Week of: 10/5-11
[France. Before Harfleur.]
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility:
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger;
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favour'd rage;
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect;
Let it pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon; let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swill'd with the wild and wasteful ocean.Harry in Shakespeare's King Henry V, Act III, scene i, lines 1-14
Love sonnets are nice, but this can even be better.
It was with great pride that I wore a Longhorn Pipeline gimme hat to the El Paso event. In fact, to add a little spice to the evening, something different from the local fare, we also tried our hand at "ghost busting" -- so to speak... FGS Faithful will recall I visited a haunted restaurant last time I was in El Paso. And yes, it's still a town that I love, despite what the pundits in the Austin politcal scene seem to think about this portion of Texas which is on Mountain Time.
The politcal situation works out like this, and please remember that I never claimed to be an objecvtive observer, the state of Texas is willing to bury toxic nuclear waster from Texas, Vermont, and Maine in the El Paso backyard called Sierra Blanca while at the same time refusing to let an existing pipeline carry petroleum products that are historically more expensive in El Paso. I, personally, would never accuse an oil comapny of price gouging, but it sure looks that way.
The ghost was a no show on Saturday night, but the steaks were good, as were the tacos, enchiladas, and that strange but wonderful green hot sauce.
We did have fun poking around and look for the ghost, though, and there is certainly a lot of ghost like activity. This isn't the first time that a server, this one was a lovely Gemini, explained how she had encountered the ghost one evening.
Perhaps the most fun was watching Grace the psychic Leo -- Grace from El Paso -- learn how to eat tortilla chips, East Texas style. Elaine the psychic Leo showed Grace the little trick with butter, hot sauce, salt and tortilla chip. "These things are addicting," was Grace's comment.
No ghost but plenty of stories to make it all interesting.
A good redneck rant on astrology as Mars moves into Virgo this week.
Got any good culinary tips that involve hot sauce?
Aries : Remember Shakespeare's Henry V? The prince dude who took a plucky band of Englishmen and defeated a huge band of arrogant French noblemen? You're going to feel that way this week. Monday morning, I can see you crawling to the top of the cubicle crowd, utilizing rhetoric much like that famous spiel from Henry V, "Once more into the breach!" It was a nice idea. Rally what ever forces you at your command; you will find that you are capable of overcoming insurmountable odds, just like Shakespeare's character. After all, in that play, 500 Englishmen beat 10,000 French. Pretty cool, huh? That's almost as good as winning the bass tournament.
Taurus : For once, my fine Taurus friend, you don't have near as much to worry about this week. There is going to be a high degree of activity, looks like you might be working long into the weekend, as Mars moves on into Virgo. In case you didn't commit this fact to memory, Virgo is an earth sign, just like you. And that means good stuff. You just have to be willing to put in a few extra hours. This concept of hard work being beneficial is still under analysis here at FGS HQ. if we figure anything out, we'll get back to you. So plan on working late into the weekend.
Gemini : Full Moon Madness seizes you this week, and that means fun fun fun (until your daddy takes your T-Bird away). Rather than sing you some kind of strange , ancient surfer song, though, I'd like to call your attention to the fact that you've got a lot of work ahead. Yes, we're back to the reality of the situation because, despite your feelings of good will towards all the people on the planet right now, you've got to get some of that work thing done. Of course, being a good Gemini, you can work and play at the same time. The only problem might be a random drug test because your boss wants to know why you're in such a good mood: It doesn't seem natural for the authority figures in your life.
Cancer : Between the phase of the moon, the sign the sun is in, and the other odd bits of gravel in the sky, you're just not quite the happy camper you want to be. Now, this being said, what can we do about it? Realize that you are going to be face to face with more than one frustrating situation. Think about Henry V and his long odds, and his troops of long bows. Despite these frustrations, there is a happy Cancer lining in the clouds. You might try to act differently about these frustrating things, though, like smile a lot. Makes the rest of us wonder what you're up to.
