Sunday, Bloody Mary, Sunday

The mountain looks a bit more fabulous this morning as Gary brought Brotherly and Love (of Philadelphia Freedom Fame) aboard the HypnoShip. It was "divine" sharing coffee with the trio this morning., and thanks for the marinara sauce! Gary has even complied with the new Thomas leash law stating all citizens "participating in the love that dare not speak its name" be on a leash and accompanied by responsible adults at all times. Good boy Gary. Other friends of the HypnoShip (leashes not necessary) have been in and out, reports of the previous evening's goings on are all excellent, and today brings Mark and Clare's "Bocce Ball, Beer, and Belligerent Behaviour Blow-out" around 4pm, Buxton Mean Time!

Our attention and eyes are on the Hurricane threatening our former home, an area that still harbors friends and loved ones. We'll keep a watchful eye out, and keep us abreast of anything you may need that we can provide. Hurricanes, strangely enough, can be fun, and denizens of the deep south are professionals at turning lemons into hard lemonade. I'm sure the friends we left behind are well stocked with batteries, booze, and fuel; best of luck, my friends, and we sure miss the adrenalin and camaraderie associated with these events.

Season Opener

Our friends over at Highland Prospects remembered the password and accessed their Blog again. The boys were having some fun with the ?Stuck! Rover story, a little late, but a good effort considering the boys graduated from Davis & Elkins with degrees in Redneck Studies. We here at the HypnoVessel always applaud the efforts of our "special" citizens. One (1) thing I did learn, and am most happy to forward, is that Highland Prospects is stocked with Klean Kanteens! Good work Prospectors. After you pick up your stainless steel Kleen Kanteen fill it up with beverage of choice and make your way to the Buxton Street Garden Party and Croquet Tourney. Do try and wear the proper attire (white, or at least the whitest outfit you own) and be on your best behaviour, Mark and Claire are city-folk.

As all of you are aware, today is the season opener for WVU Mountaineer football, and Rob (of Hellbender fame) is so jacked-up in anticipation, he procured an HDTV-widescreen-monster-TV. Help the man pay that thing off and watch the game with Rob, Melissa, Alden and the 'Bender staff. He's got the screen that's mean!

Also on the plethora of events to capture your attention, Davis' own Doc Lambert is having a CD Release party tonight at the Mountain State Brewery! Good work Matt! We are certainly a community of talented, good-looking, athletic, smart, and humble people always willing to celebrate one another's accomplishments. If the HypnoFamily is too tired; crashes and burns before these events, fill us in on the fun in the morning.

Any Given Thursday

Despite the grey skies and general gloom we kept the pace lively in the HypnoVessel. Aaron again pulled Thursday duty, and today developed into a 1990's theme organically and without dedicating any playtime to the hit makers of the decade. I was glad to have Aaron aboard to assist with drink building during our rush thanks to Garrett County College and of course the super-cool folks who participate in the CSA. Thursday's equal veggies in our part of the world and we were laden with a bounty today! Good work Backbone Farm, the basil...ahhhh the basil! Also assisting in the gloom-chasing was our own baker-in-residence, Gary.

The kitchen yielded an intoxicating aroma and a cornucopia of muffins, cookies, cakes, and bars; enough to rival the veggies. With seemingly so many of you leaving for the weekend it appears Gary's efforts will be the reward of tourists, but not to worry, there's always more where that came from.

After the ship was battened and the HypnoFamily was again at home, Charlie and I stepped outside into the grey before going on our evening run in order to participate in his third favorite activity bubble blowing, when the skies opened up. It wasn't a tropical storm, oh no, a more Seattle-esque misty shower was threatening our run. It can be difficult to begin a run (or any other outdoor exercise) when the rain is falling, but Charlie and I sallied forth and were rewarded with the presence of like-minded sychophants at the bottom of the hill. As Charlie and I rounded onto Davis' main drag and we were greeted by a hearty "hello" from the Ride At Five gang outside of Blackwater Bikes. A small, but obviously dedicated group of hard-core cyclists, was an encouraging site indeed. Good work oh dedicated riders!

WHAM!

Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, thank you, thank you, thank you! The above photo is the captured image of the coolest damn book to grace the HypnoCounter in a long, long time! In remembrance of last Thursday's 80's marathon in the shop, Sarah was so inspired she must have rummaged for seconds in order to bring this little gem to light. The book was left with a note claiming an assurance of my already owning a copy, and yes, of course, I do. It's just mine is so dog-eared, worn, and photos faded from the gleaming light of my smile, that my copy is barely readable. Good work Sarah, free skim latte for you!

