2014
Angels in Winter
29/12/14 17:50
Not sure that I believe in guardian angels but I think I may have a couple hanging around wanting to make life easier for me. They must be looking to earn their wings because their timing is not always impeccable and their so-called miracles lack a certain extravagance that a more mature angel might otherwise bestow in a time of need. Why is it that they come through in a pinch when I'm looking for a parking spot or when I'm looking for something that I've lost but are nowhere to be found when I need them to do some heavy lifting? I'm embarrassed to admit that I call upon them from time to time for a helping hand but seldom ask for their assistance when I have more serious issues to deal with. I don't mean to sound ungrateful or whiny but I could really use their help now and I'm just not feeling the love. I'm not even sure that when I say "they" that there is more than one involved. Stand up and be counted, damn you! This is where you earn your wings! You want the full force of my appreciation and love it is up to you to engage me and those I love as you never have before. Do you think I enjoy sitting in a Starbuck's on a rainy Sunday morning writing about angels and graveyards? I don't. These are places I'm not wanting to go so don't take me there. Do what you do and do as angels do and that is all I ask of you. Leave the heavy lifting to me.
Top of the morning to you, world! The day after Rollie's party is always a time of reflection. It is something that is best done with others who were in attendance and others who saw things as I did. Opposing views are welcome, of course. There is no question that Rollie and his family did their best to roll out the welcome mat for the family and their loved ones. The food was plentiful; the beverages ran the gamut from coffee to ice water and everything in between; and the gifts were smartly wrapped. There were, as always, one or two extra grab gifts for folks who showed up unexpectedly. In the event there were no unexpected attendees, those gifts became the property of the youngest child in attendance or whomever happened to unwrap them when all was said and done. The family pets were front and center this time around as they always are when we pay a visit during the holidays. That is to say, Prince spent most of this time looking for wrapping paper to chew on after getting all the attention he could from his adoring fams of which there were many.
To a person, everyone looked reasonably good all things considered. Ray Lyn, the youngest child there, spent most of her time sprawled out on the floor in front of the fireplace contorting her spindly little body this way and that way. Talk about a bundle of energy. She placed a respectable 2nd or 3rd in a recent gymnastic competition and Rollie was rooting from the sidelines while urging her to get herself a Russian trainer as soon as possible in order to advance her form. After a few more flips and very impressive handstands she finally settled down and tore into a box of chocolates to pass the time. Did I mention that Evan stayed behind at the hotel room? He just wasn't feeling up to the task of attending and we didn't have the heart to force the issue. Not that it would have done us any good. He must have been exceedingly borderline since I know he enjoys going to Rollie's house and wouldn't otherwise miss it. He did feel well enough once we returned later that evening to get out for a ride and a quick bite to eat before going up to the village for a quick walk up and down the deserted streets of Lake George. I'd forgotten just how desolate that town becomes once the tourists leave for the season. I think that walk did us all good and it was a nice way to end the day.
Denise and Rollie had lots to say about their trips to Hawaii and Europe respectably. Rollie's story line had less to do with sights and sounds and more to do with his responsibilities as a father of a teenage daughter wanting to broaden her world view while protecting her from the vermin who would ravage her without a second thought were he to turn his attention away for a mere moment. That wasn't going to happen on his watch. It was almost with regret that he recounted his personal feelings about the experience and at times he sounded more like a chaperone than a loving dad taking in the sights with his family. He also confided in us that he wanted to see the area as our father saw the area some fifty years ago during world war 11 when the Americans were one of many liberating forces marching through Europe. It was perhaps too long ago and very much a different time so making that connection was more difficult. That in no way diminished Rollie's desire to make that connection and to some extent I have to believe he was successful. Denise remarked that the island of Kona, or at least the area she visited, was built largely on lava and that came as a bit of a surprise to her. It was also a very long trip which made it tiring according the Denise so I think it's safe to assume that she would not be returning any time soon.
Top of the morning to you, world! The day after Rollie's party is always a time of reflection. It is something that is best done with others who were in attendance and others who saw things as I did. Opposing views are welcome, of course. There is no question that Rollie and his family did their best to roll out the welcome mat for the family and their loved ones. The food was plentiful; the beverages ran the gamut from coffee to ice water and everything in between; and the gifts were smartly wrapped. There were, as always, one or two extra grab gifts for folks who showed up unexpectedly. In the event there were no unexpected attendees, those gifts became the property of the youngest child in attendance or whomever happened to unwrap them when all was said and done. The family pets were front and center this time around as they always are when we pay a visit during the holidays. That is to say, Prince spent most of this time looking for wrapping paper to chew on after getting all the attention he could from his adoring fams of which there were many.
To a person, everyone looked reasonably good all things considered. Ray Lyn, the youngest child there, spent most of her time sprawled out on the floor in front of the fireplace contorting her spindly little body this way and that way. Talk about a bundle of energy. She placed a respectable 2nd or 3rd in a recent gymnastic competition and Rollie was rooting from the sidelines while urging her to get herself a Russian trainer as soon as possible in order to advance her form. After a few more flips and very impressive handstands she finally settled down and tore into a box of chocolates to pass the time. Did I mention that Evan stayed behind at the hotel room? He just wasn't feeling up to the task of attending and we didn't have the heart to force the issue. Not that it would have done us any good. He must have been exceedingly borderline since I know he enjoys going to Rollie's house and wouldn't otherwise miss it. He did feel well enough once we returned later that evening to get out for a ride and a quick bite to eat before going up to the village for a quick walk up and down the deserted streets of Lake George. I'd forgotten just how desolate that town becomes once the tourists leave for the season. I think that walk did us all good and it was a nice way to end the day.
Denise and Rollie had lots to say about their trips to Hawaii and Europe respectably. Rollie's story line had less to do with sights and sounds and more to do with his responsibilities as a father of a teenage daughter wanting to broaden her world view while protecting her from the vermin who would ravage her without a second thought were he to turn his attention away for a mere moment. That wasn't going to happen on his watch. It was almost with regret that he recounted his personal feelings about the experience and at times he sounded more like a chaperone than a loving dad taking in the sights with his family. He also confided in us that he wanted to see the area as our father saw the area some fifty years ago during world war 11 when the Americans were one of many liberating forces marching through Europe. It was perhaps too long ago and very much a different time so making that connection was more difficult. That in no way diminished Rollie's desire to make that connection and to some extent I have to believe he was successful. Denise remarked that the island of Kona, or at least the area she visited, was built largely on lava and that came as a bit of a surprise to her. It was also a very long trip which made it tiring according the Denise so I think it's safe to assume that she would not be returning any time soon.
One Foot in the Grave
29/12/14 17:24
Another caffeine fueled day at the keyboard. Welcome to Lake George Johnny boy. Not sure where the sun went since today was supposed to be sunny. I should be thankful that it's not snowing. In fact, I remarked to Nancy yesterday on our drive here that this is probably the best few days of weather that we've ever had in making the trip here over the holidays. We'll get on over to Rollie's around 1 PM and see where that takes us. It will be good to see the folks since I haven't seen them for a while. Not since the end of September really when we were wrapping up our summer vacation on Katskill Bay. The realtor sent us a lease for this upcoming year where we were thinking of staying at the same place. I'm not so sure now. I just don't know where we'll be in September of 2015. Where will Evan be? Where will Nancy be? I'm not hopeful that we'll be in a better place despite our best efforts to get there. For now, we're happy to have a change of scenery and that is more than anything else why we are where we are today. A change of scenery with the hopes of breathing a little easier on several fronts. Most all having to do with everyone's collective and individual state of mind and overall health.
If this is any indication of just how disorganized and disjointed our lives are I can point to two quick examples; One being the fact that we forgot to bring a check for Rollie which we promised to do; the other has to do with the grab gift we purchased months ago and which not surprisingly fell off our list and out of sight when we were checking our list and checking it twice. We bought the gift but forgot to bring it when making the trip here to Lake George. That Tupperware would have been a nice grab for someone had we brought it. It wasn't too many parties ago that someone else brought the same thing and it was an instant hit. I try to keep it original in that bringing something someone else brought in years past is not something that I would ordinarily consider. In a twisted sort of way, I'm not losing any sleep over forgetting the Tupperware. I can always use another set of those containers so not to worry.
The more I think of it the more I think that going to the family grave site while we're in town may not be a good idea this time around. There are too many tie-in's to our current situation where the end result could bring us full circle to such a place and that is not a visual I'm wanting to entertain in any way, shape, or form. For the faint of heart, or otherwise emotionally compromised, it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. For one standing too close to the edge of the cliff, it could be the whisper of wind that nudges them off into the abyss. For one who struggles to cope with such scenarios, it could be the one scenario that is one scenario too many. You can only shed so many tears and I fear a few would be shed were we to visit the site. Not for those buried there, mind you, but for the possibilities that have yet to play out in the near term for those of us still alive. When and where there are matter of the heart in the mix, and there are more than a few here, we'll not do anything to make matters worse. I will say that things are likely to get worse before they get better so trips to the graveyard can wait. We may get there sooner or later but for now it can wait.
If this is any indication of just how disorganized and disjointed our lives are I can point to two quick examples; One being the fact that we forgot to bring a check for Rollie which we promised to do; the other has to do with the grab gift we purchased months ago and which not surprisingly fell off our list and out of sight when we were checking our list and checking it twice. We bought the gift but forgot to bring it when making the trip here to Lake George. That Tupperware would have been a nice grab for someone had we brought it. It wasn't too many parties ago that someone else brought the same thing and it was an instant hit. I try to keep it original in that bringing something someone else brought in years past is not something that I would ordinarily consider. In a twisted sort of way, I'm not losing any sleep over forgetting the Tupperware. I can always use another set of those containers so not to worry.
The more I think of it the more I think that going to the family grave site while we're in town may not be a good idea this time around. There are too many tie-in's to our current situation where the end result could bring us full circle to such a place and that is not a visual I'm wanting to entertain in any way, shape, or form. For the faint of heart, or otherwise emotionally compromised, it could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. For one standing too close to the edge of the cliff, it could be the whisper of wind that nudges them off into the abyss. For one who struggles to cope with such scenarios, it could be the one scenario that is one scenario too many. You can only shed so many tears and I fear a few would be shed were we to visit the site. Not for those buried there, mind you, but for the possibilities that have yet to play out in the near term for those of us still alive. When and where there are matter of the heart in the mix, and there are more than a few here, we'll not do anything to make matters worse. I will say that things are likely to get worse before they get better so trips to the graveyard can wait. We may get there sooner or later but for now it can wait.
Driving Miss Daisy
26/12/14 07:57
Who goes biking on Christmas day? It was comfortably warm yesterday with temperatures in the upper 40's and a pretty good breeze kicking up here on the coast. Not the kind of weather you expect or even want especially if you have sleds sitting under your tree. It was so nice, in fact, that Nancy and I took our bikes for a ride. I have news for you. We weren't alone. There were runners in shorts, scores of bikers, and surfers busy with their boards riding what I would refer to as dinky waves here in southern New Hampshire. Dinky does as dinky do as they say but if that is what they want to do with their time on Christmas Day I say have at it. There were probably an equal number of passerby's in the comfort of their vehicles who thought the two of us to be daft in our own right. They would be correct in that line of inquiry. As nice as it was, it felt every bit incongruous as it most likley appeared. I even removed a couple of items of clothing along the way after gusts of wind failed to produce anything even close to a wind chill. We were happy to have the exercise and with any luck at all we'll have another chance or two between now and the end of the year for a repeat performance. Can you think of another way to otherwise celebrate the fact that the hours of daylight from here on in will just be getting longer? Tell that to Mother Nature.
"What about my mother," my darling inquired. In other words, she was telling me directly or indirectly to clear my schedule. There are familial responsibilities to attend to and that was that. At a minimum, we would take her mum for a drive and who knows after that. With it being Christmas day there were probably very few if any places to frequent so we would settle, as would she, for getting out of the house for a bit. Mrs G does enjoy her rides and it is one thing to drive yourself and quite another to ride shotgun with your son-in-law driving where you have a chance to take in the surroundings and opine as you see fit. If she tells me to go one way, I go the other. If she points with her finger in one direction I'll swerve in the other. Just call me Mr. Contrarian. Truth be told, I've never taken direction particularly well and may even take some perverse pleasure in doing as I please regardless of how well intentioned the voices around me are. Johnny alway knows best! That is, until he doesn't. We shared the usual laughs and enjoyed going over the recently renovated Sagamore Bridge that connects our town with Portsmouth. It has been out of commission for the better part of a year forcing us on to the more often than not congested route one to get into town to frequent coffee shops and restaurants. Driving through Portsmouth was somewhat eerie with an absolute absence of traffic on foot or otherwise. The downtown businesses were taking what apeared to be a well deserved rest after a long year and a busy, hectic, and prosperous shopping season leading up to Christmas. And a good night to all....
At the last minute, Evan decided to join us for the ride so it was nice to have him along. Good, in fact, to get him out of the house. We opened presents in the early afternoon after our bike ride and after having a bite to eat. I made some scrumptious BLT's for the family with turkey bacon from Trader Joes and they may have even been beyond scrumptious. Evan had one and then another and I couldn't keep them coming fast enough or so it seemed. BLT's are, by most accounts, not winter fare but seemed just right with the warmer temperatures hereabouts. The chicken and vegetables we bought to prepare for our Christmas meal would have to wait. There was a window of opportunity for both our bike ride and our christmas dinner and we took advantage of one but not the other. The late afternoon brought more cloud cover and cooler temperatures but the ride was thankfully behind us. The drive into town and opening presents at Mrs G's took us into early evening and it was simply too late to prepare a larger meal. Evan was not interested in having chicken for dinner anyway and I was happy to have a salad for my meal. As I sit here this morning I think I forgot to make myself a cup of coffee after arriving back home last night. No wonder the cup of java I'm now enjoying tastes so good.
"What about my mother," my darling inquired. In other words, she was telling me directly or indirectly to clear my schedule. There are familial responsibilities to attend to and that was that. At a minimum, we would take her mum for a drive and who knows after that. With it being Christmas day there were probably very few if any places to frequent so we would settle, as would she, for getting out of the house for a bit. Mrs G does enjoy her rides and it is one thing to drive yourself and quite another to ride shotgun with your son-in-law driving where you have a chance to take in the surroundings and opine as you see fit. If she tells me to go one way, I go the other. If she points with her finger in one direction I'll swerve in the other. Just call me Mr. Contrarian. Truth be told, I've never taken direction particularly well and may even take some perverse pleasure in doing as I please regardless of how well intentioned the voices around me are. Johnny alway knows best! That is, until he doesn't. We shared the usual laughs and enjoyed going over the recently renovated Sagamore Bridge that connects our town with Portsmouth. It has been out of commission for the better part of a year forcing us on to the more often than not congested route one to get into town to frequent coffee shops and restaurants. Driving through Portsmouth was somewhat eerie with an absolute absence of traffic on foot or otherwise. The downtown businesses were taking what apeared to be a well deserved rest after a long year and a busy, hectic, and prosperous shopping season leading up to Christmas. And a good night to all....
At the last minute, Evan decided to join us for the ride so it was nice to have him along. Good, in fact, to get him out of the house. We opened presents in the early afternoon after our bike ride and after having a bite to eat. I made some scrumptious BLT's for the family with turkey bacon from Trader Joes and they may have even been beyond scrumptious. Evan had one and then another and I couldn't keep them coming fast enough or so it seemed. BLT's are, by most accounts, not winter fare but seemed just right with the warmer temperatures hereabouts. The chicken and vegetables we bought to prepare for our Christmas meal would have to wait. There was a window of opportunity for both our bike ride and our christmas dinner and we took advantage of one but not the other. The late afternoon brought more cloud cover and cooler temperatures but the ride was thankfully behind us. The drive into town and opening presents at Mrs G's took us into early evening and it was simply too late to prepare a larger meal. Evan was not interested in having chicken for dinner anyway and I was happy to have a salad for my meal. As I sit here this morning I think I forgot to make myself a cup of coffee after arriving back home last night. No wonder the cup of java I'm now enjoying tastes so good.
Come to Jesus
25/12/14 05:24
Merry Christmas all! Here is hoping that the holiday season brings you and yours much happiness and joy in the waning days of 2014. What the fuck does that mean? It means that you should take a few minutes to celebrate the birth of the baby jesus and throw a scheckel or two in the fountain for good luck in the new year. I know it's open season on Christians and police officers across the country but we shouldn't otherwise duck our responsibilities to family and friends just because the "Hands up - Don't Shoot" crowd is sucking the oxygen out of the cold winter air with their rhetoric and antics. If you want to go to the mall then you should go to the mall. Oh, and we can't forget the "I Can't Breathe" crowd. False narratives all but reason enough apparently to take to the streets looting, robbing, and killing as they see fit. They say we need to have a national conversation. They say they want a seat at the table. They say their voices have gone unheard long enough. What's next? Reparations? I suppose the first black president could with a stroke of his pen intitate such an executive order. Maybe what we're seeing is the dying gasp of a people who had hoped for better things under a president with whom they had skin color in common but not much else. The time for conversation has come and gone. When Al Sharpton's access to the White House is a thing of the past he too will be excoriated by his bretheren as the race baiting pimp that he is and forgotten until another opportunity arises where he can ply his trade. The end of this regime is near. That is the only conversation I'm interested in having.
But I digress. We're thankful certainly that Evan will be spending time with us around the holidays. That was doubtful as early as yesterday but all matters were resolved in the eyes of his keepers so home he will be. We'll work as a family to see him through these times which have been trying and even surprising to some. It's the train we never saw coming. We never heard it; we never saw it; it just arrived. It was threatening to be another one of those treeless Christmas's the likes we haven't seen since the days of St. Thomas. Everything about this holiday has been a chore. A challenge and not a joy. Maybe we missed the signs along the way. I'm not sure that's true. I think the signs have been there all along. It wasn't something we ignored. Evan was just Evan. Anyway, I forgot to have a chat with him about his putting something under the tree for his momma. There just wasn't time. He wasn't available and I wasn't available. So his momma bought something for herself which she will wrap and I will tell Evan to make it his gift to her. But, we had the tree up by the time Evan came home and that was good. I had all I could do to drag the tree into the house so she could decorate it and this was as of yesterday morning the day before Christmas. No sooner had he arrived on our doorstep then he was leaving the house to spend time with friends. "Better that he be socializing than not", I uttered to his momma. The tears in her eyes suggested otherwise.
I tell myself every year around this time that I will make more of an effort to look at work related things on my time off. As funny as that sounds, I have things to do that are better done away from the office. Some analysis is better done while not immersed in the distracting din of the office environment. Some reports are better prepared in the quiet of my home where I have a stretch of time to commit to them. I am in the final days of my time with this company so hope to go out with a flourish in 2015. Finish strong is what I often tell Evan and I don't say that in a half hearted fashion. Now I get to practice what I preach or not. The desire is there but history tells me that it is more difficult than it sounds. I enjoy the work so that isn't the problem. I guess we'll see. For today anyway, I will enjoy time with my family. We'll roast a chicken and some vegetables later today. We'll open presents when everyone gets out of bed and enjoy each others company. We'll ring up relatives at some point and issue the usual holiday cheer. It's all good. At least for today.
