A River Runs Through It - Norman Mclean

Back Bone of the World - Edward Louis Henry

I'm better at being ME than anyone I've ever known - Whether it's the Me
who writes poetry and short stories and insists upon spelling accuracy
or the Me who portrays a civilian scout and Mountain man for one of
several different historic sites and couldn't care less about
grammatical accuracy - I'm the best! If it's the ME who drives a truck
135,000 miles and is always on the go, or the me who likes nothing more
than to stay at home and veg out, you won't find anyone better at it. It
could be the ME who is typing this on a state of the art laptop, or the
me who starts his campfires with flint and steel and abhors modern
technology - It doesn't matter, It's ME! And I'm very, very good at it!

There are imitators and impostors, but no one comes as close to being me
as I do!

I don't know for sure who it would be, but they'd have to be able to do
a cross between Clint Eastwood and Don Knotts - I've been the strong,
silent type who rides off into the sunset and I've also shot myself in
the foot while trying to get on the damn horse...


...The Drifter...

Breezy,

Some of us USED to have fiery tempers - Being Scot's Irish and growing
up with 4 older brothers, a fiery temper was a self-preservation
neccessity. After I got older and discovered that I had a talent for and
natural love and willingness for "fisticuffs" the temper became a
liability. As I've gotten older and mellowed, I've worked hard and long
at getting rid of the Irish temper entirely. Life is much simpler and
more enjoyable when you don't fly off the handle at the least
provocation - Besides, there are other much more fun and productive
'things' to channel that energy into.

And in answer to the original question: ...Chances are...


...The Drifter...

Kat,

Works for me! Maybe next time it'll be fine old Madiera and Macanudos on
a blanket under a full moon at 9,300 feet in the Valley of the upper Rio
Grande during the Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Rendezvous? ...There's worse places
to be! ...And turn about IS fair play...


...The Drifter...

Married twice, divorced twice - 10 years and 7 years, respectively.
Married a friend the 1st time and 10 years later it turned out that we
were still more friends than husband and wife and we parted amicably.
Married my old high school sweetheart on the 2nd go 'round and it was
the biggest mistake of my life.

Of my 1st wife, I remember the day we married and the color of her eyes
- Of my 2nd wife, I remember the day of our divorce and the color of her
heart.

Single going on 5 years now and would get married again in half a
heartbeat if the right one came along... I still think about the look on
my mom's face when dad passed away after 51 years and 1 month of happily
ever after - Sure would like to find something like that some day...

...The Drifter...

Two part reply:

1. Does the good guy ever win? Answer: Yes! The problem is that because
he is a good guy, nobody else realizes that he won...

2. Does the good guy ever get the girl? Answer: Once in a while, but he
is damned seldom able to keep her. Partly because he is a good guy and
partly because the bad guys don't give two hoots how much the girl likes
the good guy - If there is any way to sew a seed of doubt in her mind,
he (the "bad guy") will find it and exploit it.

The key is learning how to be enough of a "good guy" to get the girl and
enough of a "bad guy" to be able to keep her... And the kicker is that
it takes a good woman to be able to make you into that type of guy!

Later,

...The Drifter...

"Biggest turn on?

Sensing mutual chemistry in the air..."


BINGO! Give the lady a good cigar or the drink of her choice - She hit
the proverbial nail right smack on the head!

...The meaningful glance, the furtive smile... The first blush as
thoughts and desires come unbidden and the warm glow of realizing that
it is indeed mutual and, for a time at least, you are perfectly in tune
with another soul...