THREW Mikes EyEz

Original Writings, Images, Video and Artworks of Mike Hartley

Always sunny in Woodstock

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Regardless of what it seems outside, this Woodstock resident is going to try to have a sunny attitude today. I’m feeling fairly productive after not enough sleep which I hope to catch up on this evening a bit. I’m excited though to have some time away from the job that pays the bills and focus on my home and some of my crafts. Of course some family and friend time is also on the agenda which is always important to keep up with and have a the top of the list.

Sunny and smiling in Woodstock MD today.
Photo by Mike Hartley

Will this rain stop? I’m guessing someplace else in the world they are asking when will it rain again. So everyone has their cross to bear. I’ll just go along and enjoy the wetness. Of course that white knuckle drive yesterday evening was an adventure. First time I’ve had to turn the wipers on high-speed in a long time. Well rain is a fairly boring topic. Except to those people in the Carolina’s maybe, or those out west where dryness is a permanent condition.

With all the engineering might we have its surprising we haven’t focused on water management more. Yeah its impossible to control mother nature but the solution is available (water), it’s just an issue of what idea will minimize floods, droughts, feed our crops and keep our drinking water plentiful.

Just one of many infrastructure issues we face.


I read where Dunkin Doughnuts is dropping the “Doughnuts” from the name at the beginning of the year. Guess I’ll have to hit the Fractured Prune from now on. Being I don’t drink the DD coffee anyway I’m not tied to a doughnut stand. Trouble is it looks like the place to find a Fractured Prune doughnut shop is in Ocean City, where there are 9 of them. From my home now its a 30 mile trip, to Frederick MD is the closest one. Another good reason I’ll have to give my better half to have a beach residence. Of course we have to keep the current estate (little rancher) to be near our children. And if you haven’t had a Fractured Prune doughnut, you must go. I think my Son turned me onto them. Its probably a very good thing there isn’t one close to my house. I might start to make Homer Simpson noises.

I guess I’ll still do the DD or just D down the road and hope they don’t really delete the real doughnuts also.


On the way to feeling normal again. Life is good. Life is very good. The ability to be up and about is wonderful. But I’ve let my body go and its time to give it the respect again that came naturally most of my life. In other words I didn’t have to think about staying active, I was. The first 20 years of my career in Newspapers I was on my feet a majority of the day. Not just standing but moving and sometimes doing physical task. The last 25 or so I’ve had my ass planted in a chair.

I played a ton of sports between a youngster and 40 years old. Now I barely pick up a basketball every other month. What food that never used to stick to me just seems to be another puzzle piece I add to my waist.

It’s all because I’ve just become lazy with my body. I’ve tried to make some changes just in posture when I’m sitting to reduce the back issues I have but breaking a decades old habit of slouching is difficult. It takes concentration and repetition. Just like sports. One of my best friends is a physical specimen. And its simple to see why. He works at it almost every day of his life. Its in his routine. Its second nature. Its just part of his makeup.

But as I’ve seen him age I’ve also seen him add another component. He takes thought about what he is putting in his body. All good lessons for me and its nice to have that example to shoot for. I’ll never be as fit and cut as he is. I’ll never have the strength and ability he does. But the next photo of us on the beach together that is taken, I’m not going to be embarrassed by my body next to his like I was this year.

It’s good to have goals.


Random Thoughts of the Day

Ain’t truth interesting?

You know what is easy? Seeing faults in others.

You know what is tough? Realizing you have some of the same faults as others.

You know what is worth it? Correcting the faults you have that you see in others that you don’t like.

There’s laughing behind ones back. And then there is laughter right in someones face. And then there is the ability to ignore the reality that you are being laughed at and think you made them laugh which is very SAD.

You know when your taking your wedding vows, the words don’t seem to have the meaning and importance they really have till you have lived through them together.

Whoops, just realized I’ve been sitting here rambling on about nothing for too long again. My apologies, till tomorrow. Good thing for you all there is a word counter at the bottom. And if I haven’t said anything important in a few hundred words, it would probably be a waste of time for both of us to continue.

Author: Mike Hartley

With a lifetime and a half in the Newspaper industry I'm preparing for my retirement career as an Artist, Writer, Photographer and Video content provider. I'm a proud father of two wonderful children and I'm still married to the first girl I fell in love with and probably only one that would have me.

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