We should probably hold discourse in regards to why the music of our formative years is so important to us. We have to assist Sarah in the justification of her owning the WHAM! book. The easy answer is she purchased the book in 1983, fantasies of running away with George Micheal, bearing his children, and maybe even filling in as a back up singer on the "Choose Life" tour. Oh the future certainly was hot pink. The long answer has something to do with Sarah clinging to the legitimacy that somehow because of the twelve (12) year-old crush, George Micheal is really an artist to be studied, revered, and of course his music is to be mined for intellectual content. I hope the former is what keeps this book at Sarah's fingertips. Sarah, what's the deal?

Your Last Opportunity To Wear White

lawn games and birthdays extravaganza

Join us to close out the summer and in celebration of
Tucker County august and September birthdays

croquet, bocce ball, bubbly and beer

Buxton Manor
Sunday, August 31 – 4pm until

Bring a dish to share
Dress – all white or sundresses and seer suckers or whatever

Along with the myriad of emails I receive for erectile dysfunction, one (1) email had useful information for a change (no, it wasn't from Cialis). Mark and Clare are circulating the above information in an email flyer and I dutifully lifted the text and photo for you. The day after this shindig, Kate is throwing a birthday gala for Eden at her house on Brown Street. Eden is turning three (3), so expect a more kid-friendly atmosphere (only one (1) keg), and different games.

Manic Monday

Blame it on Anne F., she came in with the Romeo Void song, "Never Say Never" stuck in her head. Aaron and I, always willing to accommodate, played the song for her, which led to "I Know What Boys Like", which led to Missing Persons', "Words", and Aaron put the kibosh on the whole thing fearing us unable to halt the slippery slope we found ourselves on. Ahhh, Aaron, a voice of reason in the otherwise indulgent world of HypnoCoffee? He'll get with the program soon enough.

Rumor has it Hypno's own Nick C. Hunt is planning on moving above us here at the HypnoVessel. Fearing for his job, he is willing to forgo roommates, drinking, and sparing all expense he's putting himself in a position to attend work in a timely manner. He may elevate himself from shop joke to shop lackey before we know it. I hope we still have a place for a social worker on staff. By the by, Nick, good luck with your licensing exam today!

The drive-in was again a hit! Thanks to Kate for attending and for the obvious deforestation taking place as you lay supine beneath the stars... you weren't asleep were you? The best part of the drive-in festivities had to be Charlie and Eden frolicking in the field in front of the screen, both playing "airplane", and in the dark suffering a mid-air collision. "BONK" two (2) kids crash... adults laugh in spite of themselves.

Rocking On

Today sees the HypnoFamily, Jeremy, and Kate plus young-uns traveling to Grafton for another Drive-in experience. Tonight's film is The Rocker and stars Dwight Schrute followed by The X-Files, I Want To Believe starring Fox Mulder. Come by the shop in the morning for a bleary eyed review. Aaron will join me aboard the HypnoVessel in the morning so expect nothing less than magic! We may go nuts in my sleep deprived state and put "Sister Christian" on permanent repeat; don't stop believin'!

You Say Its Your Birthday

Obviously we here at HypnoCoffee feel obligated to report the goings on within the shop itself. Having this obligation I have to report that Nick was again late. There, I said it, I know, I know, he's always late. Let us just move on...

Nick did receive an audible compliment regarding his cappuccino building skills; this as opposed to the usual spit and spray that normally accompanies that first sip. It may have taken until Labor Day, but by-God a barista has been born!

Since I am reporting the goings-on, I would be remiss to not mention that it was thirty-one (31)years ago today that our HypnoFriend Kate L. was born! Happy Birthday to our lady of the Mountain State Brewery. Stop in the pub tonight, wish Kate a very Happy Birthday, and don't forget to put a big fat tip in... her jar (she's got three (3) kids you know)!

Imagine my surprise this afternoon when Sarah H. pulled up in front of the shop riding her vintage Trek HypnoCoffeeMountainBike! Today's photo is submitted as people's evidence #082308, focus on the head badge and enjoy. Thanks for riding such a cool bike Sarah, and I take back those things I said on Thursday.

