Dad's Daze

Life Lessons

2011-01-21T09:52:00.000-05:00

I've learned a few this morning.

1. It's always good to make sure all of the family is invited to a Birthday Party. I. E., don't banish the dogs to the back yard.

2. Otis can reach the middle of the dining room table - especially if there's a birthday cake on it.

3. It's called "Marble Cake" for a reason. It turns to something closely akin to real marble when mixed with dog slobber and applied to a hardwood floor.

4. My bathrobe is made of the same stuff as the microfiber cloths I was using to clean up the aforementioned "marble". At least they can go in the same load in the washer.

5. When you come into a room that looks either like the Three Stooges staged a pie fight or some terrorist put an IED in a birthday cake, all you can do is laugh and start cleaning it up.

Hope y'all have a great day.

The World's a Better Place

2011-01-20T06:36:00.000-05:00

A long time ago, in a place far away, the world became a better place when you came into it. I am honored that you chose me to be the one to share your life, and I love you with all of my heart. The 44-odd years that we've known each other have flown by, filled with more joy than anyone has a right to expect. I'm looking forward to a bunch more.

I hope this day is as special for you as all of the days I've known you have been for me.

Happy Birthday, Marilyn.

George the Cat

2011-01-14T08:35:00.000-05:00

This morning we lost our long time companion George. As you can see from the picture, he had a tough life.

When we got him as a kitten, he had trouble getting around on our hardwood floors, so we called him Gracie because he was the most graceless kitten you would ever want to see, and Marilyn thought he was a she.

She became Queen of the House, terrorizing Wally, and shredding hands whenever she felt a need to exercise her claws.

Imagine our surprise when we took her to be spayed, and the vet told us she was really a he. It was at this point that he became George.

When he graduated to being an outdoor cat, he took to it like a fish to water. He was king of the yard, and kept it free of birds, squirrels, and whatever else he took a dislike to. He would sit by the front door, or on one of the porch chairs waiting for us to return from where ever we were, and would bound down the front steps to greet us like a dog. He would patiently wait by the front door for us to feed him, except on those days when he would scratch at the storm door to get our attention and demand his food. On those rare occasions when he could come into the house, he would occupy whatever lap was available and sleep until someone had to get up.

I'm not particularly a cat person, but George was OK in my book.

George, rest well in whatever feline heaven you've gone to. Be the lion that was in your heart. You will be missed.

Christmas Prayer

2010-12-24T12:51:00.000-05:00

2700 years ago Isaiah wrote: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Tonight we've gathered to celebrate the fulfillment of this prophesy in the birth of Jesus Christ.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You:
For the incredible gift of your Son.
For the blessings of family and home.
For the freedom we enjoy in this most blessed country.
For the men and women who defend her.
For the gifts we are about to share.
For the food we are about to eat.

We ask that You:
Bless all here, and keep us ever mindful of why we have gathered.
Bless those who are distant, but always close in our hearts.
Send your healing Spirit to those who are sick or in pain.
Be with us always to guide us to do what is right and pleasing to You.

In the name of our newborn Savior,

Amen.

Happy Birthday and Welcome Home

2010-12-17T07:05:00.000-05:00

This is just a quick note to wish my Mom a Happy Birthday. You're a long way off, but not ever out of our thoughts. We love you and pray you may have many more birthday celebrations. I wish I could be there.

Birthday wishes also for my nephew Paul. He just retired after 20 years as a Navy Corpsman. I hope this year brings you all of what you want and need.

And a "Welcome Home!" to my son-in-law Slade. He's here for about 8 days, then back to Ft. Drum, NY. It is great to have you home for Christmas. You've been missed, and much appreciated for what you are doing.

Congratulations Paul

2010-12-08T23:58:00.001-05:00

My nephew is retiring today from the Navy. He's been a Corpsman for 20 years, deployed numerous times with the Marines, and has dedicated his adult life to the service of his country. I am proud beyond words at his dedication and selflessness and wish him and his family all the best life has to offer as he transitions to a civilian life.

**********

Paul,

Unfortunately we can't be with you to celebrate, but rest assured, we're with you in spirit as we have been for the last 20 years.

As your Grandfather might have said, "Ya done good." Aunt Marilyn and I pray you will be as successful in civilian life as you were dedicated in the service.

Thank you for all you've done.

Much Love, Gratitude, and Respect to you and your family,

Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Bob

Psalm 100

2010-11-25T06:57:00.002-05:00

Psalm 100

¹Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

²Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

³Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

⁵For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T19:49:00.000-05:00

Oh give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: and his mercy endureth forever. Ps 136:1

Around our house, this is the prayer used to return thanks at the end of a meal. It's been tradition for at least 5 generations that I have witnessed, and I hope will remain one for many years to come. Prior to my grandparents, it was probably recited in German.

Since it is Thanksgiving, I thought I might list a few things for which I'm thankful.

I am thankful for:

God's mercy. We wouldn't be anywhere without it. His gift of His Son, and forgiveness of our sins is the greatest gift imaginable.

My parents. They taught me well, I think, and taught me how to teach my children and grandchildren. I'm forever grateful.

My wife. She's more patient than any woman I know, and never ceases to impress and surprise me. I'm looking forward to a lot more years with her. 43 (41 married) years are not nearly enough.

My children and their spouses. Despite the normal frustrations associated with raising 4 kids, they're, without exception, a blessing. They're more help than anyone could imagine. I'm fortunate to have all of them in the immediate area.

My grandchildren. All 4 of them are a never ending source of delight.

My country. Despite its problems, The United States is the best place on earth to live and raise a family. I pray my grandchildren will know the freedoms I knew as a boy.

The brave men and women who wear the uniforms of our Armed Forces. They go into harm's way on a daily basis to protect our freedoms. All of them are worthy of our praise and thanks.

My friends. I have but a few close friends, but any of them are worth knowing. There's nothing I would not do for them.

Otis and Wally. Our dogs are like children. They help keep us young and give us someone to care for on a daily basis. Wally's good at warming up my side of the bed, too.

Thanksgiving, and all the other excuses we have to get together as a family. Time spent with any of them is never wasted.

There are a lot of other things I probably should put in this, but, you get the idea. I've been blessed, and am appreciative beyond words.

Thank you, Lord.

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T10:58:00.000-05:00

I got this in an email from Tim @ USCCA (you can check out his web site at usconcealedcarry.com) and had to share it.

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a Jagged scar, a certain look in the eye.
Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, A piece of shrapnel in the leg or perhaps another sort of inner steel: The soul's ally forged in the refinery of adversity.
Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe Wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a vet just by looking.
What is a vet?
He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel.
He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.
She or he is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Danang.
He is the POW who went away one person and came back another or didn't come back AT ALL.
He is the Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other's backs.
He is the parade riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.
He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.
He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor remains unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.
He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket, aggravatingly slow, who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.
He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being a person who offered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.
He is a Soldier, Marine, Sailor or Airman, and also a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.
So remember each time you see someone who has served our country. When you see one just lean over and say Thank You.
That's all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.
Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU".
God Bless Our Veterans!

Happy Birthday.

2010-11-09T21:55:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish all of my friends, active, retired, or former Marines, a very happy 235th birthday. You will never really know how much you are appreciated. I have known a lot of former Marines, and to the man (or woman) they are the most motivated, patriotic, honorable, and goal-oriented people I have ever met. Your service and sacrifice have improved our lives more than you could know.

And in the spirit of celebration, I offer the following (stolen from a good friend's forwarded email):

Marine Corps Rules:

01. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

02. Decide to be aggressive enough, quickly enough.

03. Have a plan.

04. Have a back-up plan, because the first one probably won't work.

05. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

06. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun whose caliber does not start with a '4.'

07. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.

08. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend (Lateral & diagonal preferred.)

09. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.

10. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

12. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

13. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating your intention to shoot.

Navy SEAL Rules:

1. Look very cool in sunglasses.

2. Kill every living thing within view.

3. Adjust Speedo.

4. Check hair in mirror.

US Army Rangers Rules:

1. Walk in 50 miles wearing 75 pound rucksack while starving.

2. Locate individuals requiring killing.

3. Request permission via radio from 'Higher' to perform killing.

4. Curse bitterly when mission is aborted.

5. Walk out 50 miles wearing a 75 pound rucksack while starving.

US Army Rules:

1. Curse bitterly when receiving operational order.

2. Make sure there is extra ammo and extra coffee.

3. Curse bitterly.

4. Curse bitterly.

5. Do not listen to 2nd LTs; it can get you killed.

6. Call in air strike on suspected targets.

7. Curse bitterly.

US Air Force Rules:

01. Have a cocktail.

02. Adjust temperature on air-conditioner.

03. See what's on HBO.

04. Ask 'What is a gunfight?'

05. Request more funding from Congress with a 'killer' Power Point presentation.

06. Wine & dine ''key' Congressmen, invite DOD & defense industry executives.

07. Receive funding, set up new command and assemble assets.

08. Declare the assets 'strategic' and never deploy them operationally.

09. Hurry to make 13:45 tee-time.

10. Make sure the base is as far as possible from the conflict but close enough to have tax exemption.

US Navy Rules:

1. Go to Sea.

2. Drink Coffee.

3. Deploy Marines

Dr. Seuss Joins the Tea Party

2010-09-25T11:28:00.000-04:00

I do not like this Uncle Sam,
I do not like his health care scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks,
or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals,
......I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like this speaker, Nan,
I do not like this 'YES WE CAN.'
I do not like this spending spree,
I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.
I do not like your smug replies,
when I complain about your lies.
I do not like this kind of hope.
I do not like it, nope, nope, nope!

Life With Otis - Day 1

2010-07-09T09:59:00.000-04:00

Day 1 with Otis dawned like any other of late, hot, humid, and sunny. The difference was that Leroy, now named Otis, was going to be moving in with us today. We went to work first thing, trying to make room for his crate. Once we had moved a huge antique closet on wheels from the master to the spare bedroom, there was room for it. Step 1 completed.

Step 2 was a visit to the shelter to get some last minute suggestions on last minute purchases for the dog. I found out what they had been feeding him, decided that he would be better off with a harness than a collar, and pointed the Jeep North toward Bethlehem, GA where the closest PetsMart was located. $115 later we had toys, harness, food containers, food, and two varieties of treats, and headed back to Monroe.

We officially became his parents around 2:45 PM, and immediately hit our first roadblock. Otis does not like to get into vehicles. After hoisting his skinny butt into the back seat of Marilyn's Commander, we rode home. The ride started with grave apprehension on Otis' part, and ended with his nose plastered against the window, enjoying the ride.

Out of the car, and into the fenced area in the back yard, sniffing and marking everything on the way. After a lap around the inside of the fence on the leash, I let him loose to explore his new play area. He seemed pleased.

We came into the house through the garage, and spent a while in the den while he explored, found his water and food, ate, drank, and slobbered all over the floor. Otis does not have the most delicate eating habits. A towel on the tile floor under the water bowl seems to have become a savior for the nearby carpet. I'm thinking a rubber backed carpet door mat might be a permanent solution.

The next hurdle was meeting Wally. Aside from a few snarls and snaps when Otis pawed at Wally, I think it went well. Wally is old, set in his ways, a little arthritic, and a general curmudgeon, but he seems to be making peace with another dog in the house.

The evening was interesting. A procession of Daughters, Sons, Granddaughters and nearly-in-laws gave him a lot to adjust to.

Whatever his personal eating issues are, he was good while we ate dinner. No begging, shmoozing, or whining, but rather a respectful (if slightly drool-filled) wait on the carpet by the side door until dinner was over. Good Dog, Otis!

After dinner we went for a quick walk, one lap around the block (about 1/2 mile). He was a gentleman on the leash, with no pulling, no pooping on other folks lawns, and only the occasional mail box "decoration". The high point of the walk was the 37 three to five year old kids playing at the top of the hill. They were doing their thing in the street with their calico cat. This cat must have considered itself a) a lion, and b) the kids her cubs, because she puffed up like an adder and leaped onto Otis face. Otis had a WTH?! look on his face after the cat got off, but was gentleman enough to let the smallest of the kids pet him.

Bed time was uneventful. Wally accepted his lift onto the foot of the bed with his usual disdain, and Otis took up a position on the floor at the foot of the bed.

All was well until about 0230 when Otis decided he needed to go outside. OK, I can deal with getting up with the baby. The bad part was that he wanted to play. We've got a little bit of re-education to do here. Three o'clock in the morning is no time for a 62 year old man to be running around the back yard in slippers and a bath robe playing with a dog. It was fun, though.

Playtime over, we slept (in the den out of deference to Marilyn's sleep) until about 0700. We both took a quick potty break, and then went for a walk. We covered 1.5 miles in 30 minutes, discovered that Otis does not chase cars, but would eat a golf cart if it got close enough (maybe he just wanted to play a couple of holes) and is a sweety on the leash.

Day 2 will be filled with further adventures, learning experiences on both our parts, and is eagerly anticipated.

Y'all stay well, and keep moving.

Brain Dump

2010-07-08T09:17:00.000-04:00

It's time to clear some of the cobwebs out of my cranial attic.

*****

The Federal suit against Arizona's immigration law has 3 salient points.
1. The Arizona law merely enables local law enforcement personnel to enforce the existing federal law.
2. It was enacted because the federal authorities do not enforce existing law.
3. Since the feds are bringing suit to overturn the state law, it is clear that they have no intention of fulfilling their duty to enforce the law.
Throw the bums out!

*****

Yesterday at the range, Bobby and I were having a great time throwing .45 cal bullets into paper bad guys. After the 4th shot of a so-so string, my target hit the floor. A magic ricochet out of the berm cut the wire that held up the target carrier. My apologies to the guys at the Firing Lane, and I'm still willing to pay for the repairs.
Footnote: The next magazine I fired was my best group ever from my Commander.

******

We finally get to bring Otis home today. I just hope my cold doesn't give him distemper or rinderpest, or some other obscure disease. He's going to be just what I need, regardless of how he turns out. If he's a good, laid back, buddy, more power to him. If he's a hound from hell (unlikely) I get to turn him into a good buddy. Either way, we both win.

******

Marilyn's home after the work schedule from hell. It's good to have her here. Dogs, cats, old trucks, and TV can occupy a day, but there's really no comparison to somebody you love.

******

I really need to stop. There's much to do today, and less and less time to do it.

Stay well.

Just In Case You Forgot...

2010-07-04T05:21:00.003-04:00

...what all the fireworks are about, I offer here the entire text of the Declaration of Independence.

Here are a couple of interesting facts. Look at the last three signers. I live in Walton County, Georgia. Gwinnett County is adjacent to the northwest, and Hall County is northeast of Gwinnett. The people who laid out this state thought enough of the sacrifices of these three men to memorialize them by naming counties after them.* I think it's fitting that we should remember them, as well, and all the others who bought this Country with their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.