But I digress. We're thankful certainly that Evan will be spending time with us around the holidays. That was doubtful as early as yesterday but all matters were resolved in the eyes of his keepers so home he will be. We'll work as a family to see him through these times which have been trying and even surprising to some. It's the train we never saw coming. We never heard it; we never saw it; it just arrived. It was threatening to be another one of those treeless Christmas's the likes we haven't seen since the days of St. Thomas. Everything about this holiday has been a chore. A challenge and not a joy. Maybe we missed the signs along the way. I'm not sure that's true. I think the signs have been there all along. It wasn't something we ignored. Evan was just Evan. Anyway, I forgot to have a chat with him about his putting something under the tree for his momma. There just wasn't time. He wasn't available and I wasn't available. So his momma bought something for herself which she will wrap and I will tell Evan to make it his gift to her. But, we had the tree up by the time Evan came home and that was good. I had all I could do to drag the tree into the house so she could decorate it and this was as of yesterday morning the day before Christmas. No sooner had he arrived on our doorstep then he was leaving the house to spend time with friends. "Better that he be socializing than not", I uttered to his momma. The tears in her eyes suggested otherwise.
I tell myself every year around this time that I will make more of an effort to look at work related things on my time off. As funny as that sounds, I have things to do that are better done away from the office. Some analysis is better done while not immersed in the distracting din of the office environment. Some reports are better prepared in the quiet of my home where I have a stretch of time to commit to them. I am in the final days of my time with this company so hope to go out with a flourish in 2015. Finish strong is what I often tell Evan and I don't say that in a half hearted fashion. Now I get to practice what I preach or not. The desire is there but history tells me that it is more difficult than it sounds. I enjoy the work so that isn't the problem. I guess we'll see. For today anyway, I will enjoy time with my family. We'll roast a chicken and some vegetables later today. We'll open presents when everyone gets out of bed and enjoy each others company. We'll ring up relatives at some point and issue the usual holiday cheer. It's all good. At least for today.
Suck it Up
13/12/14 08:28
Seems like this holiday season is upon us in a hurry this year. Hardly saw it coming. I am not one of those guys who buys gifts ahead of time so am already behind the eight ball. Not that I am much of a buyer to begin with and if the health of the economy depended on folks like me during the hoilidays to push it over the top then we're in a heap of trouble. It didn't help that Thanksgiving was late this year. That kind of scrunches thing up. Accordian-like you might say. I'm not sure that the holidays this year will be as bad as the whole business we experienced a couple of years back when St. Thomas was front and center but it might rank a close second. At least we'll have a Christmas tree this year if not two (one small one in the bay window.) And, while we might have otherwise looked forward to having our son come home from school for the holidays, it is with considerable regret and never easy to discuss without grimacing even a little bit, that he seems to be home for good. Where we go from here is hard to say. One holiday at a time.
Why is Bill Cosby not in jail? And don't give me that bullshit about the statute of limitations. I never did like that guy. I think he started giving me the willies back in the early eighties when he denied paternity to a daughter who was clearly making her case at the time and rather convincingly if my recollection serves me right. And I suppose the scores of women now alleging he drugged them before assuaulting them are all wrong? That is some pretty kinky and sick stuff. He was laughing all the way to the bank as a humorist and stand-up comedian at the time which makes it all that much more unbelievable. He's like a serial killer who amuses children while donning a clown suit and commits murder and mayhem when out of his suit. Yes, the old John Gacy syndrome. I don't think Jimmy Carter's wife, Rosalyn, ever got over the stigma of having posed for a picture with him in his clown suit at some benefit months prior to his getting nabbed for killing all of those itinerant teenage boys. Maybe he can use the Jekyll and Hyde defense if he ever gets into the court room. He can crack all the jokes he wants once he is behind bars. My advice to him if that ever comes to pass? Do not drop the soap.
Well, it was a dandy little holiday luncheon at work yesterday. We went to a nice little haunt in Dover where the food was good, the beverages pleasantly intoxicating, and the company predictably pleasant. Speaking of Jekyll and Hyde, you never know what you might see when folks are out of their element and under the influence of alcohol so I was keeping an eye out for such things. Not that I could stop someone from dancing on table tops or going off on a profanity laced tirade but you like to think that your simply being there (as a manager) might make it that much less likely. The restaurant was something of a brew pub and my folks wasted little time selecting brews whose alcohol content, acidity, and other attributes were stenciled out on a life-sized chalkboard hanging from the wall. It made the process of making a selection that much more more enjoyable and even fun. The food was remarkably appealing once served and we all marveled aloud as each dish was placed on the table. There were pumpkin and chorizio flatbread pizza's, bacon cheese burgers and fries, 7-cheese grilled cheese sandwiches, salads, and some equally interesting side dishes. Everything that should have been hot was hot, everything that should have been cold was cold, and it was all in all a delightful meal. I can't remember the last time I left a $28 tip for lunch but the service was impeccable so the gratuity was well deserved. My only regret was that I didn't have a chance to take the grab gift that I brought to the affair. Not a very nice thing to say but these grab things are always a catch-as-catch-can deal and you get what you get. Suck it up, Johnny Boy.
Why is Bill Cosby not in jail? And don't give me that bullshit about the statute of limitations. I never did like that guy. I think he started giving me the willies back in the early eighties when he denied paternity to a daughter who was clearly making her case at the time and rather convincingly if my recollection serves me right. And I suppose the scores of women now alleging he drugged them before assuaulting them are all wrong? That is some pretty kinky and sick stuff. He was laughing all the way to the bank as a humorist and stand-up comedian at the time which makes it all that much more unbelievable. He's like a serial killer who amuses children while donning a clown suit and commits murder and mayhem when out of his suit. Yes, the old John Gacy syndrome. I don't think Jimmy Carter's wife, Rosalyn, ever got over the stigma of having posed for a picture with him in his clown suit at some benefit months prior to his getting nabbed for killing all of those itinerant teenage boys. Maybe he can use the Jekyll and Hyde defense if he ever gets into the court room. He can crack all the jokes he wants once he is behind bars. My advice to him if that ever comes to pass? Do not drop the soap.
Well, it was a dandy little holiday luncheon at work yesterday. We went to a nice little haunt in Dover where the food was good, the beverages pleasantly intoxicating, and the company predictably pleasant. Speaking of Jekyll and Hyde, you never know what you might see when folks are out of their element and under the influence of alcohol so I was keeping an eye out for such things. Not that I could stop someone from dancing on table tops or going off on a profanity laced tirade but you like to think that your simply being there (as a manager) might make it that much less likely. The restaurant was something of a brew pub and my folks wasted little time selecting brews whose alcohol content, acidity, and other attributes were stenciled out on a life-sized chalkboard hanging from the wall. It made the process of making a selection that much more more enjoyable and even fun. The food was remarkably appealing once served and we all marveled aloud as each dish was placed on the table. There were pumpkin and chorizio flatbread pizza's, bacon cheese burgers and fries, 7-cheese grilled cheese sandwiches, salads, and some equally interesting side dishes. Everything that should have been hot was hot, everything that should have been cold was cold, and it was all in all a delightful meal. I can't remember the last time I left a $28 tip for lunch but the service was impeccable so the gratuity was well deserved. My only regret was that I didn't have a chance to take the grab gift that I brought to the affair. Not a very nice thing to say but these grab things are always a catch-as-catch-can deal and you get what you get. Suck it up, Johnny Boy.
Staying Positive
06/12/14 08:22
Sometimes in life things just don't work out. Sometimes for good reason and sometimes not. We'll never know when it comes to the Ev man because he simply isn't saying. Pace is now in the rear view mirror and he is exploring his options. Some type of gainful employment might be nice. He is not there just yet and he is not alone in that assessment. It is clearly difficult to know what he can or cannot do or what he is or is not capable of so we leave that sort of thing to the professionals. But he is an adult so any and all such conversations are held in confidence. All we can do is sit, watch and wait. Days come and go and we see little change although we take some comfort in any and all telltale signs that while he may be in the grips of something largely beyond his control he is not otherwise in a death spiral of one sort or another. What role we as his parents have in this drama is not clear. The lines are also not clearly drawn when it comes to our interactions with him. We’ll need to decisively avoid that which is enabling and decisively embrace that which is supportive. In other words, it is a little like walking on eggshells. You just can’t do that without breaking a few yolks.
But Thanksgiving was a hoot. We did what we usually do and went across town to Mrs G's for dinner. I decided that we would have a Trader Joe's (TJ's) Thanksgiving this year and that is what we did. That is to say, we bought most of our ingredients at Trader Joe's for the meal. As is usually the case, we prepared the meal and carrried it across town once everything was ready. I think the biggest surprise was the cranberry sauce. It was terrific right out of the jar and it was one less thing that Nan had to prepare. Who wants to have to fiddle with real cranberries and all that entails when you can chill a jar of sauce and serve it up as-is. We almost bought a pumpkin pie but did not. Nancy has this pumpkin pie recipe from her grandmother that has served us well over the years and buying a pie just didn't feel right so that was that. We picked up a kosher turkey at TJ's and that was a first. All of the other birds sitting in the display chest were saline induced and I figured that we didn't need the extra salt no matter what the experts say. I was right. It was delicious. I put a little vegetable oil on the bird and threw it in the oven at 325 degrees until it browned up. What I didn't know is that kosher birds do not come with the usual pouch of innards and that was a dissapointment. Maybe I'll buy those separately next year. Mrs G set a nice table and prepared the mashed potatoes and boiled onions. Last but not least, the weather was cool and in the 40's so a delightful day for a nice Thanksgiving meal.
Nancy finally picked up a small Christmas tree for our front window. She has always wanted one and this year it just seemed to come together for her. It's a dandy to be sure. The price was right and we've seen other trees not nearly as nice for twice the price since we made the purchase. I suggested that we pass on buying our usual 6 footer this year and just use the tree already purchased and Nancy was having none of it. I guess it doesn't matter to me one way or another so I am going with the flow. Our bird feeders are up and the usual contingent of Chicadees and Finches are ever present. We've seen a couple of Bluebirds around but none on the feeders despite having their seed of choice available (meaties.) We had snow on the ground for a period of time around Thanksgiving but most of it has melted away and yet the birds come and go as though there were several feet of snow on the ground. I guess a free meal is hard to pass up. All else is good. We have firewood stacked in several areas including a wall of firewood in the garage for those particularly nasty days when stepping outside to gather wood for the fire is less than advisable. Since Evan is likely to be home for a while now we can charge him with keeping an ample supply of firewoood in and around the hearth.
But Thanksgiving was a hoot. We did what we usually do and went across town to Mrs G's for dinner. I decided that we would have a Trader Joe's (TJ's) Thanksgiving this year and that is what we did. That is to say, we bought most of our ingredients at Trader Joe's for the meal. As is usually the case, we prepared the meal and carrried it across town once everything was ready. I think the biggest surprise was the cranberry sauce. It was terrific right out of the jar and it was one less thing that Nan had to prepare. Who wants to have to fiddle with real cranberries and all that entails when you can chill a jar of sauce and serve it up as-is. We almost bought a pumpkin pie but did not. Nancy has this pumpkin pie recipe from her grandmother that has served us well over the years and buying a pie just didn't feel right so that was that. We picked up a kosher turkey at TJ's and that was a first. All of the other birds sitting in the display chest were saline induced and I figured that we didn't need the extra salt no matter what the experts say. I was right. It was delicious. I put a little vegetable oil on the bird and threw it in the oven at 325 degrees until it browned up. What I didn't know is that kosher birds do not come with the usual pouch of innards and that was a dissapointment. Maybe I'll buy those separately next year. Mrs G set a nice table and prepared the mashed potatoes and boiled onions. Last but not least, the weather was cool and in the 40's so a delightful day for a nice Thanksgiving meal.
Nancy finally picked up a small Christmas tree for our front window. She has always wanted one and this year it just seemed to come together for her. It's a dandy to be sure. The price was right and we've seen other trees not nearly as nice for twice the price since we made the purchase. I suggested that we pass on buying our usual 6 footer this year and just use the tree already purchased and Nancy was having none of it. I guess it doesn't matter to me one way or another so I am going with the flow. Our bird feeders are up and the usual contingent of Chicadees and Finches are ever present. We've seen a couple of Bluebirds around but none on the feeders despite having their seed of choice available (meaties.) We had snow on the ground for a period of time around Thanksgiving but most of it has melted away and yet the birds come and go as though there were several feet of snow on the ground. I guess a free meal is hard to pass up. All else is good. We have firewood stacked in several areas including a wall of firewood in the garage for those particularly nasty days when stepping outside to gather wood for the fire is less than advisable. Since Evan is likely to be home for a while now we can charge him with keeping an ample supply of firewoood in and around the hearth.
Picking up the Pace
27/10/14 05:32
I'm not sure that this version of Rapidweaver is worth the price of the upgrade. I guess we'll see. Will it make me a better journaler? Probably not. Will the glimmer of all of the bells and whistles provide the necessary catnip to keep me coming back? That's a resounding maybe. There was something about it being faster and easier to use. Don't know about that either. Not yet anyway. Surely there are bigger fish to fry. I'm talking about here and now. I'm talking about here and now at 5 in the morning when I'm up and starry eyed on a day off and out of the office. Elongated weekends are good. I seem to have a little more oomph on Sunday's when I have Mondays off and that was clearly the case yesterday. I even got around to changing the tire on my bike. It was a cinch with that new tool I picked up at the local bike store in Portsmouth. I really struggled with the change the last time around when I didn't know such a tool existed but not so yesterday. Who knew a $2.99 tool could turn a beast of a job into something much much easier. I took care of the garden as well and I usually just ignore the garden and let mother nature do what she will with the remnants once summer turns to fall. I was surprised to see that my rosemary was looking more robust that it had a right to at this time of the year and even more surprised when I found several jalapeno' peppers just ready for the picking. They will be perfect for my first chili of the season. That said, I may not get around to making chili for a couple of weeks now so I hope they hold up ok. Something to look forward to.
There is a lot going on. Not sure where to start. If I had to guess I would say that Pace is game, set and match. Just like that. We need to get over it. Evan needs to get over it and move on. We'll see how that works out. There are financial markets to watch with the end of quantitaive easing coming to an end so that should be interesting. There is an election coming up in a week or so and that too should provide endless hours of distraction and either euphoria or something less depending on how that turns out. There is the ebola business which has the media working over time tracking patients and testing the patience of the ACLU. Even those patients who have tested negative for the disease are being quarantined by govermental fiat in the states of NY and NJ as they return from ebola ravaged countries in Western Africa. Doctors without borders indeed. Just don't breathe on me. Please. And then there is Obama. He is already telegraphing his intentions to move forward on immigration reform by giving some 11 million illegal immigrants amnesty. These are the poorest of the poor from countries south of our own borders or what might otherwise pass for borders; the least educated of what loosely passes for welfare recipients in their own countries; many with criminal backgrounds or trying to simply escape the horrors of poverty and all that entails; and most of whom would never qualify for meaningful work given their lack of education and capacity for learning. Do not confuse these heathens with those immigrants who came to our shores decades ago by way of Ellis Island. There is simply no comparison.
We're down to the home stretch now and the mid term elections are next Tuesday. Should be interesting. If it ends up being about Obama's policies, which he has stated openly that they "are on the ballot" then we should see a decisive victory by the republicans. That would translate to majorities in both houses of Congress and an already lame duck president even more lame if that is at all imaginable. The Dems have played just about every card conceivable in trying to prevent the takeover by the Republicans but seemingly to no avail. From their efforts to whip up the minority sentiment in hell holes like Ferguson Missouri to beating the drums on the war on women it has simply fallen on deaf ears from coast to coast. Blacks and other minorities are no longer wholesale consitituencies for the Democrats and the promise of food stamps, EBT cards, and other handouts are no longer sufficient as payment for their promises at the ballot box. Women are less concerned when it comes to issues surrounding reproductive rights and are infintiely more focused on keeping their families safe from the ravages of everything from Ebola to the illegal aliens crossing our borders in record numbers to the pervasive spying and lying by their own government. Dare I mention ISIS? Maybe the bottom line is that more than 60% of the population think that our country is heading in the wrong direction; they do not feel safe in their homes; and they can not trust their government to tell them the truth. "If you like your health plan you can keep your health plan." "If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor." Sound familiar? The Republicans are merely beneficiaries of this momentum that has been simmering over the last 6 years of the Obama administaration and now threatens to boil over at the ballot box next Tuesday. It is an opportunity that the republicans should not take lightly. We'll see.
There is a lot going on. Not sure where to start. If I had to guess I would say that Pace is game, set and match. Just like that. We need to get over it. Evan needs to get over it and move on. We'll see how that works out. There are financial markets to watch with the end of quantitaive easing coming to an end so that should be interesting. There is an election coming up in a week or so and that too should provide endless hours of distraction and either euphoria or something less depending on how that turns out. There is the ebola business which has the media working over time tracking patients and testing the patience of the ACLU. Even those patients who have tested negative for the disease are being quarantined by govermental fiat in the states of NY and NJ as they return from ebola ravaged countries in Western Africa. Doctors without borders indeed. Just don't breathe on me. Please. And then there is Obama. He is already telegraphing his intentions to move forward on immigration reform by giving some 11 million illegal immigrants amnesty. These are the poorest of the poor from countries south of our own borders or what might otherwise pass for borders; the least educated of what loosely passes for welfare recipients in their own countries; many with criminal backgrounds or trying to simply escape the horrors of poverty and all that entails; and most of whom would never qualify for meaningful work given their lack of education and capacity for learning. Do not confuse these heathens with those immigrants who came to our shores decades ago by way of Ellis Island. There is simply no comparison.
We're down to the home stretch now and the mid term elections are next Tuesday. Should be interesting. If it ends up being about Obama's policies, which he has stated openly that they "are on the ballot" then we should see a decisive victory by the republicans. That would translate to majorities in both houses of Congress and an already lame duck president even more lame if that is at all imaginable. The Dems have played just about every card conceivable in trying to prevent the takeover by the Republicans but seemingly to no avail. From their efforts to whip up the minority sentiment in hell holes like Ferguson Missouri to beating the drums on the war on women it has simply fallen on deaf ears from coast to coast. Blacks and other minorities are no longer wholesale consitituencies for the Democrats and the promise of food stamps, EBT cards, and other handouts are no longer sufficient as payment for their promises at the ballot box. Women are less concerned when it comes to issues surrounding reproductive rights and are infintiely more focused on keeping their families safe from the ravages of everything from Ebola to the illegal aliens crossing our borders in record numbers to the pervasive spying and lying by their own government. Dare I mention ISIS? Maybe the bottom line is that more than 60% of the population think that our country is heading in the wrong direction; they do not feel safe in their homes; and they can not trust their government to tell them the truth. "If you like your health plan you can keep your health plan." "If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor." Sound familiar? The Republicans are merely beneficiaries of this momentum that has been simmering over the last 6 years of the Obama administaration and now threatens to boil over at the ballot box next Tuesday. It is an opportunity that the republicans should not take lightly. We'll see.