What Micheal and Paul Sang About...

"Ebony, ivory, living in perfect harmony..." so goes the song which was apparently written after either Micheal or Paul had eaten one (1) of Gary's latest Ebony and Ivory Cookies. See, you thought it had to do with white folks and black folks getting along; well...only if there are enough of these cookies to go around, otherwise somebody is getting hurt. The "ebony" comes from cocoa powder in the cookie batter, and the "ivory" is brought by white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Your mouth will thank me, and get an extra one (1) for a friend, and they will thank you!

Also new today are some extraordinary dolls made by our new neighbor Kaitlin J. Anyone having a birthday soon? I know, I know, you're too late for mine and of course I forgive you, but there will be others celebrating their births soon enough, and now we have you covered! Charlie has already picked his favorite.

Rock Me Amadeus

You know how you awake and a song is on repeat in your mind? Well, this morning brought Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" into rotation, and in an attempt to exorcise that 1985 chestnut from my internal jukebox, Gary, Aaron, and I brought up the song on YouTube and that simple act infected us all. Falco led to Frankie Goes to Hollywood which led Aaron and I on a search for even more. We found a three (3) hour block of MTV from 1983 starring V.J. Mark Goodman, tour dates for Loverboy as well as The Police, and commercials from 1983 for everything from K-Tel Albums to Wrangler Jeans. Many of you stopping by shared in the memories, but as you left for work, mine and Aaron's appetite for the 80's was only whetted; we needed more. The rest of the day was a search for more 80's era MTV. We found many videos, but no directly recorded blocks of footage like our first find. As the day rolled on so did the hits, and so many of you got a kick out of it, you're welcome. Moments of nostalgic levity filled our day and hours melted into one super-hit after another, we even handled requests. This led Aaron and I to speculate on a radio theme day. Any guest DJ wannabe's out there?

Our HypnoFriends, Mark and Claire (of Washington DC power-couple fame) are having a lawn party next Sunday (Labor Day Weekend) to celebrate their birthdays. Details are preliminary, but the start time is 4ish, location is their home on Buxton Avenue, and as always, play to win!

HypnoCoffee Beats Itself!

My birthday was a blast!

Yesterday I added another year to the already many under my belt. We celebrated with, what else, a badminton tourney. The court has never looked better, I lined it out per Olympic specifications, replete with the serving line. We even played to Olympic rules. The new game rules only kept the games moving faster and lent an element of confusion. Was it the speed and confusion, the errors, or hubris that handed a first and only defeat to the dominant HypnoTeam of myself and the Director? The only silver lining to this otherwise suicidal news was that our defeat came at the hands of HypnoTeam2, Gary (Muffin Man) and Aaron (Amish Boyo). Following the defeat (close, thanks to a last minute resurgence of brilliance, 21-19) the Director and I retired to the dining room for sustenance and regrouping; everyone showed up with great eats, thanks! As the sunset, the HypnoTeams met on the field of glory for a rematch. You guessed it, the Director and I annihilated the Second String HypnoTeam. The second stringers do have a strong competitive spirit and even though Gary isn't the most lithe player on the court his limp wristed returns are crushing, and our Amish Slinger can cover the corners like a rug. We look for great things from these upstarts!

Thanks to all who stopped by (the Tucker County Gladiator, the Glad's wife Kathy, Anne, Patrick, Adelaide, the Director, Aaron, Gary, Scott, Kate, Eden, Isaac, Forrest, Rob, Ben, Kelly, and Jessica ((hopefully that's everyone)), it was great spending the evening with you! Special thank yous to Anne, Patrick, and Adelaide for a pound of my favorite candy, Twizzlers, and, of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Ben and Kelly's delicious "Junk" cake! I have but one (1) question, how did you get the casted mold of my super-crazy-amazing-wonder-wand?

Thomas Tea Party

For far too long I have ignored the needs of my friend Mackie. It seems, and rightfully so, that he is only Green Tea consumer in the area. Sure, others have a cup occasionally, but Mackie is a nearly daily consumer of the stuff. Being that he is the only tea drinker I have continually put off the procurement of Mackie's favorite Hojicha Green Tea ever since our roaster stopped carrying the Mighty Leaf brand. Last week I finally found a supplier, placed the order, and this afternoon brought his tea to the HypnoDock along with the much awaited Chai, some Herba Mate, two (2) other varieties of Green Teas, and Mint Tea! If, in the near future you enjoy a brilliant cup of tea in the shop you can thank Mackie for his diligence, but you had better hurry as Mackie drinks the stuff like his life depends on it!