Enough from me.

------------------

In Congress, July 4, 1776: The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock
New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton
Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry
Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery
Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott
New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris
New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark
Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross
Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean
Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton
Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton
North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn
South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton
Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

------------------

*In the interest of full disclosure, Georgia does, however, have a county with the same name as a baseball player from this state. Nobody ever said Georgians were always full of patriotic fervor.

Leroy Is Otis.

2010-07-03T20:15:00.000-04:00

I decided on Otis for the dog's name, in honor of Otis McDonald and his victory in the Supreme Court this week. He's in quarantine for his kennel cough. Once he's over the cough, he'll be re-scheduled for his "tutoring". We're going to take advantage of the extension to get Wally current on all his shots.

I'm really looking forward to spending some time getting to know Otis.

Stay well, and remember why we celebrate July 4.

The Good, the Bad, and the Really, Really Ugly.

2010-07-01T20:18:00.000-04:00

The Good.
Tyler and Sam came over this afternoon, and Tyler helped me get the bed off the truck. I can now work at getting the dents out of the back of the cab.

The Bad.
Leroy has kennel cough, and can't have his surgery until it clears up. Bummer. I was looking forward to having him around the house this weekend. As it stands, he's going to have to stay at the shelter until he's relatively health. We just don't have the ability to isolate him from Wally.

The Ugly.

450,000 miles of leaks can leave a really nasty mess on the underside of a truck. The sludge coating the undercarriage was so thick that it took a scraper to get it thin enough for the pressure washer to have an effect. It's gonna take a few days of extremely grimy work to get this back where it belongs.

Stay well and safe this holiday weekend.

A Day Full of Good News.

2010-06-28T15:39:00.001-04:00

Just got an email from the rescue folks. They decided I was good enough for Leroy. We get to pick him up on Saturday after he's snipped on Friday. Time to scramble and get a kennel and stuff for him to tear up.

Other good news came from the doctor. My blood pressure is good, my blood sugar and A1C were good, the diabetes seems to be under control, and she told me to go away for a year. It's always good to leave the doctor smiling.

Still more good news came out of Washington D.C.: Otis McDonald won his case before the Supreme Court.

There was, however, some not-so-good news.

First, was the news from my doctor that it is time for another colonoscopy (it has been 5 years since the last one). I get to visit with the surgeon tomorrow, and we'll schedule the alien abduction after I get to talk to him. For those of you who winced at this news, my last one was about 45 minutes of my life that I missed. I remember nothing from "roll over on your left side" to "wake up, it's over". All things considered, that's how it should be. It's nothing to fear.

Secondly, the news that Sen. Robert Byrd died leaves me with a sense of emptiness. While I disagreed with almost everything he did as a Senator, he was the longest serving member of Congress, ever. And had the courage to change from a KKK member to a supporter of civil rights. The Senate has lost an unforgettable member.

I'll leave you with this thought: Getting older stinks, but it's still way ahead of whatever alternatives really exist. :)

Stay well, and take care of yourselves.

Trial and Error

2010-06-26T06:39:00.000-04:00

Well, I tried.

I asked for suggestions for names for Leroy.

Here's a list of the errors received so far:

Kitty, SicEm, Dogchow, Buford, Rufus, Dumbass, Chomper, Steve, Fang (a little too obvious), Joe Mamma, Bud, Sit, Stay, Lamar, Zeke, Shantonia (from a local newscast), Jedidiah Dirt, Francis, Percy, Bubba, Catfish (an homage to Lewis Grizzard), Butch, Benny, George, Juan, Rodney, Buster, Edsel, and Baxter. Specifically excluded was Sue.

Personally, I like Jiggs, but he's not a bulldog. As an alternative, I could leave his name Leroy, add Jethro, and call him Gunny.

Stay well.

Volunteers Needed...

2010-06-25T07:49:00.000-04:00

...to be references on Leroy's adoption papers.

While you're at it, suggestions for a new name (for the dog) would be entertained.

Leave a comment.

Seriously considering...

2010-06-22T19:15:00.000-04:00

...adopting Leroy from the local rescue folks.

I'm going to drop by the shelter tomorrow and see how we get along.

Father's Day 2010

2010-06-19T17:17:00.000-04:00

I wrote this last year, but can't think of any way to improve on it. So, in the spirit of being green, I'm going to recycle. Enjoy.

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Father's Day

While sitting here in the den, with the lights off, playing on the computer, it occurred to me that I ought to say a few things about Fathers, since this is the day that we celebrate them.

A very wise man told me as a young person that nearly any male can father a child, but it took a real man to be a Father. Over the years, the my appreciation of the truth in this statement has continually grown. When I first became a father I was young and too dumb to know what I didn't know. Now that I'm older and less ignorant, I can see that he was correct. Life and fatherhood have tempered me into the man that I am.

Being a true, good father requires the love and assistance of a wonderful wife. I'm blessed to have Marilyn who has been a rock for more years than I care to think about. It also requires courage to face the unknown and un-thought-of challenges that crop up while raising your children. It requires you to sacrifice some of your dreams for the betterment of those who are still dreaming. It requires a lifetime of hard work, sometimes at a job you dislike, to provide for those children who you helped bring into the world. It requires you to love without reservation, even during those Bill Cosby moments ("I brought you into this world, and I'll take you out of it and make another one just like you!") that are certain to occur from time to time. And it requires Faith and help from God and places where you didn't ever expect to find help.

There is also a terrific up side to fatherhood. You get to play with little kids, and watch them grow into strong, responsible adults. You get to show them all the neat stuff their Mom would disapprove of (insert big grin here). You get to go camping with them, fret over their campfire antics, and wonder if you remember enough first aid to stop the bleeding from the anticipated accident with the ax. You get to build (and wreck) go-carts, ride bikes, become a Den Leader, drive them to where ever it is they need to be, and you get to impart whatever wisdom you picked up in your life to them, not by preaching, but by example. You get to watch your blessings multiply through the joys and challenges that having children bring.

God has blessed Marilyn and myself with 4 children (they're all from Lake Wobegone where all the children are exceptional :) ). I can see that they've all learned these lessons well, and that the fathers (and mothers) among them have exceeded their teacher. I hope that one day they will all remember me as I remember my Father, as someone who cared for and loved them, their families, and their Mother with all his heart.

Thanks, guys. It's been a great ride so far.

God bless you all.

Tempus Fugit

2010-06-07T06:52:00.000-04:00

Sitting where I am now, it's hard to believe that 41 years have passed since Marilyn and I stood in front of a huge church full of people neither of us knew very well and exchanged vows to love, honor, and cherish each other for the rest of our lives.

41 years may seem like a long time to most folks who read this, but from my perspective, it's felt like just a few weeks. But, those few weeks have been eventful. We've had 4 wonderful children, made a home for ourselves, worked like dogs to keep that roof over our heads, had quite a few triumphs, some defeats, wept, fretted, and loved a lot.

Marilyn, I love you now as much as the day we wed. I pray God will grant us a lot more years to enjoy each other's company, and watch our children and grandchildren grow. Thank you for all you've given.

Happy Birthday, Tyler!

2010-06-05T18:10:00.000-04:00

My grandson, Tyler, is 15 today. This morning his Mom took him to the DMV and they got his Learner's Permit. He drove home from the DMV and later rode to town with his stepfather and then drove home.

Nobody was even remotely harmed. I have much hope for him.

Seriously, I wish you a wonderful Birthday, and the best in the year to come.

And you can come over any time to help me work on "your" truck.

Much love,

Grandpa, and Grandma, too.

Surprise, Surprise!

2010-06-04T11:01:00.000-04:00

Just in case some of you thought I fell off the edge of the Earth, was abducted by aliens, or hit by debris falling from space, I thought I would post a few random, intemperate thoughts.

Grandchildren are a blessing and a curse. Our oldest grandson will turn 15 tomorrow, and the youngest, who will be 3 in September visits regularly and keeps us honest. She also keeps us picking up puzzle pieces, stuffed animals, dolls, blocks, and occasional bits of food that the dog missed. I wouldn't trade any of them for the world, but sometimes, the noise when they're all here is a bit much. I know I'm glad they're grandchildren, and have to go back to their parents occasionally. I'm way too seasoned to have any young ones of my own.

Plants grow entirely too fast in this part of the world. It's a constant struggle to keep the ornamental stuff separate from the weeds (invariably with thorns, or poisonous). The azaleas were beautiful this year, but are threatening to take over the front yard.

I don't do nearly enough fishing. I guess my fear of being stung while out in my boat alone has kept it sitting next to the house. An encounter with a wasp could put me in the ground (my blood pressure drops to nothing when I'm stung), so I don't go unless I've got company. I miss it.

I think I committed some sort of multi-religious voodoo misdeed the last time I grilled pork chops. I hope seasoning them with Kosher salt didn't do any bad things to a Rabbi somewhere.

Spring in this part of the world is entirely too short, and the summers are entirely too hot and muggy. I'll bet the South was a much more fragrant place before air conditioning.

Another milestone will be passed on Monday. Marilyn and I will celebrate our 41st Anniversary. The woman has the patience of a saint, and I still love her as much as the day we were married.

One thing that has been working around here is our camera. I'll try to post some pictures later today.

Enough of this mind-dump stuff. I think I'll go build something.

Stay well.

It Was a Full Weekend.

2010-04-05T07:27:00.000-04:00

I am truly blessed. This past weekend was full of Family, Friends, and Fellowship.

On Saturday, we met at my son Bob's home to celebrate his 40th Birthday (which was actually on Sunday). He has always been a delight and a constant source of wonderment. Over the years he has continually amazed me with his wit and quick humor, his love for his wife, daughter, siblings, and parents, his energy, and his willingness to work for what he wants. A man could not hope for a better Son.

Another cause for celebration this weekend was today's birthday of my daughter Gretchen. She's always been our wild child, and kept us hopping with her antics. She's the kind of person who will speak her mind when she encounters something she likes, and also when she comes across something she dislikes. Her honesty and love for her brothers and sister, nieces, nephews, friends and parents knows no bounds. I am fortunate to have her in my family.

The primary cause for celebration this weekend was the gathering of the clan at our home to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. Easter has always been a special time for me, because it reminds me of how much I am actually loved by God. I am saved, through God's grace, because I believe in the promise He made thousands of years ago and fulfilled with the blameless life, death and resurrection of his Son.

There were 14 of us running around, eating good food, searching for plastic eggs, and generally enjoying each other's company for most of the afternoon yesterday. This morning, the house is quiet, but the echos of love and family ring loud.

Stay well.

A Lesson in American History

2010-03-23T08:28:00.000-04:00

Two hundred and thirty five years ago, following several speakers in favor of peace at any cost with the British, Patrick Henry rose to speak to the Virginia house of delegates:

No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve.
This is no time for ceremony. The question before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty towards the majesty of heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.
Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?
For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth -- to know the worst and to provide for it. I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years, to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House?
Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation -- the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motives for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies?
No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us; they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer on the subject? Nothing.
We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer.
Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.
Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope.
If we wish to be free -- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending -- if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained, we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!
They tell us, sir, that we are weak -- unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?
Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of the means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.
The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable -- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, "Peace! Peace!" -- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!

I wish I had half his courage and ability.

Let the Countdown Begin

2010-03-15T23:17:00.000-04:00

In just 8 short days, I'll be packed and ready for the spring version of Mountain Madness.

In case some of you are new to this, MM is where my sons and I and about 18 of our closest friends load up tons of camping gear and repair to the North Georgia mountains to welcome the opening of trout season.

Typically, we camp in a Wildlife Management Area and proceed to scare the bejesus out of the local fauna. Our fishing is always the excuse for going where no cell phone has worked before and sitting around a campfire that can be seen from space, arguing whether the capital of the world is Milwaukee or Lynchburg.

The days leading up to the Opener are filled with trail rides, hikes, food, drunkshoes, paintball target practice, and general fooling around. Opening day is usually reserved for wandering around with a fish pole looking at idiots taking stocked trout out of a stream you can spit across. Every now and then, we'll actually fish, too.

Speaking of food, the menu typically consists of a breakfast that will stop your heart (eggs, bacon, sausage, and black coffee), a freestyle lunch, and supper around the campfire. This is a major undertaking. One night the younger guys will do barbecue (ribs, pulled pork, etc), the next night the old guys will cut up a beef tenderloin into a slew of steaks, and fry potatoes to go with it. Sometimes there's camp chili, which has been variable in the past, due mainly to who cooked it and how well he was armed. The sidearms are necessary to keep the losers of the drunkshoes (horseshoes combined with a keg of beer and drinking penalties for lousy throws) tournament from enhancing the chili while it's cooking. Sometimes we cook fish, too.

Regardless of the reasons for going, the trip is a good time to catch up on life with old friends, new friends, and children, cousins and second cousins of old friends.

I'm looking forward to it.

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever

2010-03-09T18:20:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since you came into our lives, but all of the memories that matter, since then, are good ones. When you were born, we had just moved from Nebraska. I had no job, and things were pretty grim.

All of my negative feelings disappeared the first time I saw you. You filled our hearts with love and wonder, and have been doing that ever since. Within 3 weeks of your birth, I was working where I spent 37 years, and things have been improving steadily ever since. You've constantly filled your Mother's and my hearts with joy.

You, your boys, and your husband never fail to lift our spirits with your great attitude, and a personality that makes every one who meets you love you.

Sandra Joy, you truly are.

Happy Birthday.

Brain Static and White Noise.

2010-03-05T11:16:00.002-05:00

There are a lot of things going on around the homestead this weekend. We're blessed with a 4 day visit from Violet, The Empress of the Known Universe, also known as our 2 year old Granddaughter. She's currently in the living room playing with a doll house and the Hoosier Cupboard that was rescued from my Mom's basement. The cat, on the other hand is cowering in the den. He's not a big fan of two-year-olds. Wally, the Weather Dog, on still another hand, has taken up his post by the storm door to repel boarders.

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The weather is supposed to be sunny with seasonal normal temperatures this weekend. It will be a break from the Snow of the Week we've had for the last few.

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Congress is busy. I wonder what it's going to take to make them stop.

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The news media are busy. I've put wedges under the left side of my TV to slant things back to the right.

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For some mysterious reason, God is busy trying to break third world countries into gravel. Haiti and Chile have been shaken, stirred, and submerged by earthquakes. It's a shame there's not a fault line under Washington, D. C..

