Seven Seven Seven Most Dangerous

The public relations campaign for the upcoming holidays 21 Dec to 10 Jan.  Three weeks, hence the title 777.  Drunk driving is most likely the most serious cause of holiday road carnage. After that it's speeding.   Enforcement of traffic rules, or the lack of it probably ranks high on this list. Times are changing, slowly.   First warning I received during my first year in Sakon Nakhon was as I entered a restaurant and the owner informed me the police had told him that I should slow down.  Fourteen years ago there weren't that many cars on the road.  The increase of cars came quite suddenly when the government offered 'discounts' for first time buyers.  Now thousands of previous motorcycle drivers became car drivers overnight with little or no training. Tackling road slaughter | Bangkok Post: opinion

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

This Shindig starts Monday

My first year in Sakon Nakhon I had the privilege of getting a behind the scenes look at this festival , since members of my Thai family participated. Almost every year since I stood at the temple entrance on December 11 to watch the start of the parade.   The big show is December 12

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

I'm probably all wrong by calling it the dragon festival, as it also involves cobras and lions

The parade gets underway quite early in the morning.  Once the parade hits the main road part of the parade may head in different directions. The dragons and lions enter CHinese Businesses and wish them a prosperous year ahead.   Watch out for fireworks   How elaborate the celebration will be this year, is yet to be seen.  I've only seen  the dragon fight high in the sky twice in the years I have been here I've always enjoyed visiting the temple days before and watch them practice their routines The parade is December 11, with nightly activities an the temple. Make sure you check out all the artifacts on display

Father's Day Thailand, December 5

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Sakon Nakhon Father's day December 5

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Tha Rae Christmas Parades

Ask ten people and you get ten different answers. My latest source is an employee at the Tha Rae church.  Fair grounds and sales begin at 4 pm. The motorized star parade on December 23 begins at 6 pm. There is a walking parade with handheld stars on Dec 24  I recommend you park a few blocks from the church and walk in.  Otherwise you may get blocked in.  I've been going to Tha Rae days before the parade and photograph people busy decorating houses and floats.  I'll be doing that this year also and it there are any changes I will post it days before the event

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Week condensed into two days

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

December is the beginning of the party season

Dec  1 Grand Opening pet shop December 11-22 at Robinson  Dec 17  Apples Restaurant Dec 11 - 18 Parade and activities at the Chinese temple Dec 18 - 28 Phu Phan Cup Football Don't miss the halftime show during the opening and final game Dec 26 through Jan1  Temple Fair nightly concerts  Dec 20 -24 Star light Festival and parades Bare Bottoms Tourism not allowed in Thailand Article linked to ABC News For those people who like to pose with wild animals  Article linked to independent.co.uk It's one of those test balloons  Article linked to ThaiVisa

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Two days left for the Agricultural fair at Kasetsart University ends Dec 2

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

The rainy season is gone, it's time to pack up the frowns and "BE HAPPY!"

Gloomy weather (rain and clouds) affect our personalities, we've all experienced it to some degree.  Hot weather tends to make me somewhat lethargic (sluggish). Temperatures from the mid fifties to the mid seventies suit me ideally.  It's great for housework, gardening, shopping, traveling  and all those other fun things. Long Alaska winters and no sunset summers probably probably had some influence during my teen years.  New scientific findings seem to confirm my own assumptions, and examine other effects, including 'global warming.' Our personalities are shaped by the climate we grew up in, new study says - The Washington Post  How the Month You Were Born Affects Your Personality | Time

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Sakon Nakhon Memory Lane with Eugene 'Hideaway' Bridges

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Thailand Drivers

facebook link Thai PBS link pattayamail link

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Hideaway Blues Bar now open

Facebook Link Hideaway Music Pub with a Blues theme is located at CM Centre Sakon Nakhon city Thailand. 50 meters south of Big C.

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Agricultural fair at Kasetsart University November 26 through December 2

Pictures 2006 Facebook link

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon

Rust Bucket

 These mop buckets are quite handy to use to wash and wring your mop and they are quite popular.

There is a major drawback RUST.

The spinning basket begins to show rust within weeks.

Even more so, the undercarriage nuts and bolts also rust. Be careful where you store the bucket.  Rust stains are impossible to remove from floor tile grout, and may cause even more damage to wooden floors

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Recent studies show increased health benefits, including making you smarter

However, instant coffee has less of these benefits. '... freshly brewed coffee contains 95 mg of caffeine, whereas the same amount of instant coffee has only 62 mg of caffeine ...' Health benefits may be greatly reduced.

Go ahead, drink some water right now

As temperatures cool, many people tend to drink less water, simply because they are sweating less.
Drinking water is essential and alleviates many body aches and pains.  Not drinking enough water can lead to gout, kidney stones and a lower resistance

To my American friends "Happy Thanksgiving."

I'm celebrating the day "Home Alone, eating spring rolls."
I'm quite content though.  Spent the morning at the hospital mental health clinic.

I am in the fifth week of taking Quomem.  According to the brochure it takes six to seven weeks till they become effective and I stop smoking.

One of the side effects has been insomnia.  I'm only getting four hours of sleep per day and that's causing other health problems.

This evening I will start taking medication which should let me sleep for a longer period.  The side effect of this medication may cause drowsiness even during my waking hours.  So I may not be driving anywhere for a few days.

Thai massage

Starts December 11

↓Check out the complete playlist of the festival activities

สกลนคร Sakon Nakhon