Fresh Meat

Wait a second! That's not the Director, what gives? Your powers of observation have not failed you, no, that's Aaron M. and he's trying his sea legs aboard the HypnoVessel. Perhaps you have heard, the Director is hanging up his eye patch and taking a land lubbers job. He finally scored a gig as a highway crew sign specialist. The next time you are on Highway 219 waiting for that man to turn the sign from "Stop" to "Slow", that man might just be our own Director! Putting Aaron on the crew is an obvious attempt to finally attract the ladies, a job that has been miserably handled by Nick. However, with Nick aboard I have noticed an increase in degenerates, alcoholics, and buggers. Thanks Nick.

Aaron, of course, hails from the kick ball haven of Davis, and prior to his HypnoEnlistment he was recently employed in the city of Austin, working for one of the finest Italian restaurants in Texas, The Olive Garden. Aaron achieved journeyman status in the construction of bottomless salad and bread sticks, as well as wines in the color of red. Now that's Italiano! Aaron plays well with others being one (1) of twelve (12) children and raised in the Amish community of Yoder, Minnesota. Being Amish he is sensitive to foul language and bawdy behavior often associated the sea vessels, thus we are turning over a new leaf and showing Aaron the same respect we normally reserve for you, the much honored patron.

Nick's Failure

Do you see the swan?

Nick's replacement

Word on the street is that the Purple Fiddle Fest was a hit! Good work Fiddlers. Nick was again TARDY! He has managed to make his way to HypnoCoffee on time a grand total of three (3) mornings the entire summer. He is nothing if not consistent, consistently late! Congratulations to Danielle for winning the Nick C. Hunt Tardy Pool; we believe Nick should surrender his next paycheck as a reward for Danielle and as a punishment to Nick!

The weather outlook is positive and Tuesday we plan on hosting a badminton tourney. The court shall conform to Olympic specifications and mandatory smack talk and penalty drinking is strictly enforced, per the International Sanctioning Body. You know the routine, bring a dish or grill-able, drink of choice, and your A-game.

The measly town of Parsons (our county seat) has issued a challenge to the championship Davis kick ball team. Really? Do they own shoes? Will their mules make it up the mountain? Will the presence of an opponent that possesses all of their teeth leave them like a deer in head lights? We'll see, the game date hasn't been set, but stay tuned.

Operation Extrication

Operation Extrication (O.E. to operatives) was a small cadre of specialists, each enlisted for their specific skill. Jeremy, beer consolidation and acquirement; Ben, photography and commentary; and finally Rob, chain and yank! Once the chain was in place, the Nissan positioned, and preliminary photos taken, it took two (2) stern yanks with the Hardbody and "POP" out came the Rover! Rob's resolve was the ingredient that made the mission a success, and once the Rover was high and dry, Jeremy contributed to the cause with his almost magical revealing of a cooler! More photos were taken and even though the entire mission took fifteen (15) minutes at most, two (2) hours of debriefing was necessary. Good work gentlemen, it was an honor serving with you!

?Stuck!

Yes it is worse than it appears.

In an effort to keep our dialog bristling with full disclosure and honesty I sometimes have to expose the embarrassing, and it is here that I take you today. While scouting some of the more remote areas yesterday with two (2) Prospectors, following trails created by better equipped vehicles, we happened quite effortlessly onto a ridge where the trail conditions went from rough to deplorable within feet. In an effort to escape from the increasing mud I swung a hard slippery left in a clearing, only the clearing turned out to be a bog! Splash, Slop! The eagle landed, and it is a splash down. A desperate attempt at digging, pulling, rocks under tires, and beard stroking failed to extricate the truck. Night fell and one (1) truck was abandoned.


A fitful night's rest and morning brings a fresh perspective, and help. It may take only one (1) idiot to put a truck in a bog, but it takes a village to yank his dumb ass out! Bring your taunts, teasing, and name-calling to the HypnoVessel and point them directly at me.

Cake Eaters!

Not Just Billy, apparently you do as well! Gary's coffee cakes are on fire (no pun intended)! You probably noticed Gary's increased presence in our kitchen. It is a direction we intend on continuing as baked goods and dessert items are becoming more of a focus. Gary has also revised and revamped a couple of old favorites, Chocolate Oat Bars, and HypnoCookies. Both are back and better than ever! Read on for more coffee shop news!