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Crazy people are busy shooting things up. Unhinged whackoids have fired on Army bases, The Pentagon, and Universities. Conventional "wisdom" would demand that we take all the guns away from law abiding citizens to ensure that only people with no regard for the law will be armed, and we can all be in the same peril as those who work and learn in gun-free environments.

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Why do home schooled students consistently out-perform those who attend public schools? And why are we striving for "Excellence" in public education when we should be struggling to get public education up to mediocre? (Thank you Thomas Sowell.)

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Why is our President so insistent on completely destroying the best health care system on the planet? It may have a few problems, but if Universal Health Care (like Canada's system) is so great, why did the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador come to the USA for heart surgery? Our health care problems can best be solved by getting Government out of the health business, not by nationalizing 1/6th of our economy.

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Why can't I think of anything cheerful and upbeat to write about? I think I'll go play with the Granddaughter.

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Stay well.

Footnote: Playing with a 2 year old is good for the soul. I feel much better now.

Heaviest Element Yet Known to Science Discovered

2010-02-16T12:08:00.000-05:00

This is stolen without the slightest remorse from "The Patriot Post".

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has now identified with certainty the heaviest element known to science.
The new element, Pelosium (PL), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Pelosium is inert, and has no charge and no magnetism. Nevertheless, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Pelosium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.
Pelosium has a normal half-life of 2 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a biennial reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
Pelosium mass will increase over time, since each reorganization will promote many morons to become isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Pelosium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.
When catalyzed with money, Pelosium becomes Senatorium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Pelosium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T17:33:00.000-05:00

To my Grandchildren: Violet, Sara, Sam, and Tyler. You're a joy to be near and a constant source of amazement. Continue to grow into the strong, Christian young people who will lead us through this century.

To my Children: Jon, Gretchen, Sandy, and Bob. You make me proud to be your father. You've given me more joy than I could ever imagine, brought new and interesting people into the family, have provided the world's best grandchildren, and keep me from taking root in my den and turning into an old person.

To my Mom: I love you and miss you a lot.

And finally (recycled from last year, because I can't think of a better way to say it) To Marilyn:

The title of Trisha Yearwood's album, "Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love" pretty well sums up the last 40 or so years of my life.

In the fall of 1967, I was attending a small junior college in a smaller town in the Midwest. One of the highlights of life in that town was the annual Fall Festival, a kind of County Fair/Oktoberfest held in September when the weather was still decent enough to be on the street without a parka after dark. Since there was a) little traffic, and b) no place to set up a midway, the main street of the town was blocked off and sprouted carnival rides, food vendors, craft displays, and a stage for the country music performers.

My roommate and I decided that, being Friday, and seeing that we were tired of watching mildew grow on the grout in the dormitory bathroom, we would see what was happening downtown (a 3 minute walk from the dorm). (I told you it was a small town). We wandered around for a while, and he met up with a girl he knew. Marilyn was with her, and was the most beautiful young woman I had ever seen. The fact that she found the skinny, bespectacled, nerd that I was (and probably still am) interesting was icing on the cake. I was immediately smitten. I still am, and always will be.

So, you see, Marilyn and I are probably the only people you will ever meet who can say that they ran into the love of their life in the middle of Main Street...on foot. :)

Nearly 43 years have passed, filled with triumphs, tragedies, gains, losses, children and grandchildren. Every event has been a blessing that has caused us to grow, but the one constant has been Marilyn and our love for each other. I don't want to contemplate life without her. This Summer, we will celebrate our 41st anniversary, and I'm planning on at least 20 more.

Marilyn, I love you, and always will. You make life worth living.

Bob

Happy Birthday Marilyn

2010-01-20T07:58:00.000-05:00

You've been the center of my universe for over 40 years, my right hand, my solid foundation, my friend, lover, mother to my children, and loving grandmother to theirs, and I would not change a minute of it. The luckiest day of my life, was September 19, 1967 when I met you at the Concordia Fall Festival, and it has just been getting better ever since.

I love you with all of my heart, and wish you the Happiest of birthdays.

Bob

OK, I've been gone for a while.

2010-01-16T16:35:00.003-05:00

You may wonder just what the heck I've been up to.

The past week has been spent getting to know my siblings (4 sisters and a brother) again as we cleaned up my Mom's house. Mom moved out a couple of years ago to convalesce from hip replacement surgery first with sister Nicki in Warrenton, Georgia, then with another sister Amy in Saline, Michigan. In her absence my brother and at least one sister had been living in the house. Lack of income and inclination to maintain it left it a mess, and a bunch of the 5 bedrooms were being used to store "treasures".

The basement had been Dad's shop, and in the 18 years since his death had become a purgatory for items nobody wanted to throw away. Nicki, Amy, her friend Randy, and I spent the best part of the week schlepping stuff out of that mold farm into the back yard and eventually into a 40 yard dumpster.

This:

Came from here:

...And it was a LOT of work.

Many thanks to my children Bob, Gretchen and Jonathan, my brother and sisters, Randy, niece Joanna, nephew Donald and friend Donald for all of the hard, (almost) volunteer work.

The plan is for Randy, who is a contractor, to return in a few weeks with my brother to get the house in shape to sell. Between Randy's expertise, my stash of tools, my brother's more-or-less free labor, and the help of whoever we can hire from the Home Depot parking lot, we should have about a month's worth of work to turn it back into a potential home.

In the interim, my sons and I will return to finish reclaiming the back yard from 20 years of wild growth, and falling pine limbs.

With a lot of hard work, and more volunteers, we should be able to give Mom a reasonable nest-egg.

Again thanks to all.

Stay well, and stay warm and dry. It's raining, again, here.

An Interesting Weekend

2010-01-03T19:40:00.004-05:00

We had a nice visit with the youngest this weekend.

Our youngest granddaughter was here spreading joy and toy kitchen accouterments around like snow in Cleveland. She ran non-stop all day offering everyone tea, cookies, and just about anything else she whipped up in her little kitchen. The picture is her and her daddy in a down moment watching "Peter Pan" in the den.

The other youngest was Shelby. She's a husky mix, and belongs to Gretchen, my youngest daughter. She seems to be a pretty smart little pup, whines at the door when nature calls, and enjoyed playing with Wally, who tolerated her presence like the veteran he is.

After all the excitement of the last week or so, the house is terribly quiet now that everybody has gone to their respective homes. The good thing is that it will all happen again soon. I'm blessed with a family other people can only dream of.

Stay well, and stay warm.

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-01T18:58:00.000-05:00

OK, it's New Year's Day, and I've renewed some resolutions.

1. Be a better husband. I've never lived up to the standards I set for myself, and that's probably a good thing. It keeps me trying.
2. Be a better father and grandfather. Tyler is 14, Sam and Sara are 12, and Violet is 2. I'm running out of time to play.
3. Get the shed built, and 90% of the crud out of the garage and trailer.
4. Spend more time working on Tyler's truck. I've only got 18 months to get it ready to turn over. (How did I wind up with a 14 year old grandson?)
5. Landscape the front yard. Gas line replacement, too many vehicles using the lawn as a driveway, and 2 years of drought followed by a very wet year have left more places to plant grass than I can count. It's ugly, and Marilyn deserves better.
6. Spend more time chasing trout and camping with my sons, son-in-law, and grandsons. I've got the gear and the time. Just need to get them all together and do it.
7. Keep up with this blog. I've neglected it for a lot of reasons, none of them very good.
8. Exercise. Maybe I need a new dog to take me for long walks.
9. Stick closer to my diet. The holidays have been heck on my eating habits.
10. Back up my photo directory. I was going to add "more often", but considering I lost a year's worth of pictures with the hard drive, I guess it was better to leave it off.
11. Be more active politically. Liberty really took a hit in 2009.

I know this was nothing profound, but it's good to use the keyboard as "mental floss" and clear out the plaque.

I sincerely wish every one of you a happy, prosperous, and free new year.

December 31

2009-12-31T13:20:00.002-05:00

It's New Year's Eve (Day) and what would have been my Dad's 89th Birthday.

He has been gone for a long time, and I still miss him every day. Aside from teaching me which end of a gun is the dangerous one (no, it's not the one with the little hole in it, it's the one with the operator attached) he imparted a lot of wisdom about family and life in general. Any of you who know me have heard most of this before, but I thought I would impart a few gems, derived from the other things he taught me, as a way to ring out the old year.

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There are only three things you need to do to successfully raise children: Love them, love them, and love them. Of course, you will need to deal with the inevitable "You did what?!" moments, but one of the three things listed above will equip you.

A father's main job is to provide his family with a safe place to learn how to deal with all the crud that life will throw at them. His secondary job is to impart what his father taught him, and what he learned while coping with being an adult, to his children.

Girls will mature faster than boys. Actually, girls will mature, boys will remain 12 years old at the core until they die of old age. The inner Peter Pan keeps old men from being lousy grandfathers.

If you want to learn how to love your children or your spouse, listen to your dog. He does not know how to not love unconditionally. You may have to make a few course corrections, but unconditional love of your family will give you a map to a happy life.

Government is like a laxative. Unless you are really lucky, you will need it every once in a while, but you will be up to your neck in effluent if you rely on it too much.

God will not throw anything your way that you cannot ultimately deal with successfully. You might not enjoy the trip, but arriving at the end of the problem will be worth the grief.

Life is like the little kid who dove into the stable full of horse crap because he knew there was a pony in there someplace. It may be unpleasant, but there's a reward at the end.

Never trust a cat.

Never pet a stray dog. Make him your friend first, but keep your fingers away from his front end while you're doing it.

Engage brain before operating mouth.

Y'all get the general idea. Life is a blessing, and how you deal with its little "opportunities" is entirely up to your own outlook. You'll be happy if you look at the good side of events, and Ebeneezer Scrooge (pre-ghosts) if you don't. It's your choice.

Thanks, Dad. I think you taught me well, and I pray that I'm up to the task of passing it along.

Stay well, and make the best of your opportunities in the New Year.

Christmas Wishes

2009-12-23T18:54:00.000-05:00

⁶For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
^{Is 9:6 KJV}

¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:11-14 KJV

Just a quick note to wish all who see this a blessed Christmas full of wonder at the gift we celebrate on December 25. Do not forget the reason for the celebration. We are saved by the gift of Christ, entirely undeserved and given by a loving God. Isaiah foresaw it, Luke reported it, and I am blessed to have known it.

Merry Christmas from the Road Less Traveled

Birthday Wishes

2009-12-17T06:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Mom. I hope this 44th anniversary of your 39th birthday is as good as they get. We miss you and always hope to see you soon. Stay warm.

And to my nephew Paul, who officially joins the rest of us who are the same age as Jack Benny today, make it the best one ever. We're proud of your nearly 20 years of service with the Navy. (...and mark the last weekend of March on your calendar for Mountain Madness 2010.)

The More Things Change...

2009-12-17T06:28:00.000-05:00

...the more they stay the same.

Last year it was Gracie the kitten in the Christmas tree. This year, it's George the cat. Same cat, same tree, different name, compliments of the vet, who had more practice at determining the sex of a kitten than my wife.

Stay well, and Merry Christmas.

Climate Change

2009-12-07T19:41:00.001-05:00

A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be. - Albert Einstein

It's been an interesting day on the Environmental Front. President Oh-Bummer is meeting with OwlGore to discuss climate change, the EPA has declared that CO2 is a threat to public health, and idiots are running around Washington like rats escaping a tenement fire.

Every time I hear a conversation about climate change, I hear the word "consensus", as in "Scientific consensus proves that mankind is contributing to climate change." 500 or so years ago, the "scientific consensus" was that the world was flat, and if you sailed too far, you would fall off the edge. The consensus was once that Earth was the center of the universe. The consensus once was that the proper way to treat a disease was to drain the "evil humors" out of the body with about half of the blood.

Scientific consensus is always wrong. Science is a search for the truth, and the truth is always unknown. Thomas Edison once said, "We don't know one millionth of one percent about anything." He was right. We will never truly understand all there is to know about anything. We have theories that seem to fit the way we observe things working, but the more we observe, the more we discover that our theories are lacking. One brilliant person will get a thought that leads to the discovery of a larger truth that proves the consensus wrong. He will be branded a heretic, denier, or worse, but eventually he will be proved correct.

I am more inclined to believe the one person who has a reasoned and researched objection to consensus, than to fall in line and blindly follow the dumb masses (say it aloud 3 times) who preach the party line. Historically, the heretics have usually been proven correct.

The fact that the EPA has made this "finding" is alarming. We're about to be slammed with regulations on everything that releases anything that might be considered a "greenhouse gas". Look for catalytic converters on cows. The alarming thing is that there is no check and balance mechanism in place that would allow us to modify this ruling. Congress is held in check by the threat of being voted out of office. The EPA can act like the Emperor of the Known Universe and ban things by fiat.

It is time to rise up and let our elected representatives know that we're tired of not being represented. It's time to unite and remind those in positions of power that this country was founded on the principle that "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed". It is time to remove our consent if common sense and freedom are not returned to the thought processes of those who rule us.

Take a look at the quote from Ayn Rand on the right of this page, and use it as a filter to examine this EPA ruling.

Stay well, and keep breathing, despite what the EPA says.

I finally completed my rant on Rights.

2009-12-04T10:43:00.002-05:00

You can find it here.

Health Care

2009-11-28T06:12:00.006-05:00

Warning: This is a political rant. Run away if you believe that government is the answer to everything.

The Story of Og.

Once upon a time, Og climbed out of his cave, and noticed that his club arm had a little twinge in it, so he went to Ooblek, the medicine man, and swapped some nice flint arrowheads for herbs, chanting, and smoke wafted around by an eagle's wing. Ooblek earned a nice living searching for herbs and bartering arrow heads in exchange for his knowledge as a healer. All was right with the Neanderthal world.

As he was going home, Og thought of the time it took to make 5 arrowheads, and that it was too much to pay for the treatment he had received. He rounded up a handful of his friends, and went to Oomlaut, the Chief with his grievance, and announced that he could no longer afford to pay for herbs and smoke, and what was Oomlaut going to do about it?

Oomlaut called the tribal council together (omitting Ooblek) and they decided that the services of the medicine man would be free to all of the tribe. Og and his buddies were elated.

Soon Ooblek was inundated with cave rats with runny noses, and as the word spread, troglodytes seeking aid from other tribes. His day was so full that he soon ran out of herbs, his eagle wing lost its feathers from overwork, and he took up flint napping and quit practicing medicine.

Winter came, and the tribe all died.

There are several lessons to be learned here. Health care is not a right. Government leaders don't want to know how something works before they change it, and excessive demand leads to shortage and eventual disaster.