Singing his Praises
18/10/14 07:39
Let me see if I have this right. Nancy and I just drove 8 hours round trip to New York to bring Evan an egg salad sandwich? The quick and dirty answer to that question is "yes." But there is more to the story. We had really planned to go there to pick him up from school and bring him home. He had had enough. It just wasn't working out. It was a last ditch effort on his part going back to Columbus Day weekend where he extended his stay at home with every intention of not returning to school. Of course we didn't know that at the time but it became apparent as the days wore on and he was making no effort to return to school as we thought he would and should. Don't tell me it's about the food. That, my friends, is a red herring and he knows it and we know it. I'm not sure he knows what a red herring is but it's a fallacy of epic proportions and one that he uses shamelessly time and time again to distract from the real issues whatever they be at the time. We made every attempt to encourage him to get back on board with the schooling and he finally relented and returned to school albeit a few days late. But that experiment was short lived and he phoned yesterday asking that we come get him and that was going to be that. The gig was up.
He phoned us time and time again as we traveled south on route 84 through Massachusetts, Connecticut, and then New York. I envisioned him packing up his room and hoping against hope that his roommates would stay away long enough so that he could leave without being noticed once we arrived. As luck would have it, they returned to the room and had a conversation of some kind with Evan that turned his world that had been spiraling out of control inside out and all around. So much so, in fact, that his last phone call to us when we were probably 15 minutes away from his dorm was very different from the prior calls that days. He was then, by his own admission, not so sure that he wanted to leave school. It was one thing to pick him up and bring him home when the alternative was unthinkable, which was to insist that he stay against his will and god only knows what he might do to escape that nightmare, but it was quite another thing to have him come home when he was less than certain that that was what he wanted to do. It was an emotional roller coaster to be sure for everyone involved. He told us to go get a coffee and come around to see him after but we didn't need to rush. There finally seemed to be some light at the end of the tunnel that was something other than a freight train careening off the tracks and coming our way.
All I can say is that the lord works in mysterious ways. You'll not hear me invoking the name of the baby Jesus too often since I despise organized religion and have ever since my days as an altar boy but I was singing his praises yesterday. Truth be told, the Muslim brotherhood deserves all the credit here and I am quick to give praise where praise is due. I'm talking about his roommates who just happen to be devout Muslims. They found a way to rescue our son when and where we as his parents could not. We'll never know what they said to him that turned his world around if only for a short time and the fact that Evan alluded to his conversations with them at all told us all we needed to know about how that conversation went. They gave him hope where we could not. They gave him the kind of support and moral courage that we could not. They showed him the light where we could not. In urban parlance, they had his back and he responded in kind. We owe them a profound thanks for what I see as their divine intervention. I'm certain that this story is not over but the chapter, for now, has come to a satisfactory ending in my eyes. He is now squarely on the shoulder of giants and not likely to fall anytime soon. Not if Allah has anything to say about it.
He phoned us time and time again as we traveled south on route 84 through Massachusetts, Connecticut, and then New York. I envisioned him packing up his room and hoping against hope that his roommates would stay away long enough so that he could leave without being noticed once we arrived. As luck would have it, they returned to the room and had a conversation of some kind with Evan that turned his world that had been spiraling out of control inside out and all around. So much so, in fact, that his last phone call to us when we were probably 15 minutes away from his dorm was very different from the prior calls that days. He was then, by his own admission, not so sure that he wanted to leave school. It was one thing to pick him up and bring him home when the alternative was unthinkable, which was to insist that he stay against his will and god only knows what he might do to escape that nightmare, but it was quite another thing to have him come home when he was less than certain that that was what he wanted to do. It was an emotional roller coaster to be sure for everyone involved. He told us to go get a coffee and come around to see him after but we didn't need to rush. There finally seemed to be some light at the end of the tunnel that was something other than a freight train careening off the tracks and coming our way.
All I can say is that the lord works in mysterious ways. You'll not hear me invoking the name of the baby Jesus too often since I despise organized religion and have ever since my days as an altar boy but I was singing his praises yesterday. Truth be told, the Muslim brotherhood deserves all the credit here and I am quick to give praise where praise is due. I'm talking about his roommates who just happen to be devout Muslims. They found a way to rescue our son when and where we as his parents could not. We'll never know what they said to him that turned his world around if only for a short time and the fact that Evan alluded to his conversations with them at all told us all we needed to know about how that conversation went. They gave him hope where we could not. They gave him the kind of support and moral courage that we could not. They showed him the light where we could not. In urban parlance, they had his back and he responded in kind. We owe them a profound thanks for what I see as their divine intervention. I'm certain that this story is not over but the chapter, for now, has come to a satisfactory ending in my eyes. He is now squarely on the shoulder of giants and not likely to fall anytime soon. Not if Allah has anything to say about it.
It's a Jungle Out There
04/10/14 08:18
We hope to hear from him every Sunday but that is not always the case. Ev is otherwise busy with other things I suppose so we don't get our collective knickers in a knot over an occasional missed call. It's always good to hear from him whenever he calls. Nancy and I agree that this year seems to be a better year than last for Evan and we base that solely on the characteristics of the conversations that we have with him. He seems to have a bit of a spring in his step this time around judging from the tenor of the conversations that we have with him so we think that is a good thing. It is also a good thing that he is getting on with his suite mates, and we're not entirely sure that he isn't referring to them as "sweet" mates when we talk to him, but that is good nonetheless. It's funny how parents take comfort in certain things where their children are concerned. He told us early on that he was playing chess regularly with his roomies and when we learn that that hasn't change we take comfort in the fact that he has established routines that involve things like playing chess. I guess if he is playing chess then he is likely not mainlining heroin and he is probably taking care of himself so we're good with that. I think too that his roomies, deeply religious and devout Islamists as they are, are good role models for Evan where keeping on the straight and narrow is concerned. Unless they go radical on him, and that is unlikely since he is not and has never been a Christian in any real sense of the word, he will be just fine. But you know how malleable children of his generation are so it is worth keeping an eye on. Suffice it to say that we'll not be including any prayer rugs in his stocking this coming Christmas.
He and his roomies went down to the NYC campus recently and Ev seemed to find that trip a bit troublesome. It had less to do with the campus then it did with surrounding environs which he referred to as "dangerous." Not sure where those Jihadists took him but it scared the bejeezus out of him. He even commented that the "Smith's" would never survive down there. That was a reference to his friend and his family who live nearby here in New Hampshire although we didn't press him for more details. Did Ev feel threatened? What threatened him? Was it the cultural mix? The street vermin that never sleeps? Was it the absence of trees and the overwhelming visual of poverty and desperation? Maybe it was the stench of cultural and societal stagnation that is apparent wherever and whenever big government and its liberal policies are there to lend a hand. Nothing robs a man of initiative and creativity faster than a handout be it from government or the local drug dealer. Both are enablers in their own insidious ways but the end result is plain to see. Leave your rose-colored glasses at home for this tour. It's better you see this in black and white. The contrast will open your eyes. Maybe the Jihadists were intentionally pedaling a political message that day but I would tell you that was probably lost on Evan. He is ready and wanting to come home soon if only for a few days to "drive through Portsmouth" or so he says. A return to normalcy. A reassuring return to normalcy. Home sweet home.
Has the world gone crazy? Two weeks ago we were continents apart from Africa where the deadly Ebola virus is on the rampage. It is a killer disease where you bleed from your eyes and vomit relentlessly until you die. It is a virus that is spread through contact with infected people and is not as yet an airborne disease. Two Americans returned from Africa in the last month or two after contacting the disease and both have recovered after receiving treatment. And now, because of our government's unwillingness to protect our borders and because of their apparent collective guilt over what our ancestors did when they engaged in the trafficking of slaves which essentially created hell holes like Sierra Leone and Liberia, it is now somehow our responsibility to see to it that we assist with that problem. When no other country in the world is sending their people in to help we are sending in 5000 American soldiers where they too will become yet another statistic in the war against this dreadful disease. Is Obama so disdainful of our soldiers that he would expose them to this unbelievable threat? And in the last few days, yet another case of Ebola has arrived on our shores and there are at least 100 people with whom this Nigerian national has come into contact so the contagion is now on the march.
An enterovirus, now spreading like wildfire to the children in our country, is a form of polio and one that is otherwise indigenous to populations in Central and South America. It is here now paralyzing and killing our children because of the express intent of the Obama Administration to flood our borders and fill our country with "dreamers" who have marched uninterrupted across our borders in the hundreds of thousands over the last 12 months. This is the democrat's natural constituency and one that will ensure that they remain in power for the foreseeable future if done right. Just the other day, President Obama rallied a group of Hispanics boasting about having driven from the White House to the rally with two "dreamers" (illegal aliens) and that his audience should get out to vote come November to ensure that their interests are protected. He has also made his intentions clear about what he plans to do after the elections which is to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. He has been warned by members of his own party that to do so before the election would surely end up delivering both houses of Congress to the Republicans. If the Senate goes Republican, you can be assured that articles of impeachment will be immediately drawn once the President has used his "pen and his phone" to grant amnesty. I'm not sure that articles of impeachment won't be drawn even without the amnesty issue. Time will tell.
He and his roomies went down to the NYC campus recently and Ev seemed to find that trip a bit troublesome. It had less to do with the campus then it did with surrounding environs which he referred to as "dangerous." Not sure where those Jihadists took him but it scared the bejeezus out of him. He even commented that the "Smith's" would never survive down there. That was a reference to his friend and his family who live nearby here in New Hampshire although we didn't press him for more details. Did Ev feel threatened? What threatened him? Was it the cultural mix? The street vermin that never sleeps? Was it the absence of trees and the overwhelming visual of poverty and desperation? Maybe it was the stench of cultural and societal stagnation that is apparent wherever and whenever big government and its liberal policies are there to lend a hand. Nothing robs a man of initiative and creativity faster than a handout be it from government or the local drug dealer. Both are enablers in their own insidious ways but the end result is plain to see. Leave your rose-colored glasses at home for this tour. It's better you see this in black and white. The contrast will open your eyes. Maybe the Jihadists were intentionally pedaling a political message that day but I would tell you that was probably lost on Evan. He is ready and wanting to come home soon if only for a few days to "drive through Portsmouth" or so he says. A return to normalcy. A reassuring return to normalcy. Home sweet home.
Has the world gone crazy? Two weeks ago we were continents apart from Africa where the deadly Ebola virus is on the rampage. It is a killer disease where you bleed from your eyes and vomit relentlessly until you die. It is a virus that is spread through contact with infected people and is not as yet an airborne disease. Two Americans returned from Africa in the last month or two after contacting the disease and both have recovered after receiving treatment. And now, because of our government's unwillingness to protect our borders and because of their apparent collective guilt over what our ancestors did when they engaged in the trafficking of slaves which essentially created hell holes like Sierra Leone and Liberia, it is now somehow our responsibility to see to it that we assist with that problem. When no other country in the world is sending their people in to help we are sending in 5000 American soldiers where they too will become yet another statistic in the war against this dreadful disease. Is Obama so disdainful of our soldiers that he would expose them to this unbelievable threat? And in the last few days, yet another case of Ebola has arrived on our shores and there are at least 100 people with whom this Nigerian national has come into contact so the contagion is now on the march.
An enterovirus, now spreading like wildfire to the children in our country, is a form of polio and one that is otherwise indigenous to populations in Central and South America. It is here now paralyzing and killing our children because of the express intent of the Obama Administration to flood our borders and fill our country with "dreamers" who have marched uninterrupted across our borders in the hundreds of thousands over the last 12 months. This is the democrat's natural constituency and one that will ensure that they remain in power for the foreseeable future if done right. Just the other day, President Obama rallied a group of Hispanics boasting about having driven from the White House to the rally with two "dreamers" (illegal aliens) and that his audience should get out to vote come November to ensure that their interests are protected. He has also made his intentions clear about what he plans to do after the elections which is to grant amnesty to millions of illegal aliens. He has been warned by members of his own party that to do so before the election would surely end up delivering both houses of Congress to the Republicans. If the Senate goes Republican, you can be assured that articles of impeachment will be immediately drawn once the President has used his "pen and his phone" to grant amnesty. I'm not sure that articles of impeachment won't be drawn even without the amnesty issue. Time will tell.
A Good Day
26/09/14 07:38
It was a Six Sigma extravaganza yesterday. Make no mistake about it. The Team had the opportunity to strut their stuff and they hit a proverbial home run. I was so proud of them. They were totally focused on the task at hand and their engagement was over the top. The problem solving session (RCPS) was a thing of beauty. I changed up the intro to throw in a spate of recent successes and used a recent example of a cross functional team approach to a problem we were having with an outside vendor to emphasize the need to do periodic checks to make sure that our solutions in pilot were in fact working as designed. We asked our guests to hold their questions until we had completed our work and with one or two exceptions that worked pretty well. It was so funny that just the day before I was having a discussion with a couple of the managers and they were a little concerned that the problems we were wanting to solve had what they thought were obvious solutions and that they didn't think that would be useful as an example to work through especially with the audience we were playing to. I assured them that we didn't know where the process would take us and it was more important that we follow the process and not focus on the problem. I think our guests were astounded at not only the discipline of my team as they worked through the problem but with the seemingly remarkable array of terrific solutions and other opportunities that came out at the other end of the hour we spent behind closed doors. I think we blew them away.
The Team huddle couldn't have gone any better. We assembled around the Tier board at 10:30 with throngs of onlookers including the group of management that had joined us for the RCPS session. I was facilitating the session and had a short list of topics I wanted to touch on and got them all in during the 15 minute session. My group was on their game and we had just the right number of "voice of the customer" issues and "reflections" so as not to push our session beyond the 15 minutes we had to work with. We played to the metrics on the Tier Board to demonstrate our ability to do just that and we wowed our audience at every turn in the topics. We even managed to get in the theme I had been using during the week which was around process and the customer. "Give me one process you do and tell me the "input" and "output" of that process", I asked them one after the other. Their answers were clear, energetic, and unequivocal. The icing on the cake was the discussion about the stickies and the two examples we used were just perfect. The owners of the stickies read the problem; gave the target condition; highlighted the associated wastes; spoke to the prioritization and tier ownership; and it was a wrap. My focus on the task at hand was laser-like and I lost any and all sense of any onlookers. At the end of the exercise my manager came up to me and extended his hand in appreciation of a job well done. The magic of what we had accomplished was not lost on me.
There was management and then there was management at our session. The Six Sigma manager spoke to my group later in the afternoon and said that "if he could bottle up what we brought to the sessions during the day, he would." He lavished the team with praise for a job well done. It's important to keep in mind that the other groups with whom we've gone through this transformation have yet to even come close to the level of accomplishment my team has reached. I don't say that to brag; it is a fact. So, we go on our merry way and we're on to the next problem. Or should I say, opportunity. We're 60 stickies strong; 70 pieces of Standard work done or in the process of being done; 3 cross functional RCPS sessions under our belts; and a daily huddle that is the talk of the town. I laugh when I think about the efficiency and effectiveness objectives I set for my group around this initiative at the outset. We're three months into this deal and we've blown away those objectives. I think there is a lesson there somewhere. And, we were very happy to share everything we had in ways that no one expected. It's all good. I topped off the busy day with a dinner with the management group by the river in downtown Portsmouth. The tuna was seared as ordered but there just wasn't enough of it. And where, may I ask, is the wasabi with this wonderful dish? My coffee drink was black and strong and almost too strong. It was a good day and a good night. If the good lord is willing and the creek don't rise, we'll do it all over again tomorrow.
The Team huddle couldn't have gone any better. We assembled around the Tier board at 10:30 with throngs of onlookers including the group of management that had joined us for the RCPS session. I was facilitating the session and had a short list of topics I wanted to touch on and got them all in during the 15 minute session. My group was on their game and we had just the right number of "voice of the customer" issues and "reflections" so as not to push our session beyond the 15 minutes we had to work with. We played to the metrics on the Tier Board to demonstrate our ability to do just that and we wowed our audience at every turn in the topics. We even managed to get in the theme I had been using during the week which was around process and the customer. "Give me one process you do and tell me the "input" and "output" of that process", I asked them one after the other. Their answers were clear, energetic, and unequivocal. The icing on the cake was the discussion about the stickies and the two examples we used were just perfect. The owners of the stickies read the problem; gave the target condition; highlighted the associated wastes; spoke to the prioritization and tier ownership; and it was a wrap. My focus on the task at hand was laser-like and I lost any and all sense of any onlookers. At the end of the exercise my manager came up to me and extended his hand in appreciation of a job well done. The magic of what we had accomplished was not lost on me.
There was management and then there was management at our session. The Six Sigma manager spoke to my group later in the afternoon and said that "if he could bottle up what we brought to the sessions during the day, he would." He lavished the team with praise for a job well done. It's important to keep in mind that the other groups with whom we've gone through this transformation have yet to even come close to the level of accomplishment my team has reached. I don't say that to brag; it is a fact. So, we go on our merry way and we're on to the next problem. Or should I say, opportunity. We're 60 stickies strong; 70 pieces of Standard work done or in the process of being done; 3 cross functional RCPS sessions under our belts; and a daily huddle that is the talk of the town. I laugh when I think about the efficiency and effectiveness objectives I set for my group around this initiative at the outset. We're three months into this deal and we've blown away those objectives. I think there is a lesson there somewhere. And, we were very happy to share everything we had in ways that no one expected. It's all good. I topped off the busy day with a dinner with the management group by the river in downtown Portsmouth. The tuna was seared as ordered but there just wasn't enough of it. And where, may I ask, is the wasabi with this wonderful dish? My coffee drink was black and strong and almost too strong. It was a good day and a good night. If the good lord is willing and the creek don't rise, we'll do it all over again tomorrow.
Jesus Christ is a What?