By all the bright shining faces and clear eyes, it has come to my attention that too few of you are aware of Mountain State's new night. The pub is now open on Wednesday nights! I expect to see you bleary-eyed next Thursday full of reports on Wed night ridiculousness.

One of our least, I mean most, favorite customers, Sarah H. inadvertently left behind a debit card. What to do? I emailed Miss Manners for advice...after three (3) days mysterious Internet charges are to be expected by the careless individual. Today is day three (3) and wouldn't you know it, Sarah called, asking if I knew of this absent card. Oh well, the hot tub will have to wait.

I'm just going to say it; the Advocate coverage of our epic kick ball game left a lot to be desired. Next time I advise the editorial staff to contact me, obtain permission, and lift sporting event coverage directly from this blog or J.R.'s blog. I did, however, get a "kick" out of the game even making it into the Tucker County paper of record. Good choice of news stories!

As with most of you, the Olympics is front and center, and just like you I have been watching as much Badminton as possible. There is definitely an opening for me. Is it possible for us to take Badminton seriously, elevating it beyond its position as a barbecue lawn game? I noticed that the Olympians fail to consume beer between shots and there is nary a foul word exchanged between opponents. What gives? For elite players I doubt they could hold their own playing by "street rules".

Scuttlebutt on the boulevard, if true, has a branch store of our friends Highland Prospects opening in Elkins around spring of 2009. Rumor has it Ben will be in the Elkins store, which is good news for us! Hopefully the convenience stores in Elkins are well stocked on caffeinated energy drinks, lest Ben find his way back up the mountain. Here at the HypnoVessel we are eyeballing a coffee roaster. I plan on roasting single origin coffees and an espresso blend. We are getting close to purchasing one (1), so expect micro-batch hand roasted coffee around the new year!

Cold Front?

Summer, hath thou forsaken us for Autumn? The last few days and the next few to come have had a nip in the air as evidenced by the tourists wrapped in garbs of fleece and wool as if it were an October evening. Perhaps this is a harbinger of a snow filled winter! I am surprised the current chill wasn't used as an excuse by the defeated Thomasonians. I must have heard every other excuse over the weekend regarding their loss to Davis in kick ball. At least there are no hard feeling? Right? Good, you can take solace in your ability to talk a good game.

Mackie raced again Sunday, and again placed first in his division. His domination always tainted (in his mind) by the presence of another rider of his age, but who rides in a different Open Class. I care not for the nagging voices of "big pictures" in Mackie's head; no, I am impressed with the consistency and the work ethic it takes to stay so amazingly competitive in any class.

Many of you are tuned into the Honor Coffee system; good work and thanks. It makes our job behind the counter easier and I am fully aware of your desire not to interact with myself or my surly baristas. The decision not to talk to us is usually a smart one, unless your under the age of three (3). The young still enjoy what it is I have to say, just ask Zanna, Arden, and Marlin all of whom visited the shop and enjoyed my witty banter. These babies and toddlers are far superior in their judgement of character than even myself!

Davis 16 Thomas 8

What a turn-out! The Davis dug-out, its players dressed in a uniform of short-short cut-offs, a Davis business shirt, and mustaches was nothing short of resplendent! To those smart enough to shave to a mustache looked like an allegiance of Tom Selleck look-a-likes, good show! I was proud to be a member of such a comely squad.
Thomas showed up half in the bag, wearing bandannas, knee socks, and were extremely loud; much the way they appear for court. A rowdy lot, shouting taunts, and teasing the Davis crew with the bane of their failure, two (2) kegs of Mountain State Beer. The Thomas crew allowed the weaker aspects of their filament to take over, and failure always follows the expedited route.
Thomas took the field first and the first Davis field-squad made quick work of their kickers. The first kicker for Davis, Dave "Golden Toe" R., booted a high hard drive into the ether and rounded all the bases! What a start! By the close of the first inning Davis put two (2) more players across home plate, and the beating had begun. Thomas made a brief flicker of effort in innings three (3) and four (4), reeling the Davis lead in to a mere two (2) runs (6 to 4). Not a team to become discouraged the Davis dugout rallied and over the last innings punished the now staggering fielders of Thomas while the defense all but shut down the soused-shoed kickers, allowing only two (2) more runs.
Thanks to everyone who cheered on the players, to the players themselves, and to Shannon M. and Sarah D. for putting it together!