There is no right to health care. We have a right to seek and purchase health care, but no right to obtain it. You may wonder "Why do you say that?". Rights are actions we can take without infringing on the ability of others to act as they choose. Rights proceed from God's gift of free will and his admonition to love others as we love ourselves. If you are alone on a desert island, you have a right to do anything you want. If there are other people present, your actions carry responsibilities and your rights are diminished when they have an effect on others.

Health care cannot be a right because there has to be a provider of the care. The act of demanding health care places a restriction on the action of the health care provider since the service requires the time of the person providing it.

The Beneficent Oz (A. K. A. Congress) after listening to the wailing and gnashing of teeth from constituent land, decided that health care is broke and needs to be fixed. No one has asked how it got broken because the answer is that Oz broke it, with mandated coverage and free medical care for people who won't pay (but will vote). It's broken because of the self interest of Congress. They will do whatever we let them if it will help them stay in their powerful jobs.

The only thing that is certain about the bills before Congress right now is that, if they are passed, they will create shortages, rationing, and eventual calamity. Our doctors will be overrun with patients, overworked, and eventually will change careers or retire. The possibility of financial reward from Medicine will decline, fewer bright young people will seek medical degrees, and the situation will feed on itself until our country is populated by people who have a life expectancy of 40 years.

Winter is coming, folks. Call your congressmen and let them know how you feel. Tell them your vote will go elsewhere if they ram this abomination down our throats. If you really want to stir the puddin', ask which article of the Constitution gives Congress the ability to force individuals to purchase anything, let alone health insurance.

Live long, and prosper, while you still can.

Oh, Give Thanks....

2009-11-25T22:00:00.004-05:00

...unto the Lord, for his mercy endures forever.

This Thanksgiving week has given me pause to reflect on the things for which I have good reason to be thankful. A brief list follows.

Marilyn and My Family. I have been truly blessed to be married to the most wonderful woman on earth for over 40 years. She's a constant source of delight and wonderment, and has given me 4 exceptional children who have grown into adults anyone would be proud of. I'm looking forward to spending some time with all of them (and totally blowing my diet :) ). Mention of family compels me to specifically include the people my children have chosen to spend their lives with. Without exception, they've chosen well, and I'm proud to have them and their children as part of the family.

America. She may be on the down side of middle age, but she's still the best place on the planet to raise a family. May God guide her people and our leaders to keep her that way.

Our Service Men and Women. Those who serve in the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy are worthy of our most heart-felt gratitude. Their sacrifice to keep us safe and free should be cause to personally thank every one of them that you see in uniform.

My Parents and Grandparents. They sacrificed a lot to make me the person I am, and I am always grateful to have learned from them. Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa Brockmann, Grandma and Grandpa Blake, Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the wisdom and values you have shared with me. Your wise counsel guides me every time I interact with my Grandchildren. I hope I can pass on what you gave me.

My Friends. I have been blessed to hang out with some of the best people who walk the planet. I've rarely seen any of you when I did not learn something, or been outrageously amused. You, collectively, are proof that growing older is mandatory, but growing up is highly overrated. Stay young, regardless of how many birthdays you celebrate.

My Health. I may have a few (well deserved) defects, take enough pills each morning that I sound like a castanet when I come down the stairs, and am becoming more high-maintenance, but I am healthy enough to enjoy life, and can still make the leap into my Jeep when I want to go somewhere.

There are a lot more things I could list here, but I think I've hit the high spots.

Stay well, and take time this Thanksgiving Day to give truly heart-felt thanks to our God, because he truly is unendingly merciful and loving.

Jobu Smiled

2009-10-12T07:27:00.004-04:00

It was a terrific camping trip, despite the fact that Jobu tried to sabotage it from the start.

Jon and I were planning to depart early on Thursday morning, following a Wednesday full of preparation. Jon had taken my vintage Dodge Dakota 4x4 and loaded it with all of his stuff: A couple of pop-up canopies, sleeping bags, and about a ton of aged cedar and cherry fire wood. It was sitting in the driveway ready to roll. My trailer was loaded to the roof with another ton of stoves, cots, tents, my 12x24 PVC cooking shelter, the flag pole, and enough flammable material to vaporize a good size mountain. There were axes, mauls, food, chairs, tables, sleeping bags, lanterns, and water. We were set.

Then Jobu got nasty. Jon jumped in the truck, and tried to start it. We got a low groan from the starter, and nothing else. OK, I said, we'll jump it off. The jumper cables were strung from the Jeep to the truck, and we tried again. This time, the headlights came on when Jon turned the key, and smoke billowed out from behind the grille. It seems that the wiring for the driving lights had, as most home mechanics will understand, found the one sharp edge in the engine compartment where a short would cause the most damage. After a frantic round of unwiring the driving lights, and several more attempts to start it, we abandoned the truck in the driveway, threw Jon's gear on top of the stuff already in the trailer, and hit the road in the Jeep.

By 1:30 we were on the mountain, having greeted Ted who had secured the campsite the previous evening, setting up camp. The tent, dining canopies, and assorted other junk were soon where they would remain for the next several days. Shortly after all this was completed, Pete arrived with his tent, and the keg. Things were looking up.

The weather forecast for the weekend did not look good. Thursday morning, the disaster loving freaks at the Weather Channel were gloating over an ugly orange mass over Missouri and Arkansas which was slated to drop a rain of biblical proportion over north Georgia on Friday and Saturday. Thursday was beautiful, though, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Pete threw some ribs in the smoker, and as evening approached, we steamed some broccoli, and fried some sweet potatoes to go with the ribs. It was a great evening, and just after dinner, Kevin, and Joe arrived, and got their goodies set up. Bob arrived shortly after.

Around 6:00 Friday morning the sky opened up. The rain on the tarp over the tent sounded like hail on a tin roof. I was bummed. Jobu had raised his ugly head again. But, as usual, I was wrong. It rained about a 10th of an inch, and turned to partly cloudy for the remainder of Friday. Jerry, Matt, his dog Buddy, Jason, and Blake arrived during the day. Our group was complete.

Just before dinner on Friday, a strange dog wandered into our camp, followed by a couple of young men who were camped a few hundred yards downstream from us. They were there to check out our campsite, and warn us to be on the lookout for any of their charges that might wander out of their campsite during the night. The charges were 14 troubled kids on an "Outward Bound" type wilderness weekend. We told the counselors that we would hog-tie any wayward kids who invaded our camp, and parted with two new friends. I really admire the work that these guys are doing, and pray that they are successful.

Friday evening's meal was Burgers and whatever else we could cook in a skillet. Very tasty, and the conversation around the campsite was lively, to say the least.

I cranked up my NOAA weather radio after dinner, and "Stephen Hawking" was telling us to search for gopher wood and round up two of every living thing. Typical. When Ted, Joe, and I are all in camp together, there's always a monsoon.

It rained about 1/2 inch over night, and Saturday dawned overcast and gloomy. I knew we were ready to be drowned. As usual, I was wrong. The clouds started to develop breaks, and things were looking up.

Pete, Jason, Matt, and I all had Jeeps. Joe, Teddy, and Bob had 4x4 trucks. We decided to seek out the nastiest roads we could find and make sure the 4 wheel drives were all in working order. We assembled our convoy and started out for Earl's Ford. The road is paved for about the first half mile, then turns to gravel, mud, and large rocks, with a substantial stream crossing thrown in for good measure. Just before the end of the pavement, we came upon an old Toyota pickup stopped in the middle of the road to allow a squirrel to cross. Wrong. A sunburned arm, camouflage cap, and a single shot 12 gauge materialized out of the passenger window. Kaboom! A clean miss, and Rocky the Squirrel made a hasty exit to the left. Redneck #2 ejected his empty and the fore arm of the shotgun at the same time. While he was retrieving the parts of his shotgun, our little group went around them, and pulled over on the shoulder to await the rest of our group. My comment as we got out of the cars was "Now THERE'S something you don't see every day!"

Arriving at the water crossing, we decided that 2' of fast flowing water was too much for some of our group and headed for rougher roads. The one we found was about a mile of trash can sized rocks, mud, wet leaves, and fallen limbs that climbed to within 300 feet of the summit of the second highest point in Georgia. Nobody broke anything on the way up, and when we reached the clearing at the end of the "road" 5 of the group (and the dog) took off on foot for the observation platform at the summit. In light of my recent encounter with a wasp, I stayed behind and visited with Dan Brown's latest book.

The report from the top was that the 30-mile view was down to about 30 feet due to the cloud that had settled over the summit. Moses, call your office.

The trip down the mountain had one interesting event. I was about 50 yards behind Matt and Buddy, picking my way over the rocks when I noticed Matt had stopped. He was trying to coax Buddy back into the Jeep. Somewhere in the foggy recesses of his canine brain, Buddy had decided to catch one of the sticks that were flashing by the window at about 2 MPH. He finally caught one. Matt said he looked over to see how the dog was doing, and saw a tail disappearing out the window. Buddy was OK, but a little bewildered and considerably enlightened to the dangers of grabbing stuff from a moving car.

Back at camp, we were sitting around the fire anticipating another great meal (pulled pork barbecue) when a green truck with a DNR sticker on it, and a trailer pulled into our camp. Oh Crud! It was the notorious Ranger Dan. But one more time, Jobu smiled. The young DNR officer had a rather sad looking bear cub in the trailer, and was planning to release him just beyond our campsite. He said if he let them go along Walnut Fork, they all headed upstream and wound up in North Carolina, where they weren't his problem any longer. We had a nice chat with the officer and decided that maybe Ranger-you-must-be-doing-something-I-can-bust-you-for-Dan was the exception to the rule. This guy was cool. We mentioned our encounter with the squirrel "hunters" to him, and he asked if we had a tag number. We said no, but described the truck. He said he didn't need the tag and asked if the guys looked drunk. Considering that they were shooting from a vehicle in a public road, in front of a residence, with 3 witnesses behind them, the odds were pretty much in favor of inebriation.

After he left to release the bear elsewhere, we had another great meal, and sat around bemoaning the drubbing UGA took from Tennessee that afternoon. I looked up, and saw stars. Maybe we would make it through the weekend without being washed down the Walnut Fork.

Sunday dawned partly cloudy and perfect for breaking camp. The tents were dry, and most of the stuff packed away, could stay packed until the next trip. Perfect.

The trip home was uneventful, and Jon and I both spent way too much time in the shower (separately, you perverts!) scrubbing campfire smoke out of our pores.

The trip was Mental Floss, and Jobu truly smiled on us for a change.

Stay well and be safe.

Holy Smoke! Our Baby's 30!

2009-10-07T05:59:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday, Jon. I hope you have a great one.

It's hard to believe that you're 30 today. It seems like yesterday that we were watching you march with the elementary school band, or attending football games where you played.

Over the years you've made us proud you are our son. You've been an athlete, musician, student, husband, father, and one of the best kids a parent could hope for.

God bless you and yours in everything you do.

Love ya much.

Mom and Dad

Happy Birthday Purple Child

2009-09-28T02:42:00.002-04:00

Today is Violet's second birthday. I hope it makes her as happy as she has made us. We love you V. God keep you safe and well.

Grandma and Grandpa.

Rights and Responsibilities

2009-09-14T07:46:00.006-04:00

Over the last several years there has been a lot of talk and demands for various rights: the right to medical care, the right to affordable housing, the right to marry whoever (or whatever) you choose, the right to stand on your head and spout wooden nickels. The one thing that stands out when you look at these demands is the fundamental ignorance of the people who are demanding these rights. They really do not understand exactly what a right is. They do not understand where rights originate. They do not understand that rights and responsibilities are opposite sides of the same coin.

At its most basic level, a right is any action a person can take that will not cause harm to another individual. This comes from our basic ability to make logical decisions. Our Creator gave us the gift of free will, and with it the requirement that we be responsible for our actions. P. J. O'Rourke said it well: "There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." Every other right we have is derived from this gift of free will and our obligation to act responsibly. Free will is not free. There will be a Judgment.

When I hear mention of "Constitutional Rights" I get hives. The proper term should be "Constitutionally Guaranteed Rights". The United States Constitution and Bill of Rights does not grant anything to the people. It was designed to be a limit on the power of the people we chose to be our leaders. The purpose of the Bill of Rights was to constrain the government from infringing on the rights that the people had as a gift from their Creator. The right to free speech, assembly, and worship does not derive from the First Amendment, it comes from the nature of human beings as designed by God, and requires that you speak responsibly. The right to bear arms does not proceed from the Second Amendment, it is as basic as the ability to pick up a rock to protect yourself from an attack by a wolf. The Second Amendment guarantees the right to be able to defend yourself, and imposes the restriction that you act responsibly with your arms.

Since I mentioned the Second Amendment, let me expound a little. The amendment mentions "militia". In the time of the men who wrote the Constitution, "calling out the militia" meant to notify all able bodied men to assemble in a place that had been previously designated, to defend the village or to march to meet with other members of the militia to defend a larger area. Citizens knew that they had an obligation to defend their homes. They accepted this responsibility as a reciprocal to their ability to live in a certain area and conduct their lives as they saw fit. The freedom to choose the place they lived carried the responsibility to band together to defend it if necessary.

Our rights come from our Creator. Our Creator expects us to exercise them responsibly, and not infringe on another's rights in the process.

I know I will raise the ire of some readers when I state that there is no right to medical care. There is a right to seek medical care and a responsibility to compensate the provider for his skill and time. Medical care cannot be a right since there has to be a provider of medical assistance. The provider must give of himself to perform the service. To claim this as a right places a claim on part of the life of the provider, which restricts his ability to choose whether or not to perform the service. No man has a God-given right to control the life of another man to improve his own life.

Similarly, there is no right to affordable housing. As it is popularly defined, "affordable housing" means "I make $30,000 a year, have 8 kids, no husband, and can't live in a $500,000 house, so somebody has to give me one." This would require a major sacrifice on the part of the builder of the home in question. He would have to sell the house at a loss to get the person in question into it. This, at it's core, is theft. I think there was a Commandment someplace about theft.

Rights are God's gift. He expects us to use them wisely.

Be well and happy, thank God for your rights, and remember your responsibilities.

Happy Birthday, Sam!!!

2009-08-28T22:05:00.004-04:00

It's hard to believe you're 12 already. It's been a pleasure to watch you grow from a little kid to a fine young man, and I'm sure you will continue to grow into a wonderful adult. Your wit and good humor are an inspiration.

I hope you had a great birthday and have an even better year ahead.

Much love, Grandpa.

The Lie Clock

2009-07-28T12:58:00.001-04:00

This is stolen, without a bit of regret, from the Patriot Post Humor email. If you don't know this web site, I strongly recommend you check it out.

The Lie Clock
A man died and went to heaven. As he stood in front of St. Peter's desk at the Pearly Gates, he saw a huge wall of clocks behind him. He asked, "What are all those clocks there for?"