20/09/14 07:15
Whaddup with this weather? It's cold! Brrrr! It's in the friggin mid 30's this morning. Too cold for mid September. What are we going to do when Fall arrives? Maybe we'll throw an extra blanket or two on the bed and call it a night. So much for global warming or whatever they are calling it these days. Al Gore, where are you? Whatever happened to those dire predictions about polar caps melting and sea levels rising across the globe. I think the latest reports show an ever expanding ice cap across vast sections of the Antarctic. At least we won't have to endure any more photos of polar bears swimming for lack of something more substantial underfoot. At least not for the time being. Maybe we can get back to seeing them in their element as the apex carnivores that they are. You now, sneaking up on walruses and seals as they rest atop ice floes and catching them if they can. They say that seal blubber is a true delicacy and a source of sustenance for animals and humans alike that live in the remotest of outposts on the planet. Don't mean to go all animal kingdom on you here but the seemingly premature frigid temperatures has me thinking about Al Gore and all things polar. Isn't that the same guy who took credit for inventing the internet?
But my coffee is hot and I have an extra sweater on this morning to ward off the chill. The cold will also certainly will not stop me from going on my bike ride or mowing the lawn here before the day is out. Thank god for mindless tasks. I have a few things that I would rather not think about since obsessing about them will do me no good and may even do me harm. So, best to keep busy and that is what I intend to do. Did I tell you that I even brought in one of our plants this morning? I swear to god that the leaves on this schefflera plant that I brought into the house were about as vivacious as I've ever seen them. It was almost as though they were girding themselves against the cold and wanting to put on a brave and solidified front in the face of adversity. It is a little like the fall colors that creep across the landscape late in the year where with each passing day and with every day another drop in the temperatures the leaves find yet another reason and another way to reinvent themselves in the hopes of eking out yet another day of life. This is getting very sappy so I probably ought to change the subject. Speaking of trying to eek out another moment of meaning in the wasteland of what we affectionally refer to as "life."
"What are we going to do with my mother today?", my darling implored. "Well, we will go collect her and go to her favorite restaurant for a bite to eat", I responded. Sometimes we know where we're going and sometimes we don't. Sometimes it matters because we're hungry and we have just the place in mind the minute we arrive on her door step. Yesterday, we didn't know at the outset but ended up at Olive Garden after a short ride through the back roads of Portsmouth where I stopped by work briefly to ice up my glasses which I had left behind earlier in the day. I think this was the first time we've ever gone there with Mrs G but Nancy and I had been there at least once before. It was benign an experience as I remembered it once was all said and done. It didn't help that when we first entered the restaurant and were waiting to be seated Mrs G and I noticed someone wearing a black tee shirt with large white lettering which read, "Jesus Christ is a cunt." Really? It was astoundingly in bad taste but captured well the essence of just how far the average American has fallen when it comes to culture and moral depravity. It reminded me a little of one of the old Goodfella's films that I watched where the Godfather arrived at a restaurant and took considerable umbrage with some pissant at an adjoining table who was wearing his hat while dining. Let's just say that he wasn't wearing it for long. I can just imagine what the Godfather might have done had he seen what we saw. No wonder the Jihadists have it in for us. We are godless and despicable at our worst. Well, some of us anyway.
But my coffee is hot and I have an extra sweater on this morning to ward off the chill. The cold will also certainly will not stop me from going on my bike ride or mowing the lawn here before the day is out. Thank god for mindless tasks. I have a few things that I would rather not think about since obsessing about them will do me no good and may even do me harm. So, best to keep busy and that is what I intend to do. Did I tell you that I even brought in one of our plants this morning? I swear to god that the leaves on this schefflera plant that I brought into the house were about as vivacious as I've ever seen them. It was almost as though they were girding themselves against the cold and wanting to put on a brave and solidified front in the face of adversity. It is a little like the fall colors that creep across the landscape late in the year where with each passing day and with every day another drop in the temperatures the leaves find yet another reason and another way to reinvent themselves in the hopes of eking out yet another day of life. This is getting very sappy so I probably ought to change the subject. Speaking of trying to eek out another moment of meaning in the wasteland of what we affectionally refer to as "life."
"What are we going to do with my mother today?", my darling implored. "Well, we will go collect her and go to her favorite restaurant for a bite to eat", I responded. Sometimes we know where we're going and sometimes we don't. Sometimes it matters because we're hungry and we have just the place in mind the minute we arrive on her door step. Yesterday, we didn't know at the outset but ended up at Olive Garden after a short ride through the back roads of Portsmouth where I stopped by work briefly to ice up my glasses which I had left behind earlier in the day. I think this was the first time we've ever gone there with Mrs G but Nancy and I had been there at least once before. It was benign an experience as I remembered it once was all said and done. It didn't help that when we first entered the restaurant and were waiting to be seated Mrs G and I noticed someone wearing a black tee shirt with large white lettering which read, "Jesus Christ is a cunt." Really? It was astoundingly in bad taste but captured well the essence of just how far the average American has fallen when it comes to culture and moral depravity. It reminded me a little of one of the old Goodfella's films that I watched where the Godfather arrived at a restaurant and took considerable umbrage with some pissant at an adjoining table who was wearing his hat while dining. Let's just say that he wasn't wearing it for long. I can just imagine what the Godfather might have done had he seen what we saw. No wonder the Jihadists have it in for us. We are godless and despicable at our worst. Well, some of us anyway.
Mr Mamby Pamby
14/09/14 08:10
I'm left scratching my head when I hear Evan asking us to send him things that he can just go get himself. What is that all about? Walking to his mailbox to get his mail has to be equally as difficult as walking or going to the school store where I'm sure they stock the sort of things he's wanting. Ethernet cords-check; iPhone charging cables; check. What the hey is what I say. Maybe we'll not send him the requested items and we'll see how he manages. I'll tell him that if he can't spell what he's wanting that we will not send it to him. That should take care of his recent request for the ethernet cord. That was mean. It would probably incite him in a way that might be unbecoming. God only knows. He says that his new roommate has yet to move in for the new school year. This is the same thing that happened last year and as much as I thought it was good because it would Ev some space and time to get acclimated to his new digs I think it might have been better to adjust with the new roommate in place. I think Ev is never better left to his own devices and structure and continuity are and will always be positive pillars for that boy. Finding a few buds on campus wouldn't hurt either. Not sure he makes an effort in that regard so probably doesn't get the full benefit of the college experience. Maybe this year will be different.
All this mamby pamby bullshit about boots on the ground or no boots on the ground is getting a bit tedious. Obama and his gang of leftists are torn between wanting to wage a war against ISIS to give the appearance that they are capable of such things while their constituencies wring their collective hands at the very thought of engaging in any kind of warfare for fear of appearing hypocritical in the wake of Bush's so-called nation building during his tenure in the White House. The leftists are dancing wildly on the talking head shows giving cover to their commander in chief as he does his level best to mollify the Islamic groups across the Middle East and elsewhere whom he privately and proudly supports by pushing policies that sound tough but in effect are meaningless. As ISIS and their ilk continue to behead their way across the Middle East, Obama has directed his commanders to initiate air strikes to degrade and destroy ISIS positions but has no coalition of any kind because his message is very mixed indeed and lacks the commitment that would otherwise be required before other countries are willing to make their own commitment.
This is the natural aftermath of a president whose actions differ from his words and where he once drew a red line and then failed to follow through, so are his actions now seen as feckless and indecisive. This is the natural aftermath of president who negotiated the release of a deserter and follower of Islam in exchange for 5 Taliban leaders but won't pick up the phone to negotiate the release of a marine imprisoned in Mexico for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is the natural aftermath of a president who threatened to charge the parents of James Foley who wanted desperately to try and negotiate the release of their own son who was ultimately beheaded by his captors much to the horror of our nation. And then this despicable president, who spoke about the beheading in a national forum, and then proceeded to run off to the golf course within ten minutes of leaving the podium where he had photo ops taken of he and his friends giving each other high-fives. Whose idea was it to elect this community organizer? Get boots on the ground now and get the job done. Have the congressional parties vote on the matter and get them on the record before the November elections so their constituents can cast their votes accordingly. And before you cast your votes, be sure to factor in the inevitability that the president will be granting amnesty to more than 5 million illegal aliens after the November elections. Another natural constituency in the making.
All this mamby pamby bullshit about boots on the ground or no boots on the ground is getting a bit tedious. Obama and his gang of leftists are torn between wanting to wage a war against ISIS to give the appearance that they are capable of such things while their constituencies wring their collective hands at the very thought of engaging in any kind of warfare for fear of appearing hypocritical in the wake of Bush's so-called nation building during his tenure in the White House. The leftists are dancing wildly on the talking head shows giving cover to their commander in chief as he does his level best to mollify the Islamic groups across the Middle East and elsewhere whom he privately and proudly supports by pushing policies that sound tough but in effect are meaningless. As ISIS and their ilk continue to behead their way across the Middle East, Obama has directed his commanders to initiate air strikes to degrade and destroy ISIS positions but has no coalition of any kind because his message is very mixed indeed and lacks the commitment that would otherwise be required before other countries are willing to make their own commitment.
This is the natural aftermath of a president whose actions differ from his words and where he once drew a red line and then failed to follow through, so are his actions now seen as feckless and indecisive. This is the natural aftermath of president who negotiated the release of a deserter and follower of Islam in exchange for 5 Taliban leaders but won't pick up the phone to negotiate the release of a marine imprisoned in Mexico for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. This is the natural aftermath of a president who threatened to charge the parents of James Foley who wanted desperately to try and negotiate the release of their own son who was ultimately beheaded by his captors much to the horror of our nation. And then this despicable president, who spoke about the beheading in a national forum, and then proceeded to run off to the golf course within ten minutes of leaving the podium where he had photo ops taken of he and his friends giving each other high-fives. Whose idea was it to elect this community organizer? Get boots on the ground now and get the job done. Have the congressional parties vote on the matter and get them on the record before the November elections so their constituents can cast their votes accordingly. And before you cast your votes, be sure to factor in the inevitability that the president will be granting amnesty to more than 5 million illegal aliens after the November elections. Another natural constituency in the making.
Polling Fall
13/09/14 07:03
I did say that once our summer vacation was over that I would try to keep this here blog going. I'm not sure that will prove to be all that much of a task and I think I am otherwise up to the challenge so here I am. Front and center. I've had my morning coffee and the world is looking better and better by the minute. It certainly helps that it's Saturday here on the Seacoast so lots to do and I'm glad I'm up early thinking about how I might get everything done. Nancy's sister is in town so we might do a thing or two with her and that will be fine. She was complaining a bit yesterday when we chatted about the fact that Apple had forced a download of the group U2 onto her iPhone and she found herself listening to the music and wondering just where the hell it came from. She wasn't the only one. The Twitter-sphere was on fire with iPhone owners who were apoplectic about the fact that this music was force downloaded onto their devices without any warning whatsoever.
Who the fuck do they think they are? Yes, Apple. I'm talking to you. As if privacy issues are not already of major concern to smartphone users around the globe in the wake of admissions prompted by Edward Snowden that there really is no such thing as privacy when and where electronic devices are concerned in the U.S.. Land of the free. Home of the brave. Right. Ask Mr. Snowden, who now resides in Moscow after fleeing the US after charges of electronic espionage were leveled against him by his own government, if he still thinks those hallowed concepts found in the Bill of Rights hold true. That is a rhetorical question.
But the new election season is upon us. Ah, there will be much grist for the proverbial mill. So much anticipation; so much excitement; so much excrement. It is a dirty business after all. Souls will be sold; dollars will change hands; reputations will be sullied; falsehoods will be sold as truths; and the business of american politics will survive another painful cycle. It is likely to be a watershed election if one is to believe the pundits who see a widespread sweep of the old guard only to be replaced by members of the alternative party. This time around that party would be republican. Those bastards were swept out the last time around on the coattails of George Bush. The bastards currently in power, the Democrats, will be swept out of office in a similar fashion once the November elections come around. At least that is what they say.
My vote will go the party who wants to enforce our laws and protect our borders. My vote will go to the party who takes the task of eliminating jihadist terrorists seriously and is willing to implement policies to get the job done. My vote will go to the party who is willing to take on the issue of deficit spending and will actively seek to roll back or eliminate subsidies going to illegal aliens and and others who would prefer to live off the dole rather instead of putting in an honest days work for an honest days pay. My vote will go to the party who puts this nonsense of climate change and greenhouse gasses behind us once and for all. My vote will go to the party who takes on the issue of political correctness once and for all and will cease and desist doing things like robbing business owners like Donald Sterling and football players like Ray Rice of their livelihoods because the liberal fascists in the media decided that they are the arbiters of such matters. My vote will go to the first one who declares the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, the most despicable of race baiters, person non grata. Putting them behind bars where they belong would be preferable but unlikely given the power and persuasion of their current constituencies. As you know, when blacks kill and maim whites, society looks the other way. When whites kill blacks, even when and where that action is warranted, it is a civil rights violation and whites are criminally culpable.
Well, I think I feel better already. Good to get some of that vehemence out of my system. I'll try to get some reading done this weekend and will make an effort to stack a bit of wood. Nancy has asked that I get her oil changed so I may take care of that. I think I need to go into work for a bit as well. Time permitting, we'll squeeze in dinner with nan's sister and her mom. Did I tell you that Ooma sent me my phone via Fedex? I think I like that service. We'll see how it plays out. But, the sun is up; the temperatures are a bit on the cool side for September, and my darling is up asking about breakfast. Life beckons.
Who the fuck do they think they are? Yes, Apple. I'm talking to you. As if privacy issues are not already of major concern to smartphone users around the globe in the wake of admissions prompted by Edward Snowden that there really is no such thing as privacy when and where electronic devices are concerned in the U.S.. Land of the free. Home of the brave. Right. Ask Mr. Snowden, who now resides in Moscow after fleeing the US after charges of electronic espionage were leveled against him by his own government, if he still thinks those hallowed concepts found in the Bill of Rights hold true. That is a rhetorical question.
But the new election season is upon us. Ah, there will be much grist for the proverbial mill. So much anticipation; so much excitement; so much excrement. It is a dirty business after all. Souls will be sold; dollars will change hands; reputations will be sullied; falsehoods will be sold as truths; and the business of american politics will survive another painful cycle. It is likely to be a watershed election if one is to believe the pundits who see a widespread sweep of the old guard only to be replaced by members of the alternative party. This time around that party would be republican. Those bastards were swept out the last time around on the coattails of George Bush. The bastards currently in power, the Democrats, will be swept out of office in a similar fashion once the November elections come around. At least that is what they say.
My vote will go the party who wants to enforce our laws and protect our borders. My vote will go to the party who takes the task of eliminating jihadist terrorists seriously and is willing to implement policies to get the job done. My vote will go to the party who is willing to take on the issue of deficit spending and will actively seek to roll back or eliminate subsidies going to illegal aliens and and others who would prefer to live off the dole rather instead of putting in an honest days work for an honest days pay. My vote will go to the party who puts this nonsense of climate change and greenhouse gasses behind us once and for all. My vote will go to the party who takes on the issue of political correctness once and for all and will cease and desist doing things like robbing business owners like Donald Sterling and football players like Ray Rice of their livelihoods because the liberal fascists in the media decided that they are the arbiters of such matters. My vote will go to the first one who declares the likes of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, the most despicable of race baiters, person non grata. Putting them behind bars where they belong would be preferable but unlikely given the power and persuasion of their current constituencies. As you know, when blacks kill and maim whites, society looks the other way. When whites kill blacks, even when and where that action is warranted, it is a civil rights violation and whites are criminally culpable.
Well, I think I feel better already. Good to get some of that vehemence out of my system. I'll try to get some reading done this weekend and will make an effort to stack a bit of wood. Nancy has asked that I get her oil changed so I may take care of that. I think I need to go into work for a bit as well. Time permitting, we'll squeeze in dinner with nan's sister and her mom. Did I tell you that Ooma sent me my phone via Fedex? I think I like that service. We'll see how it plays out. But, the sun is up; the temperatures are a bit on the cool side for September, and my darling is up asking about breakfast. Life beckons.
Lake George 2014
07/09/14 07:54
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014
Good morning, Lake George! We just dropped Ev off at Pace yesterday and Nancy and I are alone here on Katskill Bay, Lake George. Nice to be back for sure. It's a little after 5 in the morning on an early September morning. Temps are supposed to be a bit on the warm side this week so not sure it is going to feel like early fall but one can only hope. August was a cool month as summer months go so I was hoping that we might see that continue into my vacation week here at Lake George. Maybe I can eek out a few cool nights and that might be just fine. We are right on the lake. Surprising close I would say. You can practically reach out from the front porch here and touch the water. Not that I would want to do that but just saying.
Maybe a good week for Sandy bay though. With the summer crowds on the wane we will have the bay to ourselves, No getting up early to be the first boat there and we can have any buoy our little hearts desire be they close to the shore or further out where diving off the boat is more advisable. Rollie was good enough to share his boat and we will try to get out on the lake as much as possible. I haven't looked at the forecast except to say that Rollie mentioned that it was going to be in the eighties most of the week with rain on Friday. Truth be told, I like a stormy day from time to time here on the lake. Nothing like battening down the hatches against the forces of Mother Nature to help direct one's attention to the important things in life.
And the beds upstairs in this house, well I can tell you right now that Goldilocks would have her pick but have some trouble picking out one that is just right. I could tell right away that the first bed we tried out was sagging from the start and we were too tired to try out the rest so that was that. I should be thankful that the bed was comfortable enough so that I was able to get some sleep but not so comfortable that I was willing to stay in bed beyond 4am. And the stairs leading to the upstairs bedrooms, well they are atrociously steep and almost built after the fact when they constructed this home on the lake in the early 1900's. The woodwork and panelling throughout the house is really nice and befitting of homes built in the traditions of Adirondack homes built in the early 1900's here on the lake. The gas stove is a welcome sight as are the spacious and airy rooms throughout the home. The ceiling fans, of which there are many in this house, are seemingly too big for some rooms while being too small in others. The fireplace, one that we will likely not be needing this week, is just right.
The lake already has a slight ripple on it as daylight dawns and is likely to pick up in intensity as the day goes on. That is way it is on the lake. It either has nary a ripple through 10 in the morning or it start out with a breeze that persists throughout the day. I should probably look at the forecast so I can plan accordingly. I'll get my fishing gear together and probably do a bit of that in the days to come. I'll need to get a license but no hurry. A 3 day license should do the trick. I still don't know if one needs a license to cast your line off your own dock. You would think I would know that after all of my years on this lake.
I did have a few words with Nancy this morning about Evan. We commented about the fact that he expressed zero desire to take any pillows to Pace but promptly confiscated two of ours when we dropped him off yesterday. That's Evan for you. He's on the third floor in Dow and has an african american for a room mate. Not sure what he was expecting when he said he wanted to go to an urban school but I think he is starting to get the bigger picture. I don't think it matters one way or another quite honestly. There are cultural differences to be sure but more notably because his room mate hails from the Bronx and Evan was born and raised in the State of New Hampshire where blacks are distinctly in the minority. With Obama's open failure to secure our borders that might well change. Ev might be well advised to take an extra credit or two in Spanish if he expects to compete in this new world community.