Best Dancer: Anne F.

Sweetest 'stache: Josh S.

Shortest Shorts: Jason C.

Cheekiest: Rob S.

Best Legs: Dave R. (nice tan lines)

Best Knee Socks: Jocelyn G.

Best Heckler: Mountain State's own Chip

Best Stomach: J.R. P.

Best Field Play: Al P.

Check in on J.R.'s blog for his narrative and photos. Good work J.R. http://fatboy-bikes.blogspot.com/

Until next year, and until instead of kick ball we have a drinking contest, the game ball and championship shall remain in Hellbender Burritos (Happy Anniversary!) and Davis!!

Hellbender Es Uno!

Even if you have only lived here a little while as the HypnoFamily has, you have no doubt seen several local businesses close their doors. Today, however, we as a community celebrate a business's first anniversary. Our friends, Rob and Melissa, opened Hellbender Burritos (often referred to as Hellbenders, and they don't like that) one (1) year ago today, and they already seem like a long-time permanent feature in Davis. Hellbender gave the community a new taste for our pallets, and their interpretation of the burrito (they are not a Mexican restaurant) has become the new standard. Last year was a mirror of this August, the HypnoFamily had guests, and we walked down the hill to try the new Burrito shop only to arrive after every other resident had eaten, leaving nary a crumb for us. The next night delivered, and we have frequented Hellbender ever since. Always loud, crowded, and sometimes hot, Fridays and Hellbender are synonymous; our children are always welcome, Rob is always friendly, the pinball machine is liberal with matches, and the food is great! Rob, Melissa, Alden, Bob, Barbara, Joanna, and all the staff that have sailed aboard the 'Bender for the last year we salute ye!

So many of you read our blog and so few ever comment, today however, I am asking for your input. Submit a brief story about Hellbender, the time Melissa kicked your ass at pinball, the night when your kid threw a burrito at Rob, that afternoon you "forgot" your wallet and Rob spotted you the three (3) pints, etc.

Will Work For Coffee

Follow the examples of our fine panhandling gentlemen and leave a buck ($1.00) in the jar. It goes to a good cause, your coffee fix! If you have ever boarded the HypnoShip at peak hours and have waited in line just to pay me your $1.27 for a cup of coffee, ye shall wait no longer. Our regular coffee is now payable on the honor system. Fill your to-go cup or mug and throw a Georgie ($1.00) in the panhandlers jar then... sko! We're always looking for ways to streamline the ship and putting the jar out fixes one (1) impediment. No more line occlusion! What's that, you enjoy the interaction with local baristas(celebrities) as well as the fun of marking your HypnoCard? No sweat, we're always here for you, but if you're putting your Four (4) Bits ($1.00) in the jug, then discount is considered rendered, thus no marking "paid" on your HypnoCard! Tomorrow kicks off the jug payment, honor system, Enjoy!!

Also, tomorrow tune in for a Hellbender Burritos long distance dedication! It was one (1) year ago...

Hypnocation

The HypnoHousehold swells to one (1) more today as Summer's father rolls into town, howdy Al. If you are in the shop and see a tall Italian man named Al, give him a hearty "hello". Gretchen's check-up went well yesterday. We are very aware of her Michelin Man appearance, but the scales don't lie. She weighed-in in the 99th percentile for infants seven (7) weeks old! That's right, out of 100 babies, only one (1) weighs more than Gretchen. If you're in the HypnoVessel and want to hold young Gretch, use proper lifting techniques as our insurance doesn't cover baby lifting injuries.

Did you know...Badminton (the sport of HypnoFame) is an Olympic Event! A goal worthy of my attention, training starts now! Once aboard, ask about the research we've done regarding the US Badminton Olympic squad, the motliest crew in China!

I have only one (1) public service announcement for you today. Lesser, unscrupulous blogs would relay the sordid tale behind today's public service announcement, but we here at the HypnoBlog feel the story itself is irrelevant compared to the warning we are issuing. If you are at the gas pump with say...Janel, and she offers to pump the gas, politely decline, and pump the fuel yourself. Yes, even in January, pump the fuel yourself!

Tomorrow brings the kick-ball battle between Davis and Thomas. Crews are assembling, smack is being exchanged, and uniforms are being fashioned. I wish the best of luck to those Thomas residents brave enough to show tomorrow.