St. Peter answered, "Those are Lie Clocks. Everyone on Earth has a Lie Clock. Every time you lie the hands on your clock will move."

"Oh," said the man, "whose clock is that?"

"That's Mother Teresa 's. The hands have never moved, indicating that she never told a lie."

"Incredible," said the man. "And whose clock is that one?"

St. Peter responded, "That's George Washington's clock. The hands have moved twice, telling us that Washington told only two lies in his entire life."

"Where's Barack Obama 's clock?" asked the man.

"Obama's clock is in Jesus' office. He's using it as a ceiling fan."

The Week In Review

2009-07-26T22:06:00.003-04:00

It was a pretty good week, all things considered. A mix of tedium, joy, and sorrow, interspersed with a lot of time behind the camera. (Follow the links in the text to see the pictures.)

It started with the Low Country Boil at Jon and Missy's place on Saturday. There was a ton of work put into the staging of this annual event, and everyone who was privileged to attend had a wonderful time. I personally talked to more than one person who was unsure as to whether or not they would like it. The universal comment was that it was a terrific get-together. Nearly everyone stayed longer than they had planned, a sure sign of a great party.

On Sunday morning (barely) we set sail toward Missouri. After only one false start, we had successfully loaded Sandy, Sam, and ourselves into Marilyn's Commander and started toward the worst part of the trip, Atlanta. After a day or so of Cracker Barrel restaurants, gas stations, rest areas, and (not really all that many) idiots on the road, we found ourselves in Calvert City, KY for the night. After a night's rest we hit the road again, and pulled into Concordia at around 5 on Monday evening.

Tuesday we went to the Anderson House and Civil War museum. If you're ever in Lexington, Missouri take the place in. If nothing else, you'll learn where Rooster Cogburn's cat got his name.

Wednesday, we visited with Grandma's attorney to go over some nuts and bolts about the trust, and then had a nice visit with Marilyn's sister to celebrate Marilyn's Mom's 78th birthday.

The farm is looking great, and Missouri is a lot greener than it has any right to be in the middle of July. It's been a wet year.

Thursday morning, we made our tearful goodbyes and pointed the Jeep Southeast. When we got to St. Louis, we stopped to visit the Gateway Arch. I've been driving past it for 40 years, and finally got to see the inside of the thing. The Museum is nice, the shops are as overpriced as you might expect, and the "elevator" to the top is, well, interesting. Imagine riding to the top of a 630 foot tall stainless steel pipe in a dryer drum. The tram cars are 4' 4" tall, and seat 5 people. I'm not sure if I was supposed to be a load of socks, or Mork, but the egg took us to the top where the view was spectacular. If you have vertigo, like me, rest assured that there is plenty of "hang onto" space when you look down on the river and the city. If you're claustrophobic, I would recommend not riding in the tram, and enjoying the arch from the ground.

After about 2 hours at the Arch, Aunt Sophie (our GPS) put us back on the interstate with a minimum of fuss, and we made it back to Calvert City, and the world's best Super 8 Motel. (Really.)

Friday morning, we were on the road again, and aside from a little stop and go trying to negotiate Atlanta again we were home by 4:00.

Saturday morning we again loaded the Commander with people and headed for Demorest, GA and Piedmont College to watch Jon get his MBA. Congratulations Jon, you've made your entire family proud.

Saturday evening, we got some sad news. Sparky, Tyler and Sam's Jack Russell was hit by a car and killed. Boys, I know how it feels to lose a pet, and my heart goes out to you. All I can recommend is that you remember all the good times you had with him, and be thankful that he was a part of your life that you'll never forget.

Today, we had the nervous breakdown that had been building all week. I took a 3 hour nap, and feel like I could do it all again next week.

God's been good to me and the family, and I thank Him for every blessing we've received, and pray that he will continue to bless all of my loved ones.

Stay well.

Downhill Run

2009-07-24T07:29:00.002-04:00

Well, we're back in Calvert City, KY, and just about ready to start our downhill run toward Monroe and Jersey. We've got about 7 hours on the road (God and traffic willing) and should be home around 4 PM.

I know I still owe you a load of pictures, but my laptop battery is on it's last leg.

Stay well and be safe.

Parting is Such Darned Sorrow

2009-07-23T08:10:00.005-04:00

Even though I have been practicing this for 40 years, this is the most difficult day of the trip. This morning we get to say "Goodbye" to Violet, Princess, and the farm, and point the car Southeast. Marilyn, Sandy, Sam and I have all had a wonderful, if all too short, visit, and need to be on the road back to Monroe so we can see Jon get his MBA on Saturday.

Everyone we've talked to here is doing well. Last night we celebrated Marilyn's Mom's 78th Birthday with Lois, and spent the evening going over things remembered. I will miss all of this more than I can say in a blog.

I've been extremely lucky to have married into a family of solid, hard working, God fearing folks who went out of their way to make me feel like I belonged in this part of the world. If heaven is anything like Concordia, Missouri, it couldn't be better.

We've got a long ride ahead of us, and the postponed (due to a late start) visit to the Arch, so I'll quit for now.

I'll try to get some more pictures uploaded when we stop tonight.

Stay well, and stay safe.

Concordia, At Last

2009-07-21T09:09:00.002-04:00

We made it to Concordia last night around 1700 CDT with little drama. The trip was long, as usual, but thankfully, uneventful.

Grandma is doing well. The quilts are still beautiful, and the farm looks fantastic.

Sam switches back and forth from completely bored out of his mind to stoked. He had a great time stomping around on hay bales, and watching the bat planes fly over head. Special thanks to the folks at Whiteman AFB for the B-2 flyover in his honor. :)

Sandy and Marilyn are gradually recovering from their saddle sores after 2 days in a car, and I'm (finally) well rested after a night at the Travellodge.

Today, we're going to visit the Anderson House, and make sure Gen. Sterling Price still whupped the Yankees in the Battle of Lexington in Sept. 1861.

More to follow.

Stay well, and keep smiling.

Over the River and Through the Woods

2009-07-19T08:11:00.003-04:00

Some time in the next 2 hours, we will depart for Grandma's house. I am looking forward to seeing Marilyn's Mom and the farm.

She's been busy making improvements over the last couple of years. The old pond has been rebuilt, the picturesque but decrepit brooder houses have been removed. The dirt floor in the machine shed is now concrete. The old pond that was full of cattails (and at one time, catfish) is gone, and turned back into pasture. It will be good to visit with her and see her latest crafts. She's a world class quilter, and a pretty fair hand at china painting, too.

I know Sam is chomping at the bit waiting for us to show up, and Sandy is running around like a headless chicken doing all of the last minute stuff that seems to be necessary before a road trip. Marilyn is busy doing her getting ready, and I'm dreading the drive, but looking forward to the trip.

I'll post again tonight or tomorrow morning and let y'all know about our progress.

Stay well, and keep smiling.

Let the Craziness Begin!

2009-07-18T09:27:00.002-04:00

This looks to be an interesting week.

In a couple of hours I'll be off to a) find some stakes for horseshoes, b) deliver a 12x24 tarp, lanterns, chairs, the aforementioned stakes, coolers, and other equipment necessary for a good party to my Son and Daughter-in-Law's home for their annual Low Country Boil. They sent out over 100 invitations, and are expecting a boat-load of friends.

After this evening's festivities it will be home to pack. We're leaving in the morning for a whirlwind tour of Mid-America to help Marilyn's Mom celebrate her birthday. We'll be leaving Sunday morning, and arriving in Concordia on Monday afternoon after an overnight stop in Illinois, a tour of the Gateway Arch, and visits to numerous Cracker Barrel Restaurants. Accompanying us will be Sandy and Sam. It's his year to come to the farm with us.

Following an all too short 3 day visit to the heartland, it's back on the road again and a mad dash for home to be able to attend Jon's graduation from grad school on Saturday. Congratulations Jon! You've (again) made us proud.

Then comes the nervous breakdown.

I'm hauling the laptop along, and will publish updates and pictures as I can.

Who ever said retirement was boring?

Stay well.

Things That Rub My Fur the Wrong Way

2009-07-13T09:24:00.004-04:00

Hair. If it's going to fall out, why doesn't it quit growing first? And why don't balding men get a discount at the barber shop?

Telemarketers. If they have to call, why do they start the call with "Please hold for the next available representative"? An uninvited interruption of my day should at least have a real person on the other end of the line so I can vent. And robo-calls where you never get to hear a live voice are even worse.

Grass. You cut it, and it gets mad and grows faster.

Georgia clay. Red, sticky, and doesn't drain worth a darn. Creates bogs for the aforementioned lawn mower.

Things that are designed to wear out. Tires, brakes, and my body. Some days I wish I could jack up my glasses and run a new chassis under them.

Blood chemistry. My total cholesterol is about 140, but my lipids and HDL to LDL ratio are screwed. I take 5 pills a day and eat like a squirrel to keep it in check.

Insurance companies. My health insurance is better than screwing the public out of my health care, but only slightly.

Congress. If there ever was a bigger collection of idiots under one dome, I challenge anyone to point it out to me.

Politics. From the Greek - Poly meaning many and Ticks - blood sucking insects.

The people on the Weather Channel. The world's largest collection of disaster loving ghouls.

People who hate other people because of differing political convictions. Hate the sin, but love the sinner.

Michael Jackson. Living or Dead. The media has turned someone who gave every indication of being a self loathing freak into a saint. Enough already.

I'm beginning to depress myself, so I'll quit for a while.

Stay well, and keep smiling. It confuses the heck out of people who are out to get you. :)

More Ketchup

2009-06-30T13:32:00.004-04:00

It's been a good couple of weeks.

A lot of it has been spent with Marilyn, Missy, and the ever charming Violet. Yesterday I met them at Hobby Lobby in Athens after spending the day trying to find a stem for the shower. After 35 years, it finally got to the point where no amount of teflon tape would keep it from leaking. I visited every home improvement center within a 25 mile radius, 3 old fashioned hardware stores, and 3 plumbing supply business in Athens before the good folks at Carson Plumbing Repair Company ordered a new set for me. Hopefully, I'll have them in time to stem the Chinese water torture going on in the bathroom before it drives me completely bonkers.

After all the drama with the shower, Marilyn, Missy, and Vi were a welcome change of pace. Violet and I patrolled the store while Missy and Marilyn bought fabric. Vi just walked along beside me, stopping to admire every squirrel, birdie, and kitty she passed and jabbering away in whatever language 21 month old toddlers speak. After we had crossed the entire store and began to admire the Christmas decorations (in June?!?) she realized that her Mom was missing. She did an about face, ran to the end of the aisle and realized that she didn't know how to get back to Mom, so I carried her back across the store, and she lit up like 10,000 Christmas lights when we turned the corner and she saw Mommy.

After the Hobby Lobby, we all went to Jason's Deli where I had the world's best Ruben, Marilyn and Missy had the soup and salad bar, and Violet disassembled a turkey sandwich before eating it in small bits. Then I came home, and promptly passed out in the Recliner of Death.

This morning I tempted fate by using the shower (it didn't blow out, so my rigging is holding) and then went to visit my doctor. 90 minutes later I left with a pat on the back (A1C is 5.9, so diet is controlling the diabetes, heart is good, BP 115/69), a 12 month renewal on my prescriptions, and orders to come back in a year.

Life is good.

Fathers Day

2009-06-21T07:04:00.004-04:00

While sitting here in the den, with the lights off, playing on the computer, it occurred to me that I ought to say a few things about Fathers, since this is the day that we celebrate them.

A very wise man told me as a young person that nearly any male can father a child, but it took a real man to be a Father. Over the years, the my appreciation of the truth in this statement has continually grown. When I first became a father I was young and too dumb to know what I didn't know. Now that I'm older and less ignorant, I can see that he was correct. Life and fatherhood have tempered me into the man that I am.

Being a true, good father requires the love and assistance of a wonderful wife. I'm blessed to have Marilyn who has been a rock for more years than I care to think about. It also requires courage to face the unknown and un-thought-of challenges that crop up while raising your children. It requires you to sacrifice some of your dreams for the betterment of those who are still dreaming. It requires a lifetime of hard work, sometimes at a job you dislike, to provide for those children who you helped bring into the world. It requires you to love without reservation, even during those Bill Cosby moments ("I brought you into this world, and I'll take you out of it and make another one just like you!") that are certain to occur from time to time. And it requires Faith and help from God and places where you didn't ever expect to find help.

There is also a terrific up side to fatherhood. You get to play with little kids, and watch them grow into strong, responsible adults. You get to show them all the neat stuff their Mom would disapprove of (insert big grin here). You get to go camping with them, fret over their campfire antics, and wonder if you remember enough first aid to stop the bleeding from the anticipated accident with the ax. You get to build (and wreck) go-carts, ride bikes, become a Den Leader, drive them to where ever it is they need to be, and you get to impart whatever wisdom you picked up in your life to them, not by preaching, but by example. You get to watch your blessings multiply through the joys and challenges that having children bring.

God has blessed Marilyn and myself with 4 children (they're all from Lake Wobegone where all the children are exceptional :) ). I can see that they've all learned these lessons well, and that the fathers (and mothers) among them have exceeded their teacher. I hope that one day they will all remember me as I remember my Father, as someone who cared for and loved them, their families, and their Mother with all his heart.

Thanks, guys. It's been a great ride so far.

God bless you all.

OK, It's Friday.

2009-06-12T09:03:00.006-04:00

So I think I'll clean out the cobwebs in my cranial attic with some quick observations.

Young children are too quick to learn to enjoy other people's discomfort. :) Witness the glee of my granddaughter observing one of my son's co-workers giving up his hair. Several of the folks in Jon's department "volunteered" to get a boot-camp haircut if a certain number of cans of food could be donated in one week. Vi obviously enjoyed the shearing.

Side bars with step pads are a great thing if you're 61 years old and drive a Jeep where the door sill is over 30" off the ground. Think stepping onto a table every time you get into the car. I should have done this a long time ago. Marilyn can ride now, too without toting a step stool around to get in and out.

It's great to have the drought over with, but only the weeds in my lawn seem to have realized that it's raining at least once a week.

My family is my greatest blessing. Despite doubts when they were growing up, my kids are all solid citizens, and the grandchildren are a delight.

I've got to get busy on the truck. Tyler just turned 14 and I only have a couple of years before I have to turn it over to him. It needs to look like a truck instead of a pile of paint chips deciding where to fall. 21 years in the weather, 450,000 miles, Chrysler's late-80's problem with paint adhesion, and a couple of traffic "Oh Crap!"s have taken a toll on the exterior. No rust, but every time I wash it, there's less color on it. It's time to start exercising the hammers, dollies, welder, grinder, and sanders in preparation for new paint.