But we're proud of that boy for his getting a job and keeping that job the entire summer. It was good for him to learn a bit of responsibility and to earn a few dollars in the process. It was good for him to see the kind of work that he may not want to pursue and that shagging shopping carts has a limited shelf life. We think he may have learned a valuable lesson or two in terms of managing his money and paying more attention to the particulars where money is concerned. In other words, he needs to safeguard his hard earned dollars and not lose the checks in the squalor of his unkept bedroom due to inattention or recklessness. What if he relied on those dollars to feed his family or to keep a roof over his head? Good lessons learned for sure.
It's hard to say how Evan feels about going back to school. You wonder if he just does it because we expect him to do it. I wonder that for sure. Boys his age don't always see the bigger picture so their parents are sometimes responsible for putting them on track and keeping them on track. I asked him if he had a class that he was particularly interested in taking of all of all the classes he signed up for. Crickets. More crickets. I'm trying to remember if I was that obtuse at his age. That disengaged. That flatlined. I did tell him that if he got through his years of college in one piece that we would pay off his loans. I could almost see that registering in his eyes and wafting through his brain as a good thing. Not sure he ever considered the fact that the loans he had taken out would come due one day and he would have to tend to them. It is true that we wanted him to have some skin in the game so structured his obligations that way but not a big deal in the scheme of things. You do your job and we'll do our job. Right.
The Jihadists are at it again. Another beheading by the ISIS group. It's hard to know what to believe when you listen to the press so I try to steer clear of the 5th estate. And I have no interest in watching that stuff on video so who knows if it is even real. It could be staged. Right? But all of this Six Sigma. Yes, I told myself that I would take no vacation this year until I had done everything within my control to learn all there was to learn about this so-called methodology. I wanted to give it all a chance and would make up my own mind after all was said and done as to whether or not I thought it was something that would work for me and my team. No one told me about the magic I would find when I finally opened my eyes. I wonder if they knew when they spoke so eloquently of the methods and mindsets. If they did they certainly did not let on. Some of the trainer had curious smiles from time to time and others kept it close to the vest now that I think back on the classes I attended. But no one prepared me for what I ultimately found when we started the process.
I waited far too long to take a vacation. The next time they suggest that we go for months on end without a vacation I will push back with all my might. The residual nonsense that accumulates in your head when you don't take a vacation to clear your head is just something you don't want to either experience yourself or, worse yet, subject your people to in any way, shape, or form. And now that I am on vacation, I am wanting to learn everything I can. I am wanting to know everything I can. I am wanting to shout from the mountaintops with this newfound energy and zeal of mine. Can't do that without getting locked up though so I will keep it to myself for now. No shouting from the mountain tops; no white suits; no baying at the moon; no nothing.
I'm hanging out at the local Starbucks where they have a sign near the cash register that says something along the lines of, if you don't like your beverage, let us know. I thought that had a particularly negative twist to it and said so. Not sure if the barista thought I was angling for a free coffee or if I was just another over-caffeinated nut job the likes of which he sees with annoying regularity over the course of his eight hour shift. Nonetheless, I like the idea that if we do love the coffee we should let them know (which provides super positive feedback to the staff preparing the drinks) and spurns them to make even better drinks the next time they get an order. And, you could add to that, if they don't love their coffee (implying that it was made especially for them - with love!) that they should say so and the good folks at Starbucks will make it right for you. Maybe I'll send Howard a note. Might be good for a free coffee the next time I'm in need for one.
God, this chair is uncomfortable. It's one of those old wooden chairs the likes of which your fourth grade teacher might have you sit in while doing your penance. It makes me wonder if this isn't by design; better to have you stay for the length of time it takes you to drink your beverage and no longer. Better to free up the seats for paying patrons and not patrons who want to hang out for hours on end using the Wi-Fi and sipping an endless beverage for $1.75. One only has to look around here in this store because I am the only one in this upper section and have been the only one since I arrived some forty minutes ago. There are other chairs that I would consider but none that would allow me to tap away at my pad here so I guess I'm schtuck. It has been a busy day on the lake though so I'm happy to be doing something a little different. Enough fishing for now; enough eating for now; enough bicycling for now; and yes, I'm good with the red organic grapes too.
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014
What is it with those stupid fucks who think that water skiing at 6:30 in the morning is a good idea? What about my peace and tranquility? Those kids can't be anymore than 9 or 10 so I blame their parents or whoever it is that is getting behind the wheel of that boat at this ungodly hour so those kids can have themselves a little fun before starting their school day. What the hell are they thinking? Who is wearing the pants in that family? What miscreant of a parent does this sort of thing? Did they not have themselves enough fun over the summer months? Maybe one or more of the runts has something viral and in the face of a certain death they are pushing the limits of whatever little time they have left on terra firma. If they any closer to our dock on their next round I'll help them push their limits.
That was some storm that blew through here last night around 9. We were adequately warned so knew something was coming but it seemed so still that we did nothing to prepare until it was almost too late. By the time we heard the thunder it had started to rain and the winds were starting to pick up. I pulled myself together and ran down to the dock to clear the decks of fishing poles, chairs, and the the like. Even though the boat was under cover it was not adequately protected from the wind so I went about putting the cover on the boat while the rain was coming down horizontally and the night skies were lighting up like the Fourth of July in Baghdad. Drenched to the bone, it took me a little while to sort out the cover and all the snaps many of which were compromised and secured nothing. Fearing that the winds would tear the cover off the boat given half a chance, I made sure it was as secure as it could be and braced myself as I made my way up the hill and back to the camp. We went to sleep last night to the sound of rain gently falling through the canopy of trees surrounding our camp and it was peaceful and serene.
I have a good mind to make a good breakfast this morning. Something good to start the day off on the right foot. Yesterday was not a culinary disaster necessarily but we could have demonstrated a bit more constraint when and where sweets were concerned. And, it is probably safe to say that we ate more than we usually do for a couple of reasons. One, I think Nancy is fighting off a cold and, two, we pushed the limits with our biking and that always leaves me feeling the need to replenish whatever stores of proteins or fats or whatever gets depleted when you do that to yourself. Anticipating that we would be doing what ended up doing yesterday, we even brought peanut butter here to the camp for just that reason. Now, we just need to use the peanut butter. I'd like to go for a nice hike today so may even bring the peanut butter as a snack when the going gets tough. Buck mountain beckons as they say in the song so now it just depends on how Nancy feels and so we'll see. maybe we'll just spend the day swimming in Sandy Bay. That would work too.
Hmmm. Sandy Bay. Not a bad idea. Took the boat over there mid morning and there was nothing for traffic on the lake. Just what the doctor ordered. Nancy was still a little under the weather and taking it all in stride as we made our way into the bay. We were one of three boats in the bay at that hour and it probably wasn't going to be getting much busier so it didn't much matter where we tied up. Some buoys are better than others and we gravitated to the side of the lake that we always go to where the buoys were dispersed much more liberally. In other words, we would have our privacy and then some so that was good. I sometimes like to listen to the radio while wiling away the hours and today was no different. Clouds moved lazily across the sky casting shadows on the mountains to the east while the Sagamore Hotel sat due north but looking much closer due to the mere size of the hotel. There was barely a chop across the water although that changed as the hours faded into early afternoon on the lake.
A boatload of teenagers appeared shortly after we arrived and we heard them make reference to the last day of summer. Not sure what school they planned to go to but I felt the truant officer in me rising up and I wondered aloud while no one listened or even cared. Maybe that truant officer goes by the name of scrooge too. I eventually turned my attention to other matters and even spent a bit of time in the lake luxuriating in the medicinal waters of the lake. Well, hyperbole is acceptable when talking about Lake George so just go with it. That's what I tell myself. Enjoy life and the hell with everything else. Johnny boy, you are on vacation. Start acting that way. C'mon, Nancy! Come in the water with me. Forget your cold. Forget the fact that you are not feeling particularly well. Take a little siesta beneath deck and we'll see you when you wake up. She did and went on to enjoy a brief swim after the fact. Could the air at the lake be any clearer? The waters any cleaner? The company any better?
Thursday, September 4th, 2014
Another day on the lake. Going to be a warm one today but not to worry. We're not sure what we have for plans but there are a few things on the back burner and up for consideration. Maybe we'll go to Saratoga. Maybe we'll hike up Buck Mountain. Maybe we'll just hang out in Sandy Bay for the better part of the day. Where will we go to ride our bikes if we decide to do that? Will we let the heat decide our fate? If it turns decidedly north then we may take refuge in the cool waters of Sandy Bay. The hike may give us a bit if a reprieve as well since the trails up the mountain are often shaded and not terribly steep. You can certainly tell by the traffic on the lake at this early hour that the weekend crowd is getting an early start on the weekend. They are not quite ready to give up on the summer of 2014 no matter the month and forgetting the fact that we are now in the month of September and well past the start of the school year.
The dinner at the Harvest was a good one last night. We met the sisters for our annual dinner while visiting here in Glens Falls. The whole experience was a bit surreal at times. The food was ok but the presentation was sub-par. Kathy ordered a chef salad and it gave every appearance of a bowl overflowing with chopped meat of some kind almost as though they back up a truck and tipped it until the bowl was overflowing. God help us. I think Kathy might have preferred a pizza but none of us were interested so she went with the salad. Don't take this the wrong way but I think the angle she was playing was that she might like to order something the likes of which she could take home after all was said and done. All I can say is that I am glad that I didn't order that salad. I would have sent it back to the kitchen and asked that they work a little harder to make it look like a salad. Is that too fucking much to ask?
Lise ordered the taco salad and I'm not sure I've ever seen a taco salad that looked quite like that. This restaurant might make a good pizza but they clearly have their work cut out for them on the entrees we ordered. Her taco salad looked like an slightly elevated Mexican omelet without the eggs. There was a shell that was barely discernible and one that I would otherwise expect to see rising up at odd angles from her plate but it was not so much. Lise is not a complainer and she went about eating her dinner without so much of whisper or a whimper. I like that about Lise. Then Kathy started in about her not being able to eat processed meat and it left me wondering what she thought she had in front of her if it wasn't processed meat. It was. My turkey club was pathetic. A club sandwich is supposed to be robust and a handful and a minimum. Where the sandwich was lacking in stature, the same could not be said for the french fries on my plate. I had to look carefully to even find my sandwich beneath the mountain of fries and found myself wishing that I had ordered something in the place of the fries. Can someone please help me find my sandwich! Oh, there it is.....BORING!
And the waitress.... I got the impression that she was not thrilled to be waiting on a couple of middle aged women which is what she was looking at until Nancy and I arrived. I'm not sure that her mindset shifted all that much even after she found herself looking at a full booth. Kathy had ordered a glass of wine before we arrived and the waitress no doubt thought the girls were settling in for the night. I made some comment to Lise about the place being busy for a Wednesday night with a particular type of clientele and Lise chimed in with a rather prescient comment about people on the government dole. The comment came seemingly from first hand experience. Been there, done that is what I was hearing. Not personally, of course, but that was her experience in dealing with the customers in her line of business. So the waitress was friendly but not overly engaging and she did what she had to to do her job. Sometimes perfunctory is good. I think it did not warrant the tip that Nancy gave her but there you have it.
But it was good to see the sisters again. Kathy was lamenting the fact that Rollie had not given her a boat ride on the lake as yet this summer and she seemed somewhat put out by that fact. Reading between the lines, I tried my level best not to fall into that trap and deftly avoided offering to provide same. Maybe Kathy has some matriarchal complex issues the likes of which leaves her feeling entitled or at least deserving of certain benefits where her siblings are concerned but that is not something I subscribe to in any way shape or form. Get in line is what I say. Being the eldest entitles you to nothing. So I said nothing but made a quick mental calculation about the remaining hours of daylight on the lake and factored in my desire to take them for a ride and ultimately decided that it was not something I cared or even wanted to do. Maybe I have some complex issues of my own but we don't need to go there this fine morning. I'm not even sure where "there" is so it is clearly not time well spent.
And all of this nonsense about a certain man at a certain seafood business ten years Kathy's junior expressing interest in her and her not being interested or maybe only interested in something platonic. It was a little like having a "kiss your sister" discussion which was not anywhere that I was interested in going but Kathy had other ideas. Was she intentionally trying to sabotage my dining experience? Maybe she wanted what was left of my club sandwich but was too polite to ask. Nobody is that manipulative. I'm thinking to myself, if you want a platonic relationship get yourself a dog. Oh, but she can't have any pets where she lives. They run much too tight a ship to allow that sort of thing. And then I ran down the list of men she has cavorted with over the years and expressed my concerns that going where no man has gone before was not her modus operandi and that she should not proceed with caution given her particular shelf life. Well, maybe I didn't put it like that exactly. But, I did resurrect the name of Jimmy Williams if for no other reason than to bolster my case and give evidence to support my concerns. Yes, Kathy darling, the bloom is not quite off the rose as yet but it is decidedly less fragrant and infinitely less seductive than it once was. Can I say that as her brother?
The whole boat thing here at the lake is weird. And kathy was whining a bit about the fact that Rollie didn't throw a party at the lake this summer. I reminded her that Rollie spent his vacation this year in Europe with his family and had but a few days here on the lake in which to relax and let down his hair. I'm sure the last thing he was thinking about was how to entertain the family in the waning days of the summer of 2014. There is that whole expectation game thing again. I too care little for doing any entertaining in my short time here at Lake George. I want peace and quiet and time to reflect and all that sort of thing. Getting together with the sisters for a little dinner is good but that is the extent of my outreach interests. I'm not sure I care all that much for taking the boat out truth be told. We've been here since Monday night and we've been to Sandy Bay once and it is Thursday already. It is nice to have it available to be sure and just to know it's there and ready if that is something we want to do. I guess I've been doing more reading that usual and writing in this here journal has been a bit of fun and I do feel as though I've not written all that much this year so catching up isn't a bad thing.
Fast forward to PM on Thursday. A whirlwind of a day to be sure. Nancy went for a walk while I chilled at the camp. So much so that I can't for the life of me remember even now what I was doing during her departure. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed by the fact that there is no dish strainer in this joint and without a dish drainer I'm lost when it comes to cleaning, restoring order, and or putting things back in their rightful place. Who writes about these kinds of things? And so the counter is strewn with this and that most of which would not be so obvious if only I had a dish drainer. Why would you rent a place to someone without a dish drainer? You wouldn't. I'm sure I can find a way around the problem by using the dishwasher but I'm less inclined to use the dishwasher than is Nancy so I'm wanting to leave the chore to her but I think she is equally overwhelmed. I think I'll take the bull by the horns and just do it. Get it done. Be the man I was meant to be. Say what?
So we boated to Long Island and walked the entire distance around the island from the ranger station and back to the boat. It took us a good hour and a half and that was without taking a break. C'mon, Nancy, keep up! She dillied and dallied and was occasionally out of sight at which point I waited for her to come into sight before moving on. C'mon, Jihad Nancy! Step it up! I rattled off a number of nuanced names until one got her attention and she seemed to make more an effort thereafter to keep up. It was decidedly cooler beneath the canopy of trees that lined the perimeter and interior of the island like random umbrellas sprouting from the earth with no intention other than to provide shelter to those inhabitants of the island seeking shade in their midst. Their roots threatened to snag our feet at ever turn and we stepped up, around, and over their protruding arteries all the while being careful not to lose our footing in the process.
We were not alone on the island. It is one thing to be on the island in the middle of the summer where you have a shared rationale with the other campers, hikers, and other wayward souls trying to lose themselves in nature. It is quite another to be there after the summer crowds have long gone and the reasons for being there are not easily discernible. Couples, I understand. Older couples are even easier to understand. They are probably looking for something lost. Something not easily rekindled but nonetheless something worth looking for. We walked past their sites and sometimes glanced their way and sometimes not.
It was the single man in the boat that arrived after us and looked somehow out of place that drew my attention. We outdistanced him with ease since he had still not secured his boat as we moved off along the pathway that hugged the shoreline. As we came up on the other side of the island and headed north we saw him again. He was idling in his boat and moving slowly along the shoreline within sight of our path. We were quite certain that he was well aware of us as was the case when we first laid eyes on him. Again, we lost sight of him for what turned out to be the last time and that was that. I had no further need to tap my inner Jihad John and any and all thoughts of joining the likes of ISIS to toughen my resolve were no longer necessary. Just as well. I'm a lover...not a fighter.
We ended up in Bolton Landing as we are prone to do while on vacation. It has become a destination of sorts that we like to travel to by boat and it is a town that welcomes boaters as evidenced by the accommodations they make available at the local pier. It was a nice ride there as well. Temperatures here in the Adirondacks in September don't usually run this warm but we were seeing temperatures in town in the eighties and probably off those highs when out on the water. In other words, it was a relief to be heading north on the lake where there was a stiff wind, sporadic white caps, and a gentle spray that came over the bow of the boat from time to time bringing even more relief from the heat. Rollie's boat is big enough so that as persuasive as the rolling waves were on the lake, the boat tamed them without so much as a whimper. It offered comfort where a smaller boat might not. It offered luxury where a lesser vessel might not. It offered a certain peace of mind to those ill equipped to deal with such things. It was just right for the occasion and we were making every minute count.
That bean restaurant did not quite work out this time around. As willing as we were to give it a try we were not willing to have lunch in a restaurant with no air conditioning when there were other equally decent places to go within walking distance that had air conditioning. It was just too warm to do that so we moved along after realizing that the diner had no air conditioning.
Friday, September 5th, 2014
Joan Rivers died. That sick mother with the mannequin affect finally packed it in. Her shrill and invective filled delivery is finally a thing of the past. Where will her hordes of sicko followers go now? Good fucking riddens is what I say. And what about all those minimum wage workers across the nation going on strike until they get their $15 dollars an hour? Get yourself an education and then we'll talk. That's what I say. Is it my imagination or are most of these miscreants black? I don't see any Asians striking. I don't see any Indians striking. It's the mother fucking entitlement community speaking with one voice again. You know Al Sharpton (Charlatan) is somewhere there in their midst. He wouldn't miss a chance to capitalize on a little race baiting when and where the opportunity represents itself. Now that the Ferguson matter has died a natural death he needs to find another cause. Yes, Reverend Al, you absolute piece of shit, this cause seems to be right up your alley.
The liberal establishment continues to flex its collective muscle and now has its sights set on the owner of the Washington Redskins football team. They are demanding that he not use the term "redskins" in the name of the team and have conspired with the government to force a change that pleases them and their liberal constituents. Forget for a minute that the Indians of that particular persuasion are not offended in the least. Do not bow to these sons of bitches is what I say. There is no end to their vitriol and passion for political correctness and it has to stop. It is especially disturbing that the forces of government have been corralled and utilized in order to do the bidding of the liberal establishment. This will not end well. The Obama administration would have it no other way. Yes, they are co-conspirators in this battle. Has anyone in the Obama administration read the fucking Constitution? How about he Bill of Rights? Will somebody please impeach that bastard?