Field of Shattered Dreams

Allow me to bring you up to speed. Over the weekend our local racers, Jason and Mackie, took to Lake Hope State Park in Ohio for the Race to the Hills. Jason being so fast, sheered his rear brake disc right off the hub attempting to scrub speed. It must be nice being that fast. Speaking of fast, our Mackie put the pedals to good use, taking second overall and winning his division, Expert Studs. He and four (4) other riders broke from the pack early and Mackie pulled the eventual winner the entire race, sans the final downhill.

Also on the competitive streak was the HypnoTeam (Tony and the Director of badminton fame). Your favorite warriors of the lawn took their undefeated record to the field of glory against Summer's sisters and Chip (of Mountain State fame). Our first match-up was with the solid team of Jeremy (of Murray State fame) and the aforementioned Chip. No problem, victory HypnoTeam! The next several matches were fought amongst teams consisting of Summer and Katie, Alex and Chloe, and the one (1) loss already team of Jeremy and Chip. Once the dust had settled Jeremy and Chip were standing, ready to return to the field against the indomitable HypnoTeam. Darkness had fallen, so under the lights an epic battle ensued. A late break away by the HypnoTeam put another check mark in the win column, thus ending the night's battles. Thanks to all who participated and lost!

Look for the HypnoFamily roaming the streets with extras in tow. Say hello to Katie, Alex, and Jeremy making them feel welcome. Oh, and don't forget the slanderous remarks directed at Katie.

OTB

Just because Brian M. does it, doesn't mean you can.

Tardy!

Doc Lambert dropped off his latest CD in the HypnoVessel this morning, thanks! On its first spin, the tunes were met with volume increasing approval. By the way, if you touch my stereo again you'll pull back a bloody stump. Thomas is abuzz with kick ball fever. Even the hippies are getting competitive.

Rob (of Hellbender fame) is back on his feet again! Welcome back to the world of the walking. He even helped out with our dinner last night. After a meeting of the Thomas Davis Businessmen for Trouble Eradication Cadre ran slightly long last night, Summer and I tripped down to Hellbender for a belated dinner. Charlie, who had already eaten with Grandmother, was not thrilled with our dining arrangement. As precocious children do, Charlie aired his grievances aloud and often. Special, I mean special, thanks to Rob for getting in there and distracting my progeny whilst Summer and I ate. A consummate professional!

While we are on the subject professionalism, Nick C. Hunt, arrived...Late Again! Hereto and forth a pool shall be put into action. For the next month you may bet on whether Nick can indeed arrive on time. Here's how it works: you pick a time of day 8 am until 5 pm, if Nick arrives late (and he will) I shall record the time at which he drags in, and if you have selected that time (or closest to it) you win! If by some divine intervention Nick arrives before or at 8 am he wins the pot. Oh and yes 8:01 is late. One (1) dollar to play and share in Nick's degenerative humiliation.

The temperatures are rising this weekend despite the thunderstorms that kept the entire mountain top awake, and the proof was in the customers. Nicole (of Aldredge Fame) showed up this afternoon sans top! Summer was quick with the camera, good work dear! Enjoy the photos today, I know you will!

Thomas vs. Davis!

Well it's finally happened, the towns of Davis and Thomas are a'fuedin'. Negotiations failed and now we have set a date (08-08-08 6pm) for a throw-down...kick ball style! Despite our shop's location being in Thomas, the HypnoFamily lays its heads down at night in Davis, thus for Davis we play. A note to Thomas residents: we reject your offer of surrender, prepare to be boarded, your defeat is at hand (or foot), and your town shall be left in ashes!

Monday brings Summer's sisters to town for a visit. Stop in and have a look at the other two (2) Sevi women. Yes, they too are foxy. Alex (Gretchen's middle namesake) is bringing her boyfriend Jeremy (always a popular addition to the trip, good choice Alex), so mind your manners around her. Katie, however, is free game for slanderous remarks and harassment. She won't be accompanied by anyone.

If you can't wait until August 8th for a bit of competition, you are in luck! Seth is celebrating his birthday this Sunday with a game of Capture the Flag. Meet around 4:30 at Seth's house. Bring a dish for the potluck after the game. Seth has beer.

Enjoy the pictures of our last visitors, Phil, Pam, and Nick.