The garage has become a perpetual disaster area. Too much stuff in too little space. Volunteers needed to help excavate the area for the shed. :)

George (formerly Gracie) the cat has taken to the outdoors like the wild animal that he is. I have not seen a bird or squirrel in the yard since he got the bum's rush and became an outside cat.

I've spent enough time at the computer. There are things to do and people to see, so I'll close with...

Stay well, and try not to grow up!

YeeeHawww!!!

2009-06-07T11:20:00.002-04:00

Forty years. Holy Smoke! We've been married for 40 years!

Marilyn, you've been my rock, my love, my helper, and my best part for more years than I could have ever imagined. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, and I want to tell the world that I would not trade 10 seconds of our time together for 100 years without you.

I love you with every fiber of my being, and hope that we have at least another 40 together.

Bob

Happy Birthday Tyler!

2009-06-05T21:20:00.004-04:00

I hope it was a great one!

It's hard to believe that you are 14 and will be starting high school in a couple of months. It seems like yesterday that you were sitting in a basket in our living room, playing with blocks.

But, you've grown into a fine young man, and I pray that you will continue to grow and to remember the things your parents have taught you. They've given you a good foundation on which to build your life. Where it goes from here is pretty much up to you. Make good decisions and enjoy every day as the gift that it is. Never lose the little kid inside, do what is expected of you, remain true to your beliefs, and you will be a man we can all be proud of.

Your Grandma and I love you a lot, and wish you all the best in life.

Make 14 the best year ever!

Memorial Day

2009-05-24T15:53:00.005-04:00

This is the biggest weekend of the year for gearheads like myself. There's the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, the Indy 500, and the Coca Cola 600 at Lowe's. It's the unofficial start of summer. People are vacationing at the beach and the mountains, fishing, camping, cooking out, and enjoying their families, friends, and life in general.

But there is a very serious side to this holiday. When I was young, my Grandmother refered to it as Decoration Day. It was the day when the survivors of fallen service men went to the cemeteries across the country and hung bunting and flags on the graves as a sign of gratitude and respect. As a Boy Scout sometime in the middle of the last century, I took part in a parade each Memorial Day. We marched through town to the local cemetery where there was a ceremony, speeches, and a rifle salute honoring the fallen heroes.

Today it has become something different. As with many things in our society, it has morphed into a celebration of thanks for all who served. While I have undying gratitude for all who wear or war a uniform, Memorial Day should be reserved to honor the fallen. It is the day we should reflect on the sacrifices made by our fallen service men and women, and honor those who gave all that we might enjoy the blessings of Liberty. It is the day we should remember those who gave the last full measure so others could live free. It is the day that we should honor those who's love for Country and comrades was greater than their love for life.

These heroes should have our undying gratitude and be honored as the most revered patriots that our country has produced. My nephew said it very well here.

Please do not think that I am trying to slight the serving Military. They are doing a service so great that every day should be reserved to honor them. I personally thank every service man or woman that I meet. Do not think that I am trying to slight those who served in the past. We have Veteran's day to honor them. But Monday is Memorial day, when I will remember and honor those who gave everything to ensure our freedom.

Fly your flag at half staff (or lowered to horizontal) until noon tomorrow, and remember those who made it possible for the races, family gatherings, and barbecues to continue. We are blessed to live in a country where patriots abound.

Stay well, and offer a prayer of thanks for those who fell and comfort for those who mourn their loss.

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-09T16:43:00.009-04:00

Best wishes for a truly happy Mother's Day.

To my Mom for giving me life and teaching me the value of family.

To my Mother-In-Law for giving me Marilyn.

To my Wife for giving me nearly 40 years of happiness, support, companionship and 4 beautiful children.

To my Daughter and Daughters-In-Law for all the happiness you and your families have brought me.

I hope you all are as blessed on this Mother's day as I am to have you in my life.

Ketchup...

2009-05-09T08:37:00.002-04:00

...or Catch Up if you prefer. I've been a little slack in my reporting lately, so I thought I would bring y'all up to date with a recap of the last couple of weeks.

As you probably know, I spent the last 2 weeks in Michigan visiting with my Mom, Madison, Rufus, Chester, Jack-Jack, Shaggy and Jag while Amy and Geoff went off on a cruise. It was quiet, hilarious, gross, and great by turns. The quiet times were when the dogs were kenneled, the cats were asleep, Mom was reading, and Madison was at school. I occupied my time by photographing the fauna in the koi pond and reading, too. The hilarious times were when Madison was decorating the house for the return of her parents. Rufus, the yellow lab, is afraid of balloons. Chester, the Nova Scotian Duck Tolling Retriever, on the other hand, loves them. He leaps in the air to snap at a stray balloon, and occasionally succeeds in popping one. The gross parts involved cleaning kennels. Chester had over-indulged on the rawhide bones, and truly looked distraught at what had happened overnight. The great times were everything else. It was high spring in southern Michigan, and the trees were blooming, the tulips were up, and the azalea in front of the house exploded while I was there.

Tuesday of this week, I, sadly, had to leave to come home. A couple of observations about the nature of drivers in the various states. The less traffic there is, the better the drivers behave. If the car has a Michigan plate, the odds are about even that the driver thinks he is Mario Andretti, and takes an attempt by a car on cruise control to pass as an insult to his manhood. I played leapfrog with one car all the way from Dundee, MI to Piqua, OH where I stopped to eat. The bozo couldn't hold a steady speed to save his soul. Once I got out of Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee were a breeze. The drivers were polite and few and far between. Georgia, on the other hand, is like Michigan. I think the Interstate route numbers are really a warning of the number of Idiots per mile. I-75 is right up there.

After a brief decompression on Thursday, I spent some time at the range yesterday. Two weeks had not significantly degraded my ability with the pistols. It was a good time, despite the fact that Jon had to cancel at the last minute.

I promise to be more interesting the next time.

Stay safe.

Happy Birthday, Laura

2009-05-05T06:36:00.003-04:00

I hope it's a great one.

Everybody in Saline (especially Grandma) sends their best wishes for a truly happy birthday.

I plan to celebrate by heading for home.

See you soon.

Dad

Happy Anniversary, Missy and Jon

2009-04-29T20:04:00.002-04:00

Has it really been 4 years? It seems like yesterday we were commuting back and forth to Stone Mountain to get ready for the wedding.

It is obvious that you have grown closer and your love has deepened in the time since we dodged rain showers at your wedding.

I wish you all the best and many, many more.

May you always have enough.

Love,

Dad

Saline

2009-04-25T11:54:00.002-04:00

Well, I arrived yesterday around 10:45 after a 2 1/2 hour drive from Piqua, Ohio where I had spent the night. For those of you who are interested, I have discovered that LaQuinta really means "Behind the Cracker Barrel".

The afternoon was spent trying to get my land legs back after a couple of days in the Jeep. Entertainment was provided by two cats, three dogs, a niece, Mom, and Amy all trying to adjust to a new face in the house. Around 4:00 PM, Amy tried to turn into someone who looked like they were going to a party at 5:00. At 4:55, Geoff called and said they were blowing off the party. Amy took less than a minute to change back into her comfy clothes and de-stress. By 8:00 PM, they were on the road toward Florida and their cruise.

Dinner was ordered from the local Pizza Joint, and Mom and I had salads while Madison ate pizza.

This morning, I was up at 5, skulking around, and letting the dogs take a turn on the leash in the back yard. I don't think I'm quite up to chasing them down, and I'm reasonably sure they would ignore me once they got out of rock-chucking range.

The weather is great, but they're predicting thunder this afternoon and evening, then cooler for the next few days. It's been around 80 and breezy so far.

As you can see from the pictures, Mom, Madison, Rufus, and Chester are all doing well. I'm adjusting, too. I miss all of the southern folks, Marilyn especially.

More later.

Stay well.

On the Road Again

2009-04-23T06:18:00.002-04:00

In about 3 hours, I will be drudging through the remnants of Atlanta's morning rush, heading toward Saline, Michigan. Some time tomorrow, I will be there to visit with my Sister and Brother-in-law briefly before they head south for a cruise to Belize and the Carribian.

Once they're gone, I'll be visiting with my Mom and niece, Madison until they return.

I'm going to miss all of you while I'm gone, but it will be good to see my Mom for more than a couple of days.

I'll keep y'all posted.

Surprise! Surprise!

2009-04-21T08:50:00.005-04:00

This morning, bright and early, we crammed Gracie into the cat carrier and took her to the vet to be spayed. The plan was to have her fixed and let her roam around outside since she spends a great deal of time sitting by the storm door twitching at the birds and squirrels.

Well, friends and neighbors, the phone rang about 10 minutes ago from the animal hospital. It seems that Gracie, despite 2 or 3 previous trips to the vet, is actually George.

Potential psychological damage to the cat aside, (from 7 months of calling him her) the plan stands. The vet said they would neuter him, and we still plan to let him roam and hunt small animals.

Like I told Marilyn, the only sure ways to be sure about a cat's gender are to witness the birth of kittens (thankfully, we won't have to be living through that), or to pick up a scalpel. I guess even experts can be fooled.

As long as I'm on the subject of psychotic cats, I guess I should update y'all on Gizmo. She (yes this was confirmed by the vet) has been outside for about 4 months. She spends her time sleeping on one of the chairs on the front porch, or driving the birds in the front yard to the back, then chasing them to the front again. She's doing quite well, and waits patiently by the front door each evening until we feed her.

Stay well.

Happy Birthday, Sara!

2009-04-17T09:34:00.002-04:00

Twelve years ago today, we were in a hospital waiting room anticipating the birth of you, our first granddaughter. You were a very special little baby, who had major surgery six hours after you were born, and spent the first six weeks of your life in the neonatal unit at Children's Hospital in Atlanta.

That sick little baby has blossomed into a beautiful young lady, who is a joy to be around. You brighten our lives with your enthusiasm and smile. We are truly blessed to have you in our family.

Grandma and I love you a lot.

I hope today is your best birthday so far.

V

2009-04-17T09:12:00.003-04:00

Things are never dull around here.

Yesterday we were blessed with a visit from our youngest Granddaughter, Violet. Her mom had to find a dress for a formal function tonight, and shopping with a 16 month old has been described to me by people who know, as being akin to the innermost circle of Hell. Marilyn intervened, and the result was that we spent most of the afternoon entertaining and being entertained by Vi.

The weather was beautiful, and we spent a lot of time in the back yard just goofing around. I had spent a couple of hours prior to the visit riding around on the lawn tractor, sucking debris from the last round of thunderstorms out of the yard. I was on the mower when Vi arrived, and she looked at the tractor like it was some sort of really loud toy. When we got around to playing in the yard, she took to the tractor like it was the big red toy that it is. That's when the inspiration hit. There was a box in the shop that contained a pink pedal tractor that was purchased before Vi was ready for it. She's still too short to push the pedals, but she can shove the thing in circles with the best of them.

With considerable help from Miss Violet, I managed to get the thing assembled, and she loved it.

The visit ended later that evening when Missy came to retrieve her daughter. I think she had been away from Vi just about long enough to start going into withdrawal. It must be tough to be a child who's unloved. :)

I've truly been blessed by my family.

Why do you seek....

2009-04-12T12:49:00.004-04:00

...the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen!

I hope all who read this can celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, with me. It is a day for Joy and rebirth. If you don't believe me, look outside at the rebirth of the world after a long winter, and thank God with me for a promise fulfilled.

God's blessings on all of you.

Luke 24 (NIV)

The Resurrection

1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6He is not here; he has risen!

Happy Birthday Gretchen!

2009-04-05T08:41:00.004-04:00

You are a delight to be around. I've learned a great deal from you over the years, and I hope this one is as good for you as you make it for me.

Love you a lot.

Dad

Happy Birthday Bob!

2009-04-04T09:00:00.006-04:00

You've been a wonder for a long time. Sometimes I wonder what the heck you're up to. Sometimes I wonder what wonderful thing you will come up with next.

Regardless of what the pictures might imply, you've made me proud over the years. You've done well with your life and family, and are definitely up to any challenge life can throw at you.

I'm proud to have you as a son.

Love ya much.

Dad

Bats!

2009-04-03T21:18:00.003-04:00

It's been an interesting week. Beginning on Monday, Sara and I have spent a good part of it building a Bat Habitat (everybody builds a birdhouse). According to "The Queen of the Known Universe", one little brown bat can eat 500 mosquitoes per hour (I think I got that right). If that's the case, I'm going to start hanging these things around my yard by the dozens.

One of the side effects of getting old is that if a mosquito bites me I develop a welt the size of a quarter that itches like an ant colony was trying to tunnel out of my skin for about an hour, then it disappears. The more mosquitoes that are converted to bat guano, the better I will like it.

Sara did most of the work, assisted by me when the blade of the saw was too near fingers, or the power screwdriver ate it's batteries. Most of the construction was done on Monday, with the rest of the week waiting for caulk, stain, primer, and paint to dry.

Property values may be falling everywhere, but the bats wherever this thing is hung will have four star accommodations.

Well done, Sara.

Your grandma and I love you a lot.

Springtime in the South

2009-04-03T07:58:00.003-04:00

The rain has (temporarily) stopped, the wind is picking up, and the pine trees are spewing golf-ball-sized pollen all over everything. My eyes are itchy, my nose is runny, and my oldest son is busy mixing up some sort of concoction to allow him to function in this annual assault on our immune systems. So, for your entertainment, I offer another old/recycled essay.

Springtime in the South

Since we have just observed the vernal equinox, I thought I would update y’all on the progress of Spring in my neck of the woods. Things are progressing nicely. The weeds in the lawn are in full bloom, and growing like, well, weeds. I’ve already cut the lawn twice to keep the little tufts more or less even.

I’m not one of those people who try for Yard of the Month. My idea of a good lawn is 1) cut, 2) green, and 3) it doesn’t cross the driveway between cuttings.

Stuff grows fast down here. About the fastest growing stuff is Kudzu. It is a vine, originally imported from China as a decorative plant. Well, it’s not really decorative. I believe that God is using the stuff as punishment for letting all the Yankees move into Atlanta.

Picture dinner plate sized furry grape leaves that can climb utility poles, and cross roads on the wires. You cannot kill the stuff. Fire has little effect on it. If you cut a leaf off, water drips out of the stem. It is some kind of mutant Ivy-from-Hell that thrives on Roundup. Cutting the stuff just makes it mad, and it grows faster. The stuff can overwhelm an abandoned house in less than a week. One Monday there’s a derelict building, the following Monday it has become a lump in a seething mass of green.
It’s nasty stuff that shelters all sorts of slithering critters, and consumes entire pastures chokes trees, and generally creeps over anything that is not in a high traffic area. It gives a whole new meaning to “the quick and the dead”. You’ve got to keep moving around it or it will choke you.