Isis is coming! Isis is coming! Now that the Obama administration has labeled them the Jay-Vee team and turned their sights away from them in an effort to further assuage the far left who wants no part of nation building or wars of any kind, they have given the Isis groups the air they need to breath; the room they need to grow; and the resources they need to do what they do best. They are effectively beheading their way across the MidEast taking christians and all non-Muslims alike in their path. They have decimated entire towns and cities in their march across large areas between Syria and Iraq. They are now threatening to continue their march until the flag of Isis flies over the White House. Word also has it that they have conspired with Mexican Cartels to help infiltrate our southern borders where they can bring death and carnage to a town near you. It is an idealogical battle where death of its participants carries its own rewards which makes it particularly nasty but effective. And when our fearless leader, the great Obama, decides that enforcing the laws of the United States by protecting our borders is not a priority, then he effectively aids these Isis groups and others in their efforts to find and kill Americans. Why has this bastard not been impeached?
So, here we are on the eve of 9/11. With thousands of illegal aliens crossing our borders and being transported to towns across our country without the blessing or knowledge of the recipient communities I am left wondering about the future of our country. When the Obama administration ignores requests by members of Congress to provide information on the movement of these illegal aliens I am left wondering what kind of fucking banana republic we are living in. Is this what Obama meant when he said that he would "fundamentally transform America"? More immediately, I am left to wonder about what might happen on 9/11 since it seems to be an anniversary that the Muslim Jihadists take some stock in and want very badly to celebrate. Can you say "Benghazi?"
And to think that one of the principal architects of the Benghazi matter where four Americans died in the streets of Benghazi is now planning to run for the highest office in the land, the Presidency of the United States. Have we gone fucking nuts? Why are these people not rotting in jail somewhere?
But I digress. It is a delightful morning here on the lake. It is a cool morning with a slight breeze out of the south and conditions are a wee bit overcast. It is nice to get a break from the sun every once in a while. Nancy is doing her Adams Family puzzle next to me here on this table and we are both wondering, in our own little ways, as to what we might have for breakfast. I'm a protein guy and have no use for cereal, bread, or muffins. Give me eggs, black beans, and Canadian Ham any day. And if you throw all those things together and add a little shredded cheese and salsa I'll be good to go. I like mushrooms and broccoli too and, on occasion, I can be talked into having a little onion thrown into the mix too. Did I mention that I bought some really nice olive oil in Saratoga last night? I might well use it today when I make breakfast. Hmmm. Can't wait.
Saturday, September 6th, 2014
That will do it, kiddies. Or, that's a wrap. Pick your poison. Any way you slice it, just to dish up another overused cliche, our week here at the lake is over. It's toast. A swell week though as the Beaver would say. Weather was good; seeing family was good; boating was great; swimming was stellar; fishing, or the one day I went fishing, was mighty fine; and time with my honey worked out well too. Didn't see a lot of the family but that was by design. Didn't get around to visiting the cemetery either. I've always found that little exercise to be a bit on the macabre side so am not unhappy we didn't around to it. I wrote quite a bit in this here journal and that felt and still feels good. maybe it was just a convenient excuse to sit in Starbucks and drink coffee. Like I need an excuse to do that.
If the rain holds off that will be good since Rollie asked that I drive his boat back to Assembly Point. Not a problem, bro. Happy to do it. I would just prefer that it not be raining when I make the trip. Not worried about getting wet but the boat would be a veritable slop by the time I arrived at my destination. And then there is the clean-up after the fact and all the rest. Still not sure how this morning is going to play out. I may get one more chance to sit in Starbucks while Nancy shops at the button factory type place in downtown Glens Falls. That would be fine. I'f I don't write in my journal I will spend the time reading. I just don't know where I'd be without my trusty iPad. Life before this damn thing must have been tedious indeed so I'm delighted that it came along. Thank you, Apple! Thank you, Steve Jobs! RIP!
I think that Mexican food we had last night in downtown Glens Falls was terrific. I especially liked to guacamole but thought the chicken burrito I had was one of the better burritos I've ever had. Talk about winning the hearts and minds of the American public. How bout the tummies? The tummies need a little lovin too. Yes, they do. My compliments to the chef. Nancy had fish tacos with salmon which was exquisite or so she told me. She was as effusive in her praise of the dish as was I in praise of my own. And to think that we entered the place only after finding another place on the strip less inviting. We were seated but the location was much too dark so we got up and walked out. You vote with your feet these days. They either wow you or they lose your business. The Mexican restaurant sat on a roundabout and the menu warned that you sat outside at your own risk so we took a table just inside the front door. We originally thought it too warm to stay but got acclimated while waiting for our take out and stayed to eat our dinner. Good decisions all around. And the orange soda that Nancy ordered? Well, that worked out just fine too. It complimented the meal nicely.
Good morning, Lake George! We just dropped Ev off at Pace yesterday and Nancy and I are alone here on Katskill Bay, Lake George. Nice to be back for sure. It's a little after 5 in the morning on an early September morning. Temps are supposed to be a bit on the warm side this week so not sure it is going to feel like early fall but one can only hope. August was a cool month as summer months go so I was hoping that we might see that continue into my vacation week here at Lake George. Maybe I can eek out a few cool nights and that might be just fine. We are right on the lake. Surprising close I would say. You can practically reach out from the front porch here and touch the water. Not that I would want to do that but just saying.
Maybe a good week for Sandy bay though. With the summer crowds on the wane we will have the bay to ourselves, No getting up early to be the first boat there and we can have any buoy our little hearts desire be they close to the shore or further out where diving off the boat is more advisable. Rollie was good enough to share his boat and we will try to get out on the lake as much as possible. I haven't looked at the forecast except to say that Rollie mentioned that it was going to be in the eighties most of the week with rain on Friday. Truth be told, I like a stormy day from time to time here on the lake. Nothing like battening down the hatches against the forces of Mother Nature to help direct one's attention to the important things in life.
And the beds upstairs in this house, well I can tell you right now that Goldilocks would have her pick but have some trouble picking out one that is just right. I could tell right away that the first bed we tried out was sagging from the start and we were too tired to try out the rest so that was that. I should be thankful that the bed was comfortable enough so that I was able to get some sleep but not so comfortable that I was willing to stay in bed beyond 4am. And the stairs leading to the upstairs bedrooms, well they are atrociously steep and almost built after the fact when they constructed this home on the lake in the early 1900's. The woodwork and panelling throughout the house is really nice and befitting of homes built in the traditions of Adirondack homes built in the early 1900's here on the lake. The gas stove is a welcome sight as are the spacious and airy rooms throughout the home. The ceiling fans, of which there are many in this house, are seemingly too big for some rooms while being too small in others. The fireplace, one that we will likely not be needing this week, is just right.
The lake already has a slight ripple on it as daylight dawns and is likely to pick up in intensity as the day goes on. That is way it is on the lake. It either has nary a ripple through 10 in the morning or it start out with a breeze that persists throughout the day. I should probably look at the forecast so I can plan accordingly. I'll get my fishing gear together and probably do a bit of that in the days to come. I'll need to get a license but no hurry. A 3 day license should do the trick. I still don't know if one needs a license to cast your line off your own dock. You would think I would know that after all of my years on this lake.
I did have a few words with Nancy this morning about Evan. We commented about the fact that he expressed zero desire to take any pillows to Pace but promptly confiscated two of ours when we dropped him off yesterday. That's Evan for you. He's on the third floor in Dow and has an african american for a room mate. Not sure what he was expecting when he said he wanted to go to an urban school but I think he is starting to get the bigger picture. I don't think it matters one way or another quite honestly. There are cultural differences to be sure but more notably because his room mate hails from the Bronx and Evan was born and raised in the State of New Hampshire where blacks are distinctly in the minority. With Obama's open failure to secure our borders that might well change. Ev might be well advised to take an extra credit or two in Spanish if he expects to compete in this new world community.
But we're proud of that boy for his getting a job and keeping that job the entire summer. It was good for him to learn a bit of responsibility and to earn a few dollars in the process. It was good for him to see the kind of work that he may not want to pursue and that shagging shopping carts has a limited shelf life. We think he may have learned a valuable lesson or two in terms of managing his money and paying more attention to the particulars where money is concerned. In other words, he needs to safeguard his hard earned dollars and not lose the checks in the squalor of his unkept bedroom due to inattention or recklessness. What if he relied on those dollars to feed his family or to keep a roof over his head? Good lessons learned for sure.
It's hard to say how Evan feels about going back to school. You wonder if he just does it because we expect him to do it. I wonder that for sure. Boys his age don't always see the bigger picture so their parents are sometimes responsible for putting them on track and keeping them on track. I asked him if he had a class that he was particularly interested in taking of all of all the classes he signed up for. Crickets. More crickets. I'm trying to remember if I was that obtuse at his age. That disengaged. That flatlined. I did tell him that if he got through his years of college in one piece that we would pay off his loans. I could almost see that registering in his eyes and wafting through his brain as a good thing. Not sure he ever considered the fact that the loans he had taken out would come due one day and he would have to tend to them. It is true that we wanted him to have some skin in the game so structured his obligations that way but not a big deal in the scheme of things. You do your job and we'll do our job. Right.
The Jihadists are at it again. Another beheading by the ISIS group. It's hard to know what to believe when you listen to the press so I try to steer clear of the 5th estate. And I have no interest in watching that stuff on video so who knows if it is even real. It could be staged. Right? But all of this Six Sigma. Yes, I told myself that I would take no vacation this year until I had done everything within my control to learn all there was to learn about this so-called methodology. I wanted to give it all a chance and would make up my own mind after all was said and done as to whether or not I thought it was something that would work for me and my team. No one told me about the magic I would find when I finally opened my eyes. I wonder if they knew when they spoke so eloquently of the methods and mindsets. If they did they certainly did not let on. Some of the trainer had curious smiles from time to time and others kept it close to the vest now that I think back on the classes I attended. But no one prepared me for what I ultimately found when we started the process.
I waited far too long to take a vacation. The next time they suggest that we go for months on end without a vacation I will push back with all my might. The residual nonsense that accumulates in your head when you don't take a vacation to clear your head is just something you don't want to either experience yourself or, worse yet, subject your people to in any way, shape, or form. And now that I am on vacation, I am wanting to learn everything I can. I am wanting to know everything I can. I am wanting to shout from the mountaintops with this newfound energy and zeal of mine. Can't do that without getting locked up though so I will keep it to myself for now. No shouting from the mountain tops; no white suits; no baying at the moon; no nothing.
I'm hanging out at the local Starbucks where they have a sign near the cash register that says something along the lines of, if you don't like your beverage, let us know. I thought that had a particularly negative twist to it and said so. Not sure if the barista thought I was angling for a free coffee or if I was just another over-caffeinated nut job the likes of which he sees with annoying regularity over the course of his eight hour shift. Nonetheless, I like the idea that if we do love the coffee we should let them know (which provides super positive feedback to the staff preparing the drinks) and spurns them to make even better drinks the next time they get an order. And, you could add to that, if they don't love their coffee (implying that it was made especially for them - with love!) that they should say so and the good folks at Starbucks will make it right for you. Maybe I'll send Howard a note. Might be good for a free coffee the next time I'm in need for one.
God, this chair is uncomfortable. It's one of those old wooden chairs the likes of which your fourth grade teacher might have you sit in while doing your penance. It makes me wonder if this isn't by design; better to have you stay for the length of time it takes you to drink your beverage and no longer. Better to free up the seats for paying patrons and not patrons who want to hang out for hours on end using the Wi-Fi and sipping an endless beverage for $1.75. One only has to look around here in this store because I am the only one in this upper section and have been the only one since I arrived some forty minutes ago. There are other chairs that I would consider but none that would allow me to tap away at my pad here so I guess I'm schtuck. It has been a busy day on the lake though so I'm happy to be doing something a little different. Enough fishing for now; enough eating for now; enough bicycling for now; and yes, I'm good with the red organic grapes too.
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2014
What is it with those stupid fucks who think that water skiing at 6:30 in the morning is a good idea? What about my peace and tranquility? Those kids can't be anymore than 9 or 10 so I blame their parents or whoever it is that is getting behind the wheel of that boat at this ungodly hour so those kids can have themselves a little fun before starting their school day. What the hell are they thinking? Who is wearing the pants in that family? What miscreant of a parent does this sort of thing? Did they not have themselves enough fun over the summer months? Maybe one or more of the runts has something viral and in the face of a certain death they are pushing the limits of whatever little time they have left on terra firma. If they any closer to our dock on their next round I'll help them push their limits.
That was some storm that blew through here last night around 9. We were adequately warned so knew something was coming but it seemed so still that we did nothing to prepare until it was almost too late. By the time we heard the thunder it had started to rain and the winds were starting to pick up. I pulled myself together and ran down to the dock to clear the decks of fishing poles, chairs, and the the like. Even though the boat was under cover it was not adequately protected from the wind so I went about putting the cover on the boat while the rain was coming down horizontally and the night skies were lighting up like the Fourth of July in Baghdad. Drenched to the bone, it took me a little while to sort out the cover and all the snaps many of which were compromised and secured nothing. Fearing that the winds would tear the cover off the boat given half a chance, I made sure it was as secure as it could be and braced myself as I made my way up the hill and back to the camp. We went to sleep last night to the sound of rain gently falling through the canopy of trees surrounding our camp and it was peaceful and serene.
I have a good mind to make a good breakfast this morning. Something good to start the day off on the right foot. Yesterday was not a culinary disaster necessarily but we could have demonstrated a bit more constraint when and where sweets were concerned. And, it is probably safe to say that we ate more than we usually do for a couple of reasons. One, I think Nancy is fighting off a cold and, two, we pushed the limits with our biking and that always leaves me feeling the need to replenish whatever stores of proteins or fats or whatever gets depleted when you do that to yourself. Anticipating that we would be doing what ended up doing yesterday, we even brought peanut butter here to the camp for just that reason. Now, we just need to use the peanut butter. I'd like to go for a nice hike today so may even bring the peanut butter as a snack when the going gets tough. Buck mountain beckons as they say in the song so now it just depends on how Nancy feels and so we'll see. maybe we'll just spend the day swimming in Sandy Bay. That would work too.
Hmmm. Sandy Bay. Not a bad idea. Took the boat over there mid morning and there was nothing for traffic on the lake. Just what the doctor ordered. Nancy was still a little under the weather and taking it all in stride as we made our way into the bay. We were one of three boats in the bay at that hour and it probably wasn't going to be getting much busier so it didn't much matter where we tied up. Some buoys are better than others and we gravitated to the side of the lake that we always go to where the buoys were dispersed much more liberally. In other words, we would have our privacy and then some so that was good. I sometimes like to listen to the radio while wiling away the hours and today was no different. Clouds moved lazily across the sky casting shadows on the mountains to the east while the Sagamore Hotel sat due north but looking much closer due to the mere size of the hotel. There was barely a chop across the water although that changed as the hours faded into early afternoon on the lake.
A boatload of teenagers appeared shortly after we arrived and we heard them make reference to the last day of summer. Not sure what school they planned to go to but I felt the truant officer in me rising up and I wondered aloud while no one listened or even cared. Maybe that truant officer goes by the name of scrooge too. I eventually turned my attention to other matters and even spent a bit of time in the lake luxuriating in the medicinal waters of the lake. Well, hyperbole is acceptable when talking about Lake George so just go with it. That's what I tell myself. Enjoy life and the hell with everything else. Johnny boy, you are on vacation. Start acting that way. C'mon, Nancy! Come in the water with me. Forget your cold. Forget the fact that you are not feeling particularly well. Take a little siesta beneath deck and we'll see you when you wake up. She did and went on to enjoy a brief swim after the fact. Could the air at the lake be any clearer? The waters any cleaner? The company any better?
Thursday, September 4th, 2014
Another day on the lake. Going to be a warm one today but not to worry. We're not sure what we have for plans but there are a few things on the back burner and up for consideration. Maybe we'll go to Saratoga. Maybe we'll hike up Buck Mountain. Maybe we'll just hang out in Sandy Bay for the better part of the day. Where will we go to ride our bikes if we decide to do that? Will we let the heat decide our fate? If it turns decidedly north then we may take refuge in the cool waters of Sandy Bay. The hike may give us a bit if a reprieve as well since the trails up the mountain are often shaded and not terribly steep. You can certainly tell by the traffic on the lake at this early hour that the weekend crowd is getting an early start on the weekend. They are not quite ready to give up on the summer of 2014 no matter the month and forgetting the fact that we are now in the month of September and well past the start of the school year.
The dinner at the Harvest was a good one last night. We met the sisters for our annual dinner while visiting here in Glens Falls. The whole experience was a bit surreal at times. The food was ok but the presentation was sub-par. Kathy ordered a chef salad and it gave every appearance of a bowl overflowing with chopped meat of some kind almost as though they back up a truck and tipped it until the bowl was overflowing. God help us. I think Kathy might have preferred a pizza but none of us were interested so she went with the salad. Don't take this the wrong way but I think the angle she was playing was that she might like to order something the likes of which she could take home after all was said and done. All I can say is that I am glad that I didn't order that salad. I would have sent it back to the kitchen and asked that they work a little harder to make it look like a salad. Is that too fucking much to ask?
Lise ordered the taco salad and I'm not sure I've ever seen a taco salad that looked quite like that. This restaurant might make a good pizza but they clearly have their work cut out for them on the entrees we ordered. Her taco salad looked like an slightly elevated Mexican omelet without the eggs. There was a shell that was barely discernible and one that I would otherwise expect to see rising up at odd angles from her plate but it was not so much. Lise is not a complainer and she went about eating her dinner without so much of whisper or a whimper. I like that about Lise. Then Kathy started in about her not being able to eat processed meat and it left me wondering what she thought she had in front of her if it wasn't processed meat. It was. My turkey club was pathetic. A club sandwich is supposed to be robust and a handful and a minimum. Where the sandwich was lacking in stature, the same could not be said for the french fries on my plate. I had to look carefully to even find my sandwich beneath the mountain of fries and found myself wishing that I had ordered something in the place of the fries. Can someone please help me find my sandwich! Oh, there it is.....BORING!
And the waitress.... I got the impression that she was not thrilled to be waiting on a couple of middle aged women which is what she was looking at until Nancy and I arrived. I'm not sure that her mindset shifted all that much even after she found herself looking at a full booth. Kathy had ordered a glass of wine before we arrived and the waitress no doubt thought the girls were settling in for the night. I made some comment to Lise about the place being busy for a Wednesday night with a particular type of clientele and Lise chimed in with a rather prescient comment about people on the government dole. The comment came seemingly from first hand experience. Been there, done that is what I was hearing. Not personally, of course, but that was her experience in dealing with the customers in her line of business. So the waitress was friendly but not overly engaging and she did what she had to to do her job. Sometimes perfunctory is good. I think it did not warrant the tip that Nancy gave her but there you have it.