Leo : Let's play the old good news-bad news game this week, and I'll be the bad news. A stupid little asteroid gets in your way, kind of like having a pebble in your boot. And as soon as you take you boot off to figure out what the irritation is, the pain goes away. No pebble. So you put your boot back on. Then you feel this darn thing again. So there's a persistent irritation this week. Not a bad one, just one you can't seem to locate. It might help to take your socks off,too but tht is besdonein the privacy of your own home. Now for the good news: money. It isn't a lot of money, in fact, I won't be asking for my customary 1% because I wouldn't want to impinge on your earnings. But there is a little sum which merrily finds its way into your pocket this week. It would be okay to show me a token of your affection for finding this sum for you.
Virgo : Have we had our little talk this week? You know, about Mars and Cars? Guess who is coming to visit you? Mars makes a speedy little entrance into your sign this week, and with Mars around, there always seems to be trouble with Cars. No, I'm not talking about a band from the 80's, either. Your Chariot might need a little extra attention right now. As does your driving. As one FGS Faithful has recommended, "Check twice before throwing the truck in reverse." I hope you get the picture: the problem isn't likely to be you, but the other drivers on the road....
Libra : Here's to more Libra happy birthdays, more Libra parties, and more Libra general celebrations. Things are good right now. Dare I even suggest that things are great? I could, unless of course, you subscribe to certain ancient bodies of astrological lore which suggest that Venus isn't such a good planet for you. Venus is the main operator this week, but the full moon sort of sets a wild tone for the week. In any case, plan on continuing the Libra party, all week long. Fishing will be good, if only to help you celebrate your birthday. Looks like a record catch, one way or another, this weekend.
Scorpio : I hate to bring up the past, but there was an old "Beavis and Butthead" routine which kept popping up during this week's chart analysis: "Fire!" It seems that there is a lot of fire in your chart. In fact, you'll probably feel like someone has lit a burner right underneath your backside. That being said, how are you going to respond? I would hope that you do the typically Scorpio thing and sit there and simmer for a spell. It reminds me of imagery from Robert Service, you know, the poetry of the Yukon. Something about a Cremation comes to mind. (c.f., The Cremation of Sam MacGee.) So enjoy it as things heat up. If you've ever been north of the Red River, you understand the sentiments about the cold weather up there in the frozen north.
Sagittarius : Wild times for the Archer types! Full Moon Fun, straight ahead! There's one, little, minor, insignificant influence which could serve a a damper to your promise of fun filled activity right now, but I would suggest you do the magnanimous Sagittarius thing and avoid the problem. It's like walking into a party, and seeing the one sad person there. No matter what you do, none of your jokes will liven this person up. Of course, the rest of us will enjoy your attempts at gaiety and levity, so keep trying. Besides, sometimes, it's not the joke itself, but the way you tell it. A good delivery can help sooth this week's troubled spots.
Capricorn : Big heavenly doings as you find out that a an arch enemy has decided to reconcile this week. No, it isn't that good, and I'm always a little wary about Greeks who keep trying to sell me this big wooden horse. So I would make sure you check under the hood, maybe lift up the floor mats, and do you best to insure that the deal is what it appears to be. And if your old rival does offer you a big wooden horse, think twice. This being said, you're still in a for a good week. Besides, there are other uses for Trojan items this week, and some of those are a lot more fun -- you just never know what comes packaged as a gift. Aquarius : I was desperately casting about, searching for the most apt way to suggest what this week will be like for the fine.
Aquarius folks. Despite an extensive and exhaustive search through mountains of high brow literature, and my own eclectic collection of jazz greats from 30's, the best little ditty I could come up with is from Texas' own ZZ Top: Party on the Patio. It's that simple. Have some fun this week. Don't let the other signs bother you because the seemingly turbulent events are just minor annoyances, and no good Aquarius will let this week get you down.
Pisces : There is a particular behavior trait, common in Texas, and you might want to give it a try, even if you're not from Texas. Hollering. Hooting. Being vocal. This is possibly derived from the old days when cattle was king, and the cowboys herded them fellers along. Now days, just about anytime you've got a group of Texans together, or a group in Texas, there will be a certain amount of vocal response. So use that little bit of Texas in yourself, and make some loud noises this week. Yeeee-Ha!