Another botanical blessing of Spring is the Loblolly Pine. It has needles so long and plentiful that they are raked, baled, and sold as pine straw to be used as mulch. Another springtime feature of these remarkable trees is their pollen. Slightly smaller than bb’s, the pollen is a sure sign that spring has reached Atlanta. It falls from the trees in a yellow fog that coats everything with a gritty layer of stuff that mixes with the dew to form a coating that will adhere to your car at 80 mph. There is so much of it that there will be little pollen drifts in the driveway where the lawn creates a windbreak.

Those of you with hay fever are probably cringing. Not to worry, the stuff falls out of the air like #8 shot. It’s so big that you can actually see the individual grains with the naked eye. The real problem for those with allergies is the 375 other species that release their pollen at the same time. A while back, we had days where the pollen count was over 4600 (not a typo, four thousand six hundred). A pollen count of 120 is considered extremely high. 4600 is ludicrous. My oldest son has tried every allergy remedy known to man, and has come up with a combination that would get you 5-10 at Club Fed if you tried to sell it on the street.

By now, you should be convinced that Spring in the south is actually the outer circle of hell.

Not so. It is the most beautiful time of year. The trees are sprouting little leaves, and the hills are a riot of pastel yellows, reds, greens, and grays. It’s just one man’s opinion, but the views are the best of the year. The forsythia has about bloomed out, the irises are in bloom, and the dogwoods and azaleas are about to pop. Spring is a time when the earth renews itself and a sign from our Creator that we are not forgotten. It’s a living metaphor for resurrection, a promise of better things to come.

For me, for now, that’s plenty.

Build Me an Ark

2009-03-31T14:57:00.002-04:00

Well, the weekend camping trip is over. After 4 days of nearly constant rain, Sunday dawned clear and cooler. Perfect for packing up and trudging home.

The days preceding the trip home were filled with rain, fun, good food, rain, good friends and rain. The Drunkshoes tournament was nearly canceled due to the horseshoes disappearing in a bog. We learned about the life expectancy of a 12x24 foot dining fly (3 years, max, before it leaks everywhere). There were lessons in tying new and inventive knots in guy ropes. There were lessons in emergency tarp repair when Jobu dropped a limb on my tent (a small one, but it sounded like a gunshot from inside the tent).

All in all, the trip was a good one. I came home tired, but refreshed, and am looking forward to the next one.

Thanks, guys.

Gone to Texas

2009-03-25T07:24:00.002-04:00

Well, not exactly.

In about 90 minutes I'll back the Jeep out of the driveway and head for points North. Maybe I'll even get a chance to fish between downpours and stupid campfire tricks.

See y'all Sunday.

Ready to Roll

2009-03-24T18:05:00.004-04:00

The trailer is loaded, the Jeep is packed to the rafters with clothes, cameras, extra shoes, rain gear, and enough fishing tackle to eradicate at least one species in North Georgia.

I'm ready for the (predicted to be soggy) Spring edition of Mountain Madness 2009, a festival of pyromania and trout, good food, and good friends with a lubricant of beer thrown over the top.

Around 0900 tomorrow, I will be on the road to a) one convenience store for ice, b) WalMart for gas, c) WalMart in a town in Northeast Georgia to meet Greg (and more ice), and d) the campground. With any kind of luck at all, we should be setting up the dining canopy and tents before the monsoon starts. Around 1600 we should be joined by Ted, and early the next morning by the bulk of the Legion of Doom.

Assuming the rain does not ruin my cameras, I'll post some pictures on Sunday, after the carnage has run its course.

Stay well and enjoy life. I know I will for the next few days.

Yuk!

2009-03-24T06:27:00.002-04:00

According to most of the weather-guessers, we're in for a typical camping trip. Rain and an occasional thunderstorm ought to keep us busy putting the rain fly back on the kitchen. If nothing else, we should become adept at tying taught-line hitches in the guy ropes. The up side to this is that I sleep like a rock while the rain is falling on the fly over the tent. Thunder and wind, on the other hand keep me awake, but the storms are due during daylight. We can always go wheelin' in the rain.

Aside from the obvious impending dampness, I'm looking forward to this trip. I expect to have a local dry spot created by a LOD campfire, great food compliments of Greg, and a load of laughs thanks to the Legionnaires.

Since I'm on a roll about the weather, I think I ought to offer the following observation about The Weather Channel. I have never seen a group of people who derive so much satisfaction from imparting doom and gloom. There is a positive glow on the talking heads' faces when they're forecasting blizzards, tornadoes and other meteorological havoc. These people are absolute sadists. Even the local forecasts overstate the possibility of evil weather.

Watching these idiots makes me wonder how the heck humanity survived long enough to get to the point where fools like them can stand in front of a camera and tell the world how bad things are. What did our animal-skin-clad hunter-gatherer forebears do when the weather threatened? They quickly learned to get in out of the rain. Why were they not wiped out by the raging winds, freezing cold, and blazing heat? They learned to cope with the weather.

Rain, and the occasional thunderstorm is not the end of the world.

Y'all come to the mountain top and have some good, soggy fun.

Pay Before You Play

2009-03-22T17:50:00.005-04:00

Today has been one where I've taken advantage of a fortuitous alignment of the planets to get some long-standing chores out of the way.

Marilyn has departed to points east to visit with Missy and Vi, Gretchen has flown toward Gratis, and I'm full of energy thanks to about 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep. So, I used the opportunity to knock off some Jeep maintenance prior to our mountain trip. The brakes were squeaky, the heater blower only had two of its 4 speeds (loud and "What!!!???"), and the parking brake would only hold if it was uphill in both directions from where you parked.

On my way home from Wally-World this morning, I stopped into the local auto parts store and picked up new brake pads for all four corners. A four hours and a pending hernia later (33 x 12.50 tires are heavy), the Jeep stops on a dime, the emergency brake holds like a champ, and the heater now has 4 speeds.

The brake job took about an hour, most of it spent cleaning up the old parts. The e-brake fix took 5 minutes with a wrench and a pry bar to hold the linkage, but the replacement of the resistor for the blower took forever and a day. I spent nearly an hour trying to find the stupid thing. It's just a flat resistor, held in with two screws, with a 5 prong plug on one end that fits into the air distribution box near the blower. The genius who designed the Jeep put it directly behind a heater duct, and camouflaged it with a courtesy light and a 4-way junction in the wiring harness.

Once I found the thing, removed the light, loosened the duct, and warped the wiring harness out of the way, it only took 15 minutes to find the right sort of 5/16 inch wrench to remove the last screw. Putting the new one in took 3 hands and about 10 minutes of finagling to get the thing into the hole around the heater duct and wires. Putting the last screw in was a contortionist's nightmare. I was literally upside down between the passenger seat and the underside of the dash.

The only good part of the whole chore is that the resistor I bought months ago was the right part. That and the fact that it's done.

Now that the Jeep is cool for the trip, I get to spend tomorrow cleaning the camping dishes, and packing all the various tarps, tents, chairs, tables, stoves, saws, axes, lanterns, and sundries into the trailer so they can be unloaded in the order they're needed and ride without shifting.

Like I said, you've got to pay before you play.

Stay well.

Spring Has Sprung...

2009-03-20T10:58:00.004-04:00

...and it's time for the annual visit to Jobu-Land for the Legion of Doom's Mountain Madness.

Some time in the middle of next week, some where between 15 and 20 of my closest friends will join me in the woods of the Northeast Georgia mountains for 3 or 4 days of fellowship, fun, and fishing. Sons, sons-in-law, friends, friends of friends, relatives of friends of friends, and total strangers will camp together for what seems to be fated to be a soggy weekend.

About 25 years ago, my buddy Ted invited me to go trout fishing with him. We climbed into his truck, and headed toward the place where we now make our springtime pilgrimage. Once there, we met some of his friends, who became known as "The Wild Bunch". No one knows what has become of them, but Ted and I still fish in the same place.

One offshoot of this first trip was an urge to camp and fish. Over the years, we've learned to stay dry in downpours, warm in frigid weather, and to sweat when it's hot. The constant seems to be that each trip has increased the sophistication of our equipment, and the time required to set up and take down camp. When we arrive next week, we'll set up a gourmet outdoor kitchen under a 12x24 tarp, pitch tents, unload cords of firewood, and generally unwind.

The growth of my sons into young men, and their inclusion in some of our camping expeditions, instilled in them a desire to camp on their own. Young men being what they are, this soon gave birth to the Legion of Doom. These intrepid young men have surpassed Ted and I as professional campers. Their living accommodations include pop-up and hard sided camping trailers, and a collapsible bar, while Ted and I still use our tents.

Another area where we have been eclipsed is the building of campfires. The Legion are professional pyromaniacs. Some of their "stupid campfire tricks" are the things of legend.

Today I'll be going through the trailer, ensuring that the equipment is in order, and repairing and stowing enough equipment for a company of Marines.

Rest assured, when we camp, we do not rough it.

As someone once said, "I think I've fallen among thieves, thank the Lord."

I'm really looking forward to the weekend with old friends.

Stay well.

Happy Birthday, Slade

2009-03-19T19:28:00.002-04:00

Over the years, this family has run through a fair number of Sons-In-Law. You are by far the best so far, and I'm proud to have you as a part of the family.

I hope your birthday was a good one, and wish you many more.

Dad

The Attack of the Mole People

2009-03-12T17:05:00.004-04:00

My back yard looks like it was attacked by mole men. There are two huge mounds of earth that look like the ant colonies in "Them!". They are, in actuality, the remains of two huge pine stumps that were in the way of progress.

Progress, in this case, is the construction of a shed to house the yard maintenance equipment, Christmas decorations, and assorted rarely used stuff that's currently cluttering the garage. It's also going to have a covered area on one side where I can shelter the boat. Who knows, we might even be able to shelter a vehicle in the garage once this is completed.

Thanks to Sandy who put me on to Rex, the stump man, and Sara, who helped me back fill the craters.

If anyone needs a reasonable stump grinding service, let me know, and I can hook you up. He showed up when he said he would, was quick, and did great work. Thanks, Rex.

Stay well.

Note: I know, the fence needs to be pressure washed. :)

Happy Birthday, Sandy

2009-03-09T18:52:00.002-04:00

You've been a Joy for as long as I've known you.

Love ya much.

Dad

Wally the Weather Dog, You're Fired!

2009-03-01T16:50:00.002-05:00

You've let me down, big time. 3+ inches of rain in the last 3 days and now 5 inches of heavy, wet snow.

Well, at least I know what I'll be doing once this stuff melts.

I've got 4-6 inch diameter pine limbs falling like snowflakes. The upside is that the Legion of Doom should have a lot of fire wood for their spring get-together. The real problem is going to be getting the huge limb out of the crepe myrtle tree without committing crepe murder.

One other little chore that the snow has brought with it is some bodywork on the lawn mower. There's a limb across the hood and a small dent that will need to be tapped out.

At least the phone is back on. Yesterday's monsoon knocked out the phone service in most of Monroe for about 24 hours. It came back just after 4 PM. The funny thing is that the DSL was back on this morning, but the voice was out until 4. Kudos to Windstream for working through some really sloppy weather to get things back together.

The snow is interesting, but the reaction of the people to it is hilarious. Rednecks jump into their 4 wheel drive vehicles and cruise around trying to get into trouble. Regular folks who see snow on the roads every 10 years or so try to burn down to clean pavement and spin their way up the hill in front of the house. Once the "I can make it up this hill" crowd is done packing the snow in front of my house, the kids are out sliding down the hill on cookie sheets. It's actually kind of neat to see people playing in it.

I remember when 5 inches of snow was nothing. Of course, that was in Cleveland where they have enough snow removal equipment to plow all of Georgia. One result of growing up with, and learning to drive in snow is that both of my 4 wheel drive vehicles are setting in the driveway, and will remain there until the roads are clear or I have an emergency that will require leaving the house. Trying to drive in this stuff, in this part of the world, is an invitation to be hit by someone who does not know that it takes 4 times as much distance to stop on snow, and that driving slowly (as opposed to the normal 10 over the limit) is probably a good idea.

Stay warm and dry, and stay in if you can.

Thank You, All

2009-02-25T19:31:00.002-05:00

I just want to thank all of the family who showed up on very short notice to (belatedly) celebrate my birthday. It was a great gathering.

I am truly blessed to have family like y'all.

Thank you for the effort in putting the get-together together, preparing the food, and celebrating with me.

Love you much.

Thursday

2009-02-19T18:20:00.002-05:00

An interesting day.

It started with a phone call from my son saying that the lovely Sara was not as lovely as usual. She had contracted the same GI crud that swept through this household earlier in the week, and would be at home today. I hope she is recovering quickly. If she had the same crud I did, the majority of the ill effects are gone in 24 hours.
Get well soon, Sara.

After the disappointing phone call, I had an internal debate about whether or not to attend my former boss' going-away luncheon. I decided in favor of seeing a lot of old friends one more time, and did not regret it. The people were all worth seeing one more time, and the food at the Olive Garden was good.

George, you're a stand-up-guy, and I wish you the best in your new job. Good luck to you and your family. Stay true to yourself.

After lunch I dropped in on my buddies at the outdoor store in Covington, and let them in on the secret regarding my recent retirement. I think I convinced them that I'm not hurting. I also got to look at the new Taurus revolver, a small frame 6 shot that looks like it ought to sell like crazy. A nice piece with the bonus of an extra round of .38 Special over their competition's 5-shooters.

By the time I got home, Marilyn was ready to go adventuring and visit a new grocery store. :) Gracie, Wally, and I are awaiting her return as this is written.

The grille is warming, the steaks are thawing, I'm 800 miles from lake effect snow, and all's right with the world.

Stay well.

Thank you...

2009-02-17T19:15:00.003-05:00

...to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday today.

Despite the fact that my granddaughter brought the plague to our house on Valentine's Day, and gave it to Gretchen and myself, (and I think Marilyn, but she won't admit it :) ) it was a good day. My physical condition has been improving all day, and I'm feeling much better.

Thank you all for all the good wishes.

Update: I also want to thank all of you for the gift certificate. We'll have to set up a time when all or most of the guys can get together to use it.

Thanks again.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-13T18:13:00.004-05:00

To all of the women in my life: Marilyn for being the best part of me for most of my life through all the highs and lows, Mom for being Mom with all that entails, Mom K for being Marilyn's Mom, Sandy for being a true Joy in my life, Gretchen for reminding me daily of the power of redemption, Laura and Missy for choosing to join my family.

I love you.