But it was good to see the sisters again. Kathy was lamenting the fact that Rollie had not given her a boat ride on the lake as yet this summer and she seemed somewhat put out by that fact. Reading between the lines, I tried my level best not to fall into that trap and deftly avoided offering to provide same. Maybe Kathy has some matriarchal complex issues the likes of which leaves her feeling entitled or at least deserving of certain benefits where her siblings are concerned but that is not something I subscribe to in any way shape or form. Get in line is what I say. Being the eldest entitles you to nothing. So I said nothing but made a quick mental calculation about the remaining hours of daylight on the lake and factored in my desire to take them for a ride and ultimately decided that it was not something I cared or even wanted to do. Maybe I have some complex issues of my own but we don't need to go there this fine morning. I'm not even sure where "there" is so it is clearly not time well spent.
And all of this nonsense about a certain man at a certain seafood business ten years Kathy's junior expressing interest in her and her not being interested or maybe only interested in something platonic. It was a little like having a "kiss your sister" discussion which was not anywhere that I was interested in going but Kathy had other ideas. Was she intentionally trying to sabotage my dining experience? Maybe she wanted what was left of my club sandwich but was too polite to ask. Nobody is that manipulative. I'm thinking to myself, if you want a platonic relationship get yourself a dog. Oh, but she can't have any pets where she lives. They run much too tight a ship to allow that sort of thing. And then I ran down the list of men she has cavorted with over the years and expressed my concerns that going where no man has gone before was not her modus operandi and that she should not proceed with caution given her particular shelf life. Well, maybe I didn't put it like that exactly. But, I did resurrect the name of Jimmy Williams if for no other reason than to bolster my case and give evidence to support my concerns. Yes, Kathy darling, the bloom is not quite off the rose as yet but it is decidedly less fragrant and infinitely less seductive than it once was. Can I say that as her brother?
The whole boat thing here at the lake is weird. And kathy was whining a bit about the fact that Rollie didn't throw a party at the lake this summer. I reminded her that Rollie spent his vacation this year in Europe with his family and had but a few days here on the lake in which to relax and let down his hair. I'm sure the last thing he was thinking about was how to entertain the family in the waning days of the summer of 2014. There is that whole expectation game thing again. I too care little for doing any entertaining in my short time here at Lake George. I want peace and quiet and time to reflect and all that sort of thing. Getting together with the sisters for a little dinner is good but that is the extent of my outreach interests. I'm not sure I care all that much for taking the boat out truth be told. We've been here since Monday night and we've been to Sandy Bay once and it is Thursday already. It is nice to have it available to be sure and just to know it's there and ready if that is something we want to do. I guess I've been doing more reading that usual and writing in this here journal has been a bit of fun and I do feel as though I've not written all that much this year so catching up isn't a bad thing.
Fast forward to PM on Thursday. A whirlwind of a day to be sure. Nancy went for a walk while I chilled at the camp. So much so that I can't for the life of me remember even now what I was doing during her departure. I've been feeling a little overwhelmed by the fact that there is no dish strainer in this joint and without a dish drainer I'm lost when it comes to cleaning, restoring order, and or putting things back in their rightful place. Who writes about these kinds of things? And so the counter is strewn with this and that most of which would not be so obvious if only I had a dish drainer. Why would you rent a place to someone without a dish drainer? You wouldn't. I'm sure I can find a way around the problem by using the dishwasher but I'm less inclined to use the dishwasher than is Nancy so I'm wanting to leave the chore to her but I think she is equally overwhelmed. I think I'll take the bull by the horns and just do it. Get it done. Be the man I was meant to be. Say what?
So we boated to Long Island and walked the entire distance around the island from the ranger station and back to the boat. It took us a good hour and a half and that was without taking a break. C'mon, Nancy, keep up! She dillied and dallied and was occasionally out of sight at which point I waited for her to come into sight before moving on. C'mon, Jihad Nancy! Step it up! I rattled off a number of nuanced names until one got her attention and she seemed to make more an effort thereafter to keep up. It was decidedly cooler beneath the canopy of trees that lined the perimeter and interior of the island like random umbrellas sprouting from the earth with no intention other than to provide shelter to those inhabitants of the island seeking shade in their midst. Their roots threatened to snag our feet at ever turn and we stepped up, around, and over their protruding arteries all the while being careful not to lose our footing in the process.
We were not alone on the island. It is one thing to be on the island in the middle of the summer where you have a shared rationale with the other campers, hikers, and other wayward souls trying to lose themselves in nature. It is quite another to be there after the summer crowds have long gone and the reasons for being there are not easily discernible. Couples, I understand. Older couples are even easier to understand. They are probably looking for something lost. Something not easily rekindled but nonetheless something worth looking for. We walked past their sites and sometimes glanced their way and sometimes not.
It was the single man in the boat that arrived after us and looked somehow out of place that drew my attention. We outdistanced him with ease since he had still not secured his boat as we moved off along the pathway that hugged the shoreline. As we came up on the other side of the island and headed north we saw him again. He was idling in his boat and moving slowly along the shoreline within sight of our path. We were quite certain that he was well aware of us as was the case when we first laid eyes on him. Again, we lost sight of him for what turned out to be the last time and that was that. I had no further need to tap my inner Jihad John and any and all thoughts of joining the likes of ISIS to toughen my resolve were no longer necessary. Just as well. I'm a lover...not a fighter.
We ended up in Bolton Landing as we are prone to do while on vacation. It has become a destination of sorts that we like to travel to by boat and it is a town that welcomes boaters as evidenced by the accommodations they make available at the local pier. It was a nice ride there as well. Temperatures here in the Adirondacks in September don't usually run this warm but we were seeing temperatures in town in the eighties and probably off those highs when out on the water. In other words, it was a relief to be heading north on the lake where there was a stiff wind, sporadic white caps, and a gentle spray that came over the bow of the boat from time to time bringing even more relief from the heat. Rollie's boat is big enough so that as persuasive as the rolling waves were on the lake, the boat tamed them without so much as a whimper. It offered comfort where a smaller boat might not. It offered luxury where a lesser vessel might not. It offered a certain peace of mind to those ill equipped to deal with such things. It was just right for the occasion and we were making every minute count.
That bean restaurant did not quite work out this time around. As willing as we were to give it a try we were not willing to have lunch in a restaurant with no air conditioning when there were other equally decent places to go within walking distance that had air conditioning. It was just too warm to do that so we moved along after realizing that the diner had no air conditioning.
Friday, September 5th, 2014
Joan Rivers died. That sick mother with the mannequin affect finally packed it in. Her shrill and invective filled delivery is finally a thing of the past. Where will her hordes of sicko followers go now? Good fucking riddens is what I say. And what about all those minimum wage workers across the nation going on strike until they get their $15 dollars an hour? Get yourself an education and then we'll talk. That's what I say. Is it my imagination or are most of these miscreants black? I don't see any Asians striking. I don't see any Indians striking. It's the mother fucking entitlement community speaking with one voice again. You know Al Sharpton (Charlatan) is somewhere there in their midst. He wouldn't miss a chance to capitalize on a little race baiting when and where the opportunity represents itself. Now that the Ferguson matter has died a natural death he needs to find another cause. Yes, Reverend Al, you absolute piece of shit, this cause seems to be right up your alley.
The liberal establishment continues to flex its collective muscle and now has its sights set on the owner of the Washington Redskins football team. They are demanding that he not use the term "redskins" in the name of the team and have conspired with the government to force a change that pleases them and their liberal constituents. Forget for a minute that the Indians of that particular persuasion are not offended in the least. Do not bow to these sons of bitches is what I say. There is no end to their vitriol and passion for political correctness and it has to stop. It is especially disturbing that the forces of government have been corralled and utilized in order to do the bidding of the liberal establishment. This will not end well. The Obama administration would have it no other way. Yes, they are co-conspirators in this battle. Has anyone in the Obama administration read the fucking Constitution? How about he Bill of Rights? Will somebody please impeach that bastard?
Isis is coming! Isis is coming! Now that the Obama administration has labeled them the Jay-Vee team and turned their sights away from them in an effort to further assuage the far left who wants no part of nation building or wars of any kind, they have given the Isis groups the air they need to breath; the room they need to grow; and the resources they need to do what they do best. They are effectively beheading their way across the MidEast taking christians and all non-Muslims alike in their path. They have decimated entire towns and cities in their march across large areas between Syria and Iraq. They are now threatening to continue their march until the flag of Isis flies over the White House. Word also has it that they have conspired with Mexican Cartels to help infiltrate our southern borders where they can bring death and carnage to a town near you. It is an idealogical battle where death of its participants carries its own rewards which makes it particularly nasty but effective. And when our fearless leader, the great Obama, decides that enforcing the laws of the United States by protecting our borders is not a priority, then he effectively aids these Isis groups and others in their efforts to find and kill Americans. Why has this bastard not been impeached?
So, here we are on the eve of 9/11. With thousands of illegal aliens crossing our borders and being transported to towns across our country without the blessing or knowledge of the recipient communities I am left wondering about the future of our country. When the Obama administration ignores requests by members of Congress to provide information on the movement of these illegal aliens I am left wondering what kind of fucking banana republic we are living in. Is this what Obama meant when he said that he would "fundamentally transform America"? More immediately, I am left to wonder about what might happen on 9/11 since it seems to be an anniversary that the Muslim Jihadists take some stock in and want very badly to celebrate. Can you say "Benghazi?"
And to think that one of the principal architects of the Benghazi matter where four Americans died in the streets of Benghazi is now planning to run for the highest office in the land, the Presidency of the United States. Have we gone fucking nuts? Why are these people not rotting in jail somewhere?
But I digress. It is a delightful morning here on the lake. It is a cool morning with a slight breeze out of the south and conditions are a wee bit overcast. It is nice to get a break from the sun every once in a while. Nancy is doing her Adams Family puzzle next to me here on this table and we are both wondering, in our own little ways, as to what we might have for breakfast. I'm a protein guy and have no use for cereal, bread, or muffins. Give me eggs, black beans, and Canadian Ham any day. And if you throw all those things together and add a little shredded cheese and salsa I'll be good to go. I like mushrooms and broccoli too and, on occasion, I can be talked into having a little onion thrown into the mix too. Did I mention that I bought some really nice olive oil in Saratoga last night? I might well use it today when I make breakfast. Hmmm. Can't wait.
Saturday, September 6th, 2014
That will do it, kiddies. Or, that's a wrap. Pick your poison. Any way you slice it, just to dish up another overused cliche, our week here at the lake is over. It's toast. A swell week though as the Beaver would say. Weather was good; seeing family was good; boating was great; swimming was stellar; fishing, or the one day I went fishing, was mighty fine; and time with my honey worked out well too. Didn't see a lot of the family but that was by design. Didn't get around to visiting the cemetery either. I've always found that little exercise to be a bit on the macabre side so am not unhappy we didn't around to it. I wrote quite a bit in this here journal and that felt and still feels good. maybe it was just a convenient excuse to sit in Starbucks and drink coffee. Like I need an excuse to do that.
If the rain holds off that will be good since Rollie asked that I drive his boat back to Assembly Point. Not a problem, bro. Happy to do it. I would just prefer that it not be raining when I make the trip. Not worried about getting wet but the boat would be a veritable slop by the time I arrived at my destination. And then there is the clean-up after the fact and all the rest. Still not sure how this morning is going to play out. I may get one more chance to sit in Starbucks while Nancy shops at the button factory type place in downtown Glens Falls. That would be fine. I'f I don't write in my journal I will spend the time reading. I just don't know where I'd be without my trusty iPad. Life before this damn thing must have been tedious indeed so I'm delighted that it came along. Thank you, Apple! Thank you, Steve Jobs! RIP!
I think that Mexican food we had last night in downtown Glens Falls was terrific. I especially liked to guacamole but thought the chicken burrito I had was one of the better burritos I've ever had. Talk about winning the hearts and minds of the American public. How bout the tummies? The tummies need a little lovin too. Yes, they do. My compliments to the chef. Nancy had fish tacos with salmon which was exquisite or so she told me. She was as effusive in her praise of the dish as was I in praise of my own. And to think that we entered the place only after finding another place on the strip less inviting. We were seated but the location was much too dark so we got up and walked out. You vote with your feet these days. They either wow you or they lose your business. The Mexican restaurant sat on a roundabout and the menu warned that you sat outside at your own risk so we took a table just inside the front door. We originally thought it too warm to stay but got acclimated while waiting for our take out and stayed to eat our dinner. Good decisions all around. And the orange soda that Nancy ordered? Well, that worked out just fine too. It complimented the meal nicely.
Father's Day 2014
15/06/14 07:28
With the world going to hell in a hand basket I feel slightly self indulgent talking about something as insignificant as Father's day. But it is worthwhile to stop and think about such things on occasion and this day is no different. Not sure what I'm supposed to be reflecting on or even if the day is deserving of any reflection at all. You might even consider the angle that I was nothing more than a sperm donor although my responsibilities after the fact were greater than those otherwise expected of a donor anonymous or otherwise. I certainly, even to this day, deserve no medals or applause for fulfilling my responsibilities as a father so take a dim view of these manufactured holidays to celebrate same. That is a good thing because Evan will, no doubt, not consider the day one way or another and I wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, I told Nancy not to say anything to him because I do not want nor do I expect a pavlovian response. Maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree all things considered. Holidays come and go and I too take little notice and feel little residual guilt when confronted by my loved ones. Were my father alive I would undoubtedly dismiss the day and not give it more than a second's thought before moving on. I think that is what he would want for and from me. Not sure how you teach detachment but it seems that the lesson however imparted was not lost on me. Funny how that works.
But the day is a beauty here on the coast. Temperatures are moderate; humidity is low; the sun is shining brightly; and there is a wonderful breeze that promises to offer relief as we head out for our bike ride. I think we'll go 15 miles or more today traffic permitting. I like to get on the road early but was a wee bit distracted by news out of the middle east so wanted to catch a couple of the talking head shows just to get up to speed. There was a lot of talk about boots on the ground, drones, aircraft carriers, and our fearless leader's indecision and actions from the past that brought us to this moment in history. But fear not, citizens. Your fearless leader is on the links in Southern California thinking about what he might like to do in response to jihad taking place in Iraq. He has effectively distanced himself considerably from the VA hospital issue and countless other missteps either calculated or otherwise and all designed to weaken our presence on the world stage. There isn't anyone who doesn't believe that the influx of thousands of children on our southern border coming in from Southern and Central America wasn't orchestrated as part and parcel of the democrats overall strategy to force the passage of some form of amnesty. Create a humanitarian issue with children front and center and it will surely prompt the opposition to cross the aisle to get in line with the democrats. If the votes are not there at the end of the day, Obama has a pen and a phone and will act without congress if necessary. They can't impeach this bastard soon enough.
But I digress. We'll be having cold salmon and black bean salad for dinner and that will be a nice way to end the day. I have a good mind to make some iced coffee with my new Cuisinart machine and I may well use a hazelnut brew. I do not typically use flavored coffees but got a sampler pack with the machine so may well give it a try. The machine has an iced beverage setting and I am most curious as to how that is going to work. Strawberries are just now coming into season hereabouts so we'll see if we can't round some of those up in our travels today as well. Blueberries can't be far behind. Speaking of distractions, Casey Kasem died today. I know, I know. Casey who? You know, that top 40 guy. You may be more familiar with Casey Kasem in his role as the voiceover artist "Shaggy" in the Scooby Doo series. The distractions just never end.
But the day is a beauty here on the coast. Temperatures are moderate; humidity is low; the sun is shining brightly; and there is a wonderful breeze that promises to offer relief as we head out for our bike ride. I think we'll go 15 miles or more today traffic permitting. I like to get on the road early but was a wee bit distracted by news out of the middle east so wanted to catch a couple of the talking head shows just to get up to speed. There was a lot of talk about boots on the ground, drones, aircraft carriers, and our fearless leader's indecision and actions from the past that brought us to this moment in history. But fear not, citizens. Your fearless leader is on the links in Southern California thinking about what he might like to do in response to jihad taking place in Iraq. He has effectively distanced himself considerably from the VA hospital issue and countless other missteps either calculated or otherwise and all designed to weaken our presence on the world stage. There isn't anyone who doesn't believe that the influx of thousands of children on our southern border coming in from Southern and Central America wasn't orchestrated as part and parcel of the democrats overall strategy to force the passage of some form of amnesty. Create a humanitarian issue with children front and center and it will surely prompt the opposition to cross the aisle to get in line with the democrats. If the votes are not there at the end of the day, Obama has a pen and a phone and will act without congress if necessary. They can't impeach this bastard soon enough.
But I digress. We'll be having cold salmon and black bean salad for dinner and that will be a nice way to end the day. I have a good mind to make some iced coffee with my new Cuisinart machine and I may well use a hazelnut brew. I do not typically use flavored coffees but got a sampler pack with the machine so may well give it a try. The machine has an iced beverage setting and I am most curious as to how that is going to work. Strawberries are just now coming into season hereabouts so we'll see if we can't round some of those up in our travels today as well. Blueberries can't be far behind. Speaking of distractions, Casey Kasem died today. I know, I know. Casey who? You know, that top 40 guy. You may be more familiar with Casey Kasem in his role as the voiceover artist "Shaggy" in the Scooby Doo series. The distractions just never end.
Out of Hibernation
14/06/14 05:05
There is nothing like a jolt of java to pull a man out of a slumber. There is more to the story than just the java though. Not sure it is a story that needs to be told but it is one that deserves maybe just a moment of reflection. Nothing more and nothing less. Perhaps more notable is the fact that I'm back on board with my journal if only for today. Then tomorrow it will be only for tomorrow. And on it goes. But it starts with a bang and ends with a whimper and as ass backwards as that seems that is the way it is. I'll go for long periods not even thinking about this here journal and then as predictably as the seasons come and go I return to it as faithfully and with all the heartfelt dedication that I can muster. The coffee in my head helps with the mustering and the sanctity of the early morning hours where distractions are few make for a perfect storm where I can sail the high seas without fear of falling overboard. Maybe more akin to walking a tightrope as I sit here at 5:22 on a drizzly Saturday morning. Can someone please take a little more slack out of that net?
Evan is home from school for the summer now. We were just getting used to having him be away and now he's back. Our biggest concern was that we were going to have to make serious adjustments in our schedules and thinking since he has been out of sight and out of mind for so long. Not having to worry about the comings and goings of your children can be immensely liberating and that is was while he was away at school for the last year. We didn't have to go to bed each evening worrying about being awakened at all hours of the morning if and when he decided to come home. We didn't have to worry about seeing to it that he had something to eat or that he was paying the proper amount of attention to his health and well being. We didn't have to worry about his being out with his overly indulgent friends and what that might mean for him in the scheme of things.
