “Fray-Check”. Then use special buttonhole scissors to cut open the buttonholes.

The hem. Well, I sometimes machine-stich the hem. But it is also good to hand-stitch the hem. Be sure to use thread that really matches the fabric color, so your stitches won’t show.

Gosh, my heart beats faster just thinking about all of this.

35

sometimes, I just lie under a pile of coats.

I dont like to do it, and yet I dont dislike doing it. It dosent matter if its a pile of my coats, a pile of strangers coats, a pile of coats beloning to casual aquaintances, or a mix of all three categories. Just me. and a pile of coats. Macintoshs, Denim, anoracks. all types.
In a big pile.

Occasionally I might wear a hat under the pile of coats. other times I put the hat on top of the pile of coats I’m lying under. Again, somtimes I do neither.
Also, it dosent matter what type of hat. Beanie, stetson, Baseball, theyre all as good as each other. Although my Papal hat can stick out of the pile of coats at times, I just cover it up with more coats.

I cant continue typing at the moment, as I’m running out of light under the pile of coats.

36

Whenever someone tells me that they are going/thinking of going someplace, I drag out my European rail table book and calculate every possible route they could take. Even if they tell me that they are driving. Actually, especially if they tell me they are driving, since I think everybody should take the train.

Sometimes, just for fun, I’ll sit down and figure out all the possible places I could go using just the 35dm weekend supersaver ticket. Did you know you could get all the way from Heidelberg to Munich in just 6 hours with only 5 train changes? Well you can! Some people would just break down and buy one of those fancy direct tickets on a fast train with air conditioning and seats, but not me!

Once in a while, I’ll pack up the kid and we’ll just go down to the train station and watch the trains. If we really want excitement, we’ll hop on one and get off at some random station. Then we ride back!

37

This one is not a boring story about me but about my ex. When he wanted to have fun he would sit down with a sheet of paper and list out how many people and what position they would take to make a good Drum and Bugle corp. Let’s see 12 tubas… etc. He wouldn’t make any plans on how he would like them to march or anything just how many people should be on each part including the flag/rifle girls. Come to think about it, he did a lot of boring things eventhough he was fabulous in bed.

HUGS!
Sqrl

38

Coldie, if it bugs you, use the full version (Société du transport de la Communauté urbaine de Montréal) or the English version (MUCTC), or say it in letters, which is what we do anyway.

39

Look at these great old snapshots of distant relatives I don’t know! Looks like they were taken sometime in the '20s. In this one, here’s my grandpa & his cousin from Chicago and his cousin’s family. I don’t know their names.

And here’s one of an aunt and a bunch of other people I don’t know.

Here’s another one of an aunt when she was in a wedding party of people I don’t know.

Oh! Here’s one of my grandma and 3 of her kids. The little girl is my mom. They’re gazing off into the distance, but I don’t know why or where they were, or who took the picture.

Isn’t this great? Wait right here while I get another shoebox full of snapshots. You’ll love 'em!

40

Actually, I enjoy fishing & liked the fishing story. That probably says more about me than my family snapshots