To my grandchildren: Tyler, Sara, Sam, and Violet:

You all are a pleasure to be around and a source of constant delight. I love you, too.

And to the Guys: Bob, Jon, and Slade:

You're OK too. :)

Have a great day.

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

2009-02-12T11:47:00.004-05:00

Like Dickens said, it was good and bad. I am referring to my tenure with Lithonia Lighting/Acuity Brands.

When it was Lithonia Lighting, it was a family of people who were working together to manufacture and distribute some of the best commercial lighting fixtures the world has seen. When it became Acuity Brands Lighting, the old, "grown up in the lighting industry" management slowly disappeared and the model changed to a big business. The sense of family went out of the company.

Through most of this, I spent nearly 37 years doing almost everything in IT. I was a computer operator, systems analyst, program developer, business analyst, and database engineer. I worked nights and weekends, sacrificed time with my family and friends, and generally gave my all for the company.

Wednesday of last week, they called me into a conference room with an HR representative, told me I was through working at AB, escorted me to my desk to get my coat, and then showed me the door. The whole process took less than 5 minutes.

I hope the folks who orchestrated the reduction in force last week can sleep well. I know that if I had to do it, I would do it considerably differently. Turning long time employees out like felons because the budget needs to be reduced is not a good way to convince your work force that they're working for a good company. It is also a good way to create a lot of needless animosity in the people being released.

My (former) boss was so upset with the way they handled my release, that he turned in his resignation on Monday. I wish him and his family the best in his new endeavors. In the interest of full disclosure, he was looking around before the RIF, but the way we were released was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Please don't worry about me. The severance was adequate, and on reflection, I feel like a freed slave.

As for what I will do now, I think I'm going to take a few weeks to get my head around my new situation, and decide if I want to retire into relative poverty, find a new position in IT, or seek employment in another line.

To those of you at AB who are reading this, I consider you all my friends, and deeply appreciate the time we had together. Working with you was an honor and a privilege.

Stay well.

The Weekend

2009-02-01T10:07:00.003-05:00

It's Sunday, and I guess I ought to bring y'all up to date on the last few days.

As I was leaving work to come sit with Sara on Wednesday, I felt a pain above my right eye as I walked into the sunlight. It was my old buddy Iritis returning to make my attitude sour. By Thursday morning I was in some serious pain every time the light level changed. Staring at a computer screen was torture. I called the ophthalmologist, and, Praise The LORD, he'd had a cancellation at 0930. By 1015 I was on my way home with my self-diagnosis confirmed and a bottle of steroid eye drops and a card telling me to come back in 10 days in my pocket. The treatment seems to be working. 4 drops a day seems to keep me from punching holes in the sheet rock.

Feeling somewhat better, Friday was my standing appointment to fellowship with Jon at the Firing Lane. He could not make it, so I amused myself by punching .45 caliber holes in paper. 175 rounds later, I was satisfied with the .45 and switched the slide over to .22. More good times, and a seriously perforated target later, I was ready to come home to watch Sara.

Sara is a joy. Aside from the inevitable 11-year-old's aversion to homework, she's a pleasure to be around. She's full of enthusiasm for just about everything, and it's infectious.

Saturday, I decided that the rear seat needed to go back into the Jeep. It's been taking up room in the garage since the Legion of Doom's Spring Thing last year, and I really needed the space. A simple job turned into a two-day frustration. The seat went in without a hitch, but the center seat belt seems to have absconded to Argentina. I'm sure it's in the garage, but where I put it for safe keeping has eluded me for the time being. I guess it's not much of a problem since the only thing that rides back there, most of the time, is the range bag. Still, it's a loose end that's driving me nuts.

Another event on Saturday was a challenge from a Facebook friend to take the "How Southern Are You" test. I'm happy to say that, despite being born and raised in Ohio, I have become a complete Confederate.

Today, I get to make my normal run to Wal-Mart for a newspaper and other goodies, then go back to the range with Bob and Slade. There's a .30 cal ammo can full of .45 ACP that needs emptying. There's nothing worse than stale ammo. :)

Time to run to Wally World.

Stay warm and well.

PS Happy Birthday, Nicki! Hope you're well and happy.

Blog Honest "Award"

2009-01-31T05:07:00.002-05:00

A couple of days ago, my daughter-in-law "honored" me with the Honest Scrap Blogger's Award. The rules are only 2. First list ten true and entertaining things about yourself. Second, forward this to 7 bloggers who you think deserving. (Note, I make it a practice not to spam people with chain letters and the like, so I'm going to violate the second rule and leave the "forwarding" up to any blogger who reads this. Feel free to copy the picture and consider yourself "Awarded".)

That said, here's the list.

1. I have been blessed for 40+ years to be friend and husband to Marilyn. She is a rock, a delight to be around, a wonderful mother and grandmother, and a blessing to everybody who knows her.

2. I met her in the middle of Main Street in Concordia, Missouri on September 19, 1967, and have been in love with her ever since. Concordia had a population of 1,871 in 1967 (it was on the city limit sign), and she was in a crowd of 5,000 people who were attending the Concordia Fall festival. Details here.

3. I've worked for the same company for nearly 37 years, all of it in IT. Well, to be perfectly honest, the company has morphed into something other than the one that hired me as a computer operator, changed names a couple of times, and replaced all but a few of the people I knew when I started, but I've been driving to the same building for 36 years, 10 months, and 11 days. Call me a slow learner.

4. I tolerate cats and love dogs. Dogs would be perfect if they purred, but I can be content with a smile and wagging tail when I come come.

5. I'm an aspiring fly fisherman. I don't think anybody ever gets really good at fly fishing. Believe it or not, there is a real challenge in trying to fool something with a brain the size of an English pea with feathers wrapped around a hook. A trout's brain may be half the size of its eyes, but it's good at what it was designed for, watching out for food and predators.

6. I thank God daily for the gift of his Son. I don't know (or want to know) what kind of person I would be if it were not for Cheap Grace. The "problem" with this gift is that it makes you want to share it. Read Ephesians 2.

7. I'm a tool junkie, part time mechanic, and a lousy welder (but I'm working on that). I could open a Lowe's Tool World from my garage. I've got tools that I've forgotten what I bought them for, tools I inherited, and tools that I've made for a specific job and will probably never use again.

8. My children and grandchildren are all from Lake Wobegone (where all the children are exceptional). They're all a source of constant delight and wonder. My kids are all exceedingly intelligent since they've all chosen spouses who are a compliment to their own personalities and smarter than they are. :) I'm grateful that all of them are a part of my family.

9. I'm a fair pistol shot. If I'm ever attacked by a guy dressed like my favorite target in a white shirt with an orange block in the middle, standing perfectly still against a black background, between 7 and 15 yards away, he's in deep trouble. :)

10. I've been truly blessed with a great wife, wonderful children, delightful grandchildren, good friends, and a God who gave me the beautiful outdoors to play in, a place to work to provide for my family, enough money to live comfortably and indulge my whims, and health good enough to enjoy life. Thank you.

I could go on, but I sense your interest is disappearing, and I've listed my 10 things.

Like I said at the beginning, I try not to forward stuff, so if you read this and are up to the challenge, knock yourself out.

Stay well and keep moving.

Some days....

2009-01-25T09:24:00.005-05:00

...I feel like this:

Other days, I feel like this:

Keep smiling.

Loopy

2009-01-24T12:16:00.004-05:00

Just a quick observation: Homer Formby had a chemical dependency. His Furniture Refinisher performs as advertised, but should have the warning "Use with adequate ventilation" In BOLD red letters emblazoned on the front of the can! I think I see pink birdies, but the old chair in the garage is looking great!. :)

Stay well and warm.

The Oxygen Tent

2009-01-22T11:20:00.004-05:00

Back when mastodons still roamed the tundra, Marilyn and I lived in Seward Nebraska. I was attempting to attend school at Concordia Teachers College, and we lived in an apartment converted from the part of the second floor of an old house. We had been blessed about a year earlier with the gift of a son.

One day, Marilyn was working in the kitchen, and Bobby was "helping". There was a bottle of spot remover on the table, and Bobby managed to grab it, twist the cap off, and spill it all over his face. It rapidly became obvious that he was not doing well.

We rushed him to the hospital where the diagnosis was chemical pneumonitis, and the treatment was to put the obviously sick little tyke in a crib with an oxygen tent over it. The treatment worked, Bobby recovered (mostly) and we learned to secure the chemicals in our house.

While he was recovering in the plastic covered crib, he exhibited a behavior that in retrospect should have scared the hell out of me. As he began to feel better, he would stand up in the crib, put his face directly in front of the oxygen inlet, and suck in pure 02 until he hyperventilated, got dizzy and fell down. He'd sit on the mattress until his head started to clear and then do it all over again. Who knows, maybe this hastened his recovery.

The reason for relating this tale is to introduce you to another blog. The Legion of Doom has it's own blog, created and managed by my firstborn. Check out The Adventures of the Legion of Doom and you will understand why I said earlier that he had mostly recovered.

Stay warm and laugh often.

January 20 - A Day for Celebration

2009-01-19T20:04:00.004-05:00

Despite the circus going on in our nation's capital, January 20 is a day that needs to be celebrated. It's Marilyn's birthday. She's been my rock and strong right arm for almost 40 years, and I love her more each day we're together.

Marilyn, thank you for sticking with me. I wish you many happy returns of the day.

Love,

Bob

Things Eagerly Awaited

2009-01-17T07:34:00.008-05:00

Since my muse is still trout fishing in Argentina, I offer a list of the things I'm looking forward to this year.

Celebrations:

40 years Married to Marilyn. What can I say? You've been patient and loving for more years than a lot of the people who read this have been breathing. There's not a day that goes by that I don't love you more.

Birthdays. Missy, Marilyn, me, Sandy, Slade, Bob, Gretchen, Sara, Laura, Tyler, Sam, Violet, and Jon.

Anniversaries. Marilyn and me, Bob and Laura, Sandy and Slade, and Jon and Missy.

Holiday family gatherings. Pick a holiday, we will probably be together as a family, searing mammal flesh, eating, and generally getting along with each other. I'm blessed with a family mostly without rivalries and conflicts.

Activities:

Camping with the Legion of Doom. They're good people, even if they are a little beyond the pale. The spring thing and fall freak-out are high points on my calendar, fitting tributes to the philosophy that "Nothing Exceeds like Excess". :)

Fishing with my sons. We've got to arrange a trip with just the 3 of us to spend a weekend in the mountains chasing trout. We talked about this last year. This year we need to do it.

Yard work. I'm ready for the weather to warm up enough to start dealing with the winter trash, wild onions in the lawn, azaleas, fallen limbs, fence painting, shed building and poop scooping. The good (?) thing about where I live is that this is typically only a month away.

Montana. I'm ready to go back. I might even fly this time...or not. The Lap of America was fun. Maybe I should get a new truck for the trip.

Truck and tractor restoration. It's about time to get back into rehabilitating the truck. 20 years in the weather, and a couple of traffic-related Oh-Craps have taken a toll on the paint. With a little luck and once I overcome my inertia, it should be ready for Tyler to inherit it. Fergie needs some TLC, too. The TO-30 needs to be in shape to break up the stream of green in the local parades.

Jeep. I've got half a garage full of stuff that needs to go on the Jeep. Come on warm weather! Note: Warning to Sons - some of this is going to need an extra set of hands. :)

Finding a new walking companion. I miss the walks with Ruby. I think it's closing in on time for a new dog. Maybe something slightly smaller and less frantic than she was (I know, she does not look real frantic in the picture), but I need somebody to ride shotgun in the Jeep.

Just thinking about all this stuff has made me tired. The antidote for tired is activity, so it's time to get up and start moving.

Y'all stay warm.

Brain Static

2009-01-16T06:31:00.002-05:00

I've been suffering from a serious case of Don't-feel-entertaining-itis lately. Being creative on a regular basis is sometimes a strain.

Strain or no, here are some random thoughts:

I dislike cats less than I hate cat-sicles. Last night, the temp dropped to 14 here in the sunny South, and I let our "the world is my litter box" outside cat into the house. She's currently asleep on the back of a chair here in the den. Her parole is up when I head out later this morning, but I'll probably relent and let her back in tonight.

Speaking of cats, Gracie is learning some social skills. She no longer feels compelled to use her claws for everything. When she ambushes your ankles on the dark stairs, it's more of a "Tag-You're-It" attack than a "You're Lunch" thing. Did I mention that I dislike cats?

Sara is a delight. Yesterday, she was having conniptions over the computer. She was in some online game and was banging her head against the desk trying to find a map. After a while the grumbling ceased, and she announced that she was done with the game for today. She's certainly learned to deal well with frustration.

Did I mention that it's COLD!!! Last night at about 3 AM I heard a clanking sound on the front porch. We no longer have to worry about a herd of brass monkeys around here. I expect a further gelding of the monkey herd tonight. It's predicted that the temperature will drop to 9.

My blood has thinned considerably since I left Cleveland 40-some-odd years ago.

Cleveland is a great place to be from. Far from. I don't think I've quite gone far enough. Costa Rica?

Wally the Weather Dog has predicted further cold, and is looking at me with his "Open the darn door so I can harass the kitten" look, so I guess I better get off my butt and follow orders.

Pray for our Nation, and stay warm.

Sunday

2009-01-11T15:37:00.003-05:00

Today dawned cold and gray...and pretty much stayed that way.

Marilyn had worked the last 2 days, and yesterday had tweaked her back/neck/shoulder while caring for a land whale. The woman somehow fell, and Marilyn, two doctors, and another nurse had to get her 450 pounds back onto the exam table. Something had to give, and it was Marilyn's back. Fortunately it seems to be muscle strain, nothing skeletal, and Advil and rest seem to be helping.

Around 9 Marilyn started to stir, and Wally came down stairs to be let out of the house. He went into the back yard, and picked a fight with one of the outside cats. Gretchen ran out to referee, and Wally spent a couple of hours in the cold thinking about revenge on the cat.

I made my usual newspaper run to Wal-Mart around 11, and when I got home, let Wally in. Marilyn took some more Advil and went to lie down. Wally went along to make sure none of the cats attacked her while she was sleeping.

He's gotten really disgusting lately with all the rain, mud, and cat slashes, so we decided he needed a bath. Wally may be the weather dog, but he does not take kindly to having water sprayed on him. After what seemed like about 3 hours, but was probably more like 20 minutes, the bath was done, and though he will never be beautiful, Wally now looks considerably better, and smells a lot more like something you would want to let into your house.

Marilyn seems to be feeling better, there are old movies on the Old Movie Channel, and all's right with the world.

Just another sleepy Sunday in Monroe.

Stay well, and stay warm.