It is also true that things don't always work out the way you imagine they might. I wouldn't have guessed, for example, that we might not see him for days at a time. I wouldn't have guessed that he would end up with a job but that too has become a reality. So what if it is only part time. But his momma worries nonetheless and perhaps that is her nature and not altogether a bad thing. We only ask that he check in from time to time and that means once a day. That is asking a lot of a son who is coming into his 20th year and apparently finding his own way in life despite our best efforts to hold his hand along the way. His friends are still overly indulgent and into things that can get Ev into trouble so we will worry for him since that is what we do best. The local newspapers are replete with stories about teenagers running afoul of the law and lives ruined and even lost so the lot of us need to be mindful of such things. He more than us but that goes without saying.
Speaking of drugs and all things nasty and illicit, not that I would put caffeine in either of those categories, I decided to buy one of those K-Cups machines. Not sure what I was thinking. Maybe I was bored after countless years using a Melior pot and this more recent innovation seems to have gained a modicum of respectability amongst coffee drinkers. Besides, if Starbucks was selling them they must be the real deal. Now that I have one, I have to believe that Starbucks sells them because they did not want to find themselves at the tail end of a tsunami that was taking the coffee market by storm. Starbucks was not selling them because they thought it the best way to brew a cup of coffee. They simply did not want to be left behind when every other company under the sun was selling pods and increasing profits exponentially as a result of this latest innovation.
In the process, they gave credence to an otherwise inferior product and have done a disservice to their customers and the generations of coffee lovers that have beaten a path to their counters since they opened their doors in downtown Seattle in 1971. Starbucks lowered their standards and the public noticed. I noticed but only after buying one and finding that it just doesn't get the job done. It does little to produce the kind of body I like when I have my coffee. The pods don't have enough coffee in them to get the job done and that is no doubt by design. And whatever happened to roast dates? The spectrum of acceptability now includes this vacuum packed bullshit? I made the mistake of putting my trust in my favorite vendor when it came to making this decision and I feel somewhat betrayed. I will continue to try to make the best of my purchase despite my somewhat troubling experiences to date. I can use my own coffee with this machine so there may be an acceptable outcome that I can live with yet. It does deliver a cup of coffee more quickly than I can get mine together using the melior pot so that may be the real allure of the machine. I was looking for quality and they were selling convenience. Doh!
Evan is home from school for the summer now. We were just getting used to having him be away and now he's back. Our biggest concern was that we were going to have to make serious adjustments in our schedules and thinking since he has been out of sight and out of mind for so long. Not having to worry about the comings and goings of your children can be immensely liberating and that is was while he was away at school for the last year. We didn't have to go to bed each evening worrying about being awakened at all hours of the morning if and when he decided to come home. We didn't have to worry about seeing to it that he had something to eat or that he was paying the proper amount of attention to his health and well being. We didn't have to worry about his being out with his overly indulgent friends and what that might mean for him in the scheme of things.
It is also true that things don't always work out the way you imagine they might. I wouldn't have guessed, for example, that we might not see him for days at a time. I wouldn't have guessed that he would end up with a job but that too has become a reality. So what if it is only part time. But his momma worries nonetheless and perhaps that is her nature and not altogether a bad thing. We only ask that he check in from time to time and that means once a day. That is asking a lot of a son who is coming into his 20th year and apparently finding his own way in life despite our best efforts to hold his hand along the way. His friends are still overly indulgent and into things that can get Ev into trouble so we will worry for him since that is what we do best. The local newspapers are replete with stories about teenagers running afoul of the law and lives ruined and even lost so the lot of us need to be mindful of such things. He more than us but that goes without saying.
Speaking of drugs and all things nasty and illicit, not that I would put caffeine in either of those categories, I decided to buy one of those K-Cups machines. Not sure what I was thinking. Maybe I was bored after countless years using a Melior pot and this more recent innovation seems to have gained a modicum of respectability amongst coffee drinkers. Besides, if Starbucks was selling them they must be the real deal. Now that I have one, I have to believe that Starbucks sells them because they did not want to find themselves at the tail end of a tsunami that was taking the coffee market by storm. Starbucks was not selling them because they thought it the best way to brew a cup of coffee. They simply did not want to be left behind when every other company under the sun was selling pods and increasing profits exponentially as a result of this latest innovation.
In the process, they gave credence to an otherwise inferior product and have done a disservice to their customers and the generations of coffee lovers that have beaten a path to their counters since they opened their doors in downtown Seattle in 1971. Starbucks lowered their standards and the public noticed. I noticed but only after buying one and finding that it just doesn't get the job done. It does little to produce the kind of body I like when I have my coffee. The pods don't have enough coffee in them to get the job done and that is no doubt by design. And whatever happened to roast dates? The spectrum of acceptability now includes this vacuum packed bullshit? I made the mistake of putting my trust in my favorite vendor when it came to making this decision and I feel somewhat betrayed. I will continue to try to make the best of my purchase despite my somewhat troubling experiences to date. I can use my own coffee with this machine so there may be an acceptable outcome that I can live with yet. It does deliver a cup of coffee more quickly than I can get mine together using the melior pot so that may be the real allure of the machine. I was looking for quality and they were selling convenience. Doh!
Inescapable Grief
01/03/14 08:20
Sometimes you just want to close your eyes and never open them again. It is better not to see and read things that cause pain to you and those around you from which you cannot escape. There is pain and there is inconsolable pain. To experience it second hand makes it no less painful especially when it happens to people you know and especially when and where children are involved. There are families here in town who are going through their own hell with the death of one young man who was going to school abroad and the diagnosis of another child who has been diagnosed with a rare but aggressive form of cancer at the tender young age of 10. What does a 10-year old boy know of such things? How does one discuss death with a child who is just getting over being afraid of the dark and has probably put his own boogymen out of his head for the foreseeable future? How does a mother fret so as not to scare her child into a senselessness that is dark and foreboding?
And just when you think you're college age student is well on his way in life you get that fateful phone call informing you that your son is missing after spending an evening with friends at a bar. And then you spend two days, two of the longest days of your life, hearing nothing and thinking the worst. And then the unimaginable happens. Your son is found in a railroad tunnel and was reportedly killed by a passing train in the early hours of the morning. How does that happen? The boy was so bright with a life so promising. He would never do such a thing. Someone must be responsible - who? The anguish is palpable and unbearable for those closest to him and certainly not out of reach for the hyperbolic reporters who transmit their stories on midnight blogs and back country rags in search of their own personal pulitzers. This does not rise to Lady Diana proportions but is a small town variation on the same theme and no less painful for those closest to the story. It is a story that may never be truthfully told because no one knows the truth. Almost no one, that is. We know someone knows.
But the world carries on and with the Olympics in Sochia, Russia now in the rear view mirror we are on to things more meaningful than gold medals, doping allegations, and corrupt figure skating judges. I don't pretend to understand the political machinations in the Soviet realm but it has been reported in the last 24 hours that the Russian troops have occupied Crimea. It is an incursion that does not sit well with the NATO countries and there is considerable consternation over the fact that Russia has now effectively invaded a sovereign country within its sphere of influence. The NATO forces are dusting off the latest and greatest copies of the non-proliferation treaties looking for loopholes and dangling participles which they hope to exploit, politicize, and even embarrass the Soviet Leader Putin into reversing his actions before a full scale war breaks out in the region.
Our feckless leader, otherwise known as "the fearless leader" and even "the community organizer" hasn't a clue as to how to manage the crisis. He is quick to draw a line in the sand as he did with Syria but cannot follow through on his bravado. He has no support nor respect in the world community and is universally mocked for the cheap suit that he is. Where is his "pen" and his "phone" now? The latter is his response to how he hoped to effect change as a lame duck president since he has little support within his own party for his initiatives much less in the opposing party in Congress. He is more concerned about the rights of the illegal immigrants crossing our southern borders than he is with the men and women patrolling those borders. He is more concerned with the rights and needs of the people in this country who would find a reason not to work than with those hard working americans who want to work, contribute, and find a reason to love this country. He is more concerned about the members of the LGBT community and their rights than he is with the religious and business institutions that would resist their lifestyle choices as perverse and socially unacceptable. He is doing what he promised to do; to transform our country.
And when his attorney general tells attorney generals across our nation that they can elect which laws to enforce and which not to enforce he takes aim at the rule of law on which our nation is based. Don't know what the right answer is when it comes to the Ukraine as I sit here this morning but I know one thing for sure; that cheap suit in the white house does not have this nation's best interests in mind. He cannot be trusted to make the right decisions when it comes to our actions as the world looks past us for leadership. God help us. And god help those children caught in the crosshairs of his indecision. They will be the political pawns of tomorrows battle and he will exploit them as he did the community of Sandy Hook in the wake of an otherwise horrific incident when he and his minions tried to gut our second amendment rights by implementing more restrictive gun laws. Who was it that once said, "never let a tragedy go to waste"?
And just when you think you're college age student is well on his way in life you get that fateful phone call informing you that your son is missing after spending an evening with friends at a bar. And then you spend two days, two of the longest days of your life, hearing nothing and thinking the worst. And then the unimaginable happens. Your son is found in a railroad tunnel and was reportedly killed by a passing train in the early hours of the morning. How does that happen? The boy was so bright with a life so promising. He would never do such a thing. Someone must be responsible - who? The anguish is palpable and unbearable for those closest to him and certainly not out of reach for the hyperbolic reporters who transmit their stories on midnight blogs and back country rags in search of their own personal pulitzers. This does not rise to Lady Diana proportions but is a small town variation on the same theme and no less painful for those closest to the story. It is a story that may never be truthfully told because no one knows the truth. Almost no one, that is. We know someone knows.
But the world carries on and with the Olympics in Sochia, Russia now in the rear view mirror we are on to things more meaningful than gold medals, doping allegations, and corrupt figure skating judges. I don't pretend to understand the political machinations in the Soviet realm but it has been reported in the last 24 hours that the Russian troops have occupied Crimea. It is an incursion that does not sit well with the NATO countries and there is considerable consternation over the fact that Russia has now effectively invaded a sovereign country within its sphere of influence. The NATO forces are dusting off the latest and greatest copies of the non-proliferation treaties looking for loopholes and dangling participles which they hope to exploit, politicize, and even embarrass the Soviet Leader Putin into reversing his actions before a full scale war breaks out in the region.
Our feckless leader, otherwise known as "the fearless leader" and even "the community organizer" hasn't a clue as to how to manage the crisis. He is quick to draw a line in the sand as he did with Syria but cannot follow through on his bravado. He has no support nor respect in the world community and is universally mocked for the cheap suit that he is. Where is his "pen" and his "phone" now? The latter is his response to how he hoped to effect change as a lame duck president since he has little support within his own party for his initiatives much less in the opposing party in Congress. He is more concerned about the rights of the illegal immigrants crossing our southern borders than he is with the men and women patrolling those borders. He is more concerned with the rights and needs of the people in this country who would find a reason not to work than with those hard working americans who want to work, contribute, and find a reason to love this country. He is more concerned about the members of the LGBT community and their rights than he is with the religious and business institutions that would resist their lifestyle choices as perverse and socially unacceptable. He is doing what he promised to do; to transform our country.
And when his attorney general tells attorney generals across our nation that they can elect which laws to enforce and which not to enforce he takes aim at the rule of law on which our nation is based. Don't know what the right answer is when it comes to the Ukraine as I sit here this morning but I know one thing for sure; that cheap suit in the white house does not have this nation's best interests in mind. He cannot be trusted to make the right decisions when it comes to our actions as the world looks past us for leadership. God help us. And god help those children caught in the crosshairs of his indecision. They will be the political pawns of tomorrows battle and he will exploit them as he did the community of Sandy Hook in the wake of an otherwise horrific incident when he and his minions tried to gut our second amendment rights by implementing more restrictive gun laws. Who was it that once said, "never let a tragedy go to waste"?
It's All Good
16/02/14 08:14
It has been one snowy winter thus far in these here parts. One of those winters where the banks at the end of the driveway are almost too high to throw over any and all new snow. It is a winter where the Snowy Owl has come to roost in our seacoast town and has drawn visitors from far and wide to watch, photograph, and pursue the beautiful bird. There was even a story about how a Snowy Owl was hit by a bus in the nations capitol and stories in the local papers followed its progress for days on end. That is to say, sightings up and down the coast are becoming more frequent this season for whatever reason. Fact of the matter is that the normal range of the Owl is from Canada to Texas so maybe we shouldn't be so surprised to have it stop by our seaside town for a spell as it seems to be doing. Nancy and I followed the crowds down Ocean Boulevard one cold afternoon a few weeks back to see what all the commotion was about. Sure enough, it was a beautiful large Snowy Owl roosting on a roof aside the harbor and along the main road. It showed no distress whatsoever at all the commotion it caused by its presence and was not deterred from its roost by the admiring crowds who had assembled to see it. And now, that is yesterday's news and we are moving on. 2014 awaits.
I've come to the conclusion that Mrs G's move to Exeter will largely be decided on how Nancy responds to her mother's comment about the fact that she was doing what she was doing so that she wouldn't be a burden to us in her later years. Maybe that was her way of saying that she would prefer to remain in her home but might well need assistance in the years to come and that we should be prepared for that when the day comes. I think that if she is waiting for her daughter to make a declaratory statement to the effect that she is in with both feet regardless of what her mom wants to do then she doesn't know her daughter very well. Not that Nancy wouldn't rise to the occasion time and time again but the emotional commitment and testicular fortitude required to tell her mom that she will be there for her is more than she is capable of mustering much less muttering. I think Nancy simply doesn't have it in her to form the words or express the sentiment that is ultimately required to prevent her mom from going to this home in Exeter. There is a certain sadness to that in my mind but it is a place that is reserved for mom's and their daughters and the door is not open to interloping husbands who might otherwise have an opinion in the matter. Were she my mother, I would wrap my arms around her shoulders and in the most consoling tones would ask that she remain where she is and that we would make the best of matters regardless of what the future might hold. That is what I would say.
Evan phoned home the other night and had a lengthy conversation with his mom. He is occasionally a chatty boy and I'm not sure that we ever noticed this when he was living at home. But he can and does go on when the mood strikes him and we do our best to engage him since conversations with content are otherwise rare. He days that he has gained 9 lbs and that he is going to the gym regularly so suspects that it may be all muscle. We are concerned that he is consuming more starch than is required on a daily basis and that he may be taking in calories unnecessarily. I suppose if he is active than it should not be a problem. Who doesn't worry that their children aren't eating properly when they are away at college? He expressed a desire for a single room next year and I guess we have mixed feelings about that. He has had a couple of different roommates thus far and both have lived close to college so were gone quite a bit. I guess that takes us back to Nancy's concern before he started college there that it is a commuter college and there are drawbacks to going to a commuter college. Evan is also staring to think about a summer job but will need to convince me that he is serious about getting one before I can take him seriously. A boy his age needs a summer job and should knock on every proverbial door available to him in search of same. There are only so many things a parent can do for their children before the time comes when they need to take initiative on their own to move ahead in life. One can only hope.
I've come to the conclusion that Mrs G's move to Exeter will largely be decided on how Nancy responds to her mother's comment about the fact that she was doing what she was doing so that she wouldn't be a burden to us in her later years. Maybe that was her way of saying that she would prefer to remain in her home but might well need assistance in the years to come and that we should be prepared for that when the day comes. I think that if she is waiting for her daughter to make a declaratory statement to the effect that she is in with both feet regardless of what her mom wants to do then she doesn't know her daughter very well. Not that Nancy wouldn't rise to the occasion time and time again but the emotional commitment and testicular fortitude required to tell her mom that she will be there for her is more than she is capable of mustering much less muttering. I think Nancy simply doesn't have it in her to form the words or express the sentiment that is ultimately required to prevent her mom from going to this home in Exeter. There is a certain sadness to that in my mind but it is a place that is reserved for mom's and their daughters and the door is not open to interloping husbands who might otherwise have an opinion in the matter. Were she my mother, I would wrap my arms around her shoulders and in the most consoling tones would ask that she remain where she is and that we would make the best of matters regardless of what the future might hold. That is what I would say.
Evan phoned home the other night and had a lengthy conversation with his mom. He is occasionally a chatty boy and I'm not sure that we ever noticed this when he was living at home. But he can and does go on when the mood strikes him and we do our best to engage him since conversations with content are otherwise rare. He days that he has gained 9 lbs and that he is going to the gym regularly so suspects that it may be all muscle. We are concerned that he is consuming more starch than is required on a daily basis and that he may be taking in calories unnecessarily. I suppose if he is active than it should not be a problem. Who doesn't worry that their children aren't eating properly when they are away at college? He expressed a desire for a single room next year and I guess we have mixed feelings about that. He has had a couple of different roommates thus far and both have lived close to college so were gone quite a bit. I guess that takes us back to Nancy's concern before he started college there that it is a commuter college and there are drawbacks to going to a commuter college. Evan is also staring to think about a summer job but will need to convince me that he is serious about getting one before I can take him seriously. A boy his age needs a summer job and should knock on every proverbial door available to him in search of same. There are only so many things a parent can do for their children before the time comes when they need to take initiative on their own to move ahead in life. One can only hope.
Winter Doldrums
12/01/14 09:40
Here's hoping the New England Patriots get the stuffing whooped out of them next week in Denver. Here's hoping that the Denver Bronco's will reveal them for the pussies that they are. Here's hoping that Manning will own Brady, the biggest pussy of all. I can't get that visual out of my head from last season where he was taken to the ground after a pass and raised the spiked heels of his shoes so that the fella coming after him might think twice about falling on him. Did I say pussy? Andrew Luck and the Colts couldn't get the job done last night in Foxboro so I'm looking forward to next week's AFC championship game where I'm hoping the Bronco's take them out as the pussies that they are. I can't wait to see little Tommy throwing his tantrums when the calls don't go his way. I can't wait to see Belachick pissing and moaning on the sidelines as his pussies get their little asses kicked up and down the field for a solid 4 quarters of football. I could care less about football but I have a full time passion in seeing that the Patriots are revealed for the patsies that they are. Are we having fun yet?
I was watching some Frontline show last night on television that dealt with certain forms of bacteria and the inability of the health organizations around the world to combat them with existing drugs. Seems those little puppies are particularly virulent and the personal and professional stories of people and organizations on the front lines fighting this problem are profound. Another example I would say, based on the interviews I watched on the show, of the incompetence of the government and the officials working for same to not only understand the scope and severity of the problem but to find ways to prioritize and deal with it. It should come as no surprise that when they went to interview Kathryn Sebellius, the head of the Human Services for the Obama administration, that she was unwilling to face the camera and admit that they have fallen short in their efforts to combat this growing problem. This is the same incompetent boob that had three years and hundreds of millions of dollars to set up a web site for the implementation of Obamacare which failed miserably on day one. An interesting connection is the food that we eat and the antibiotics used in the feed for those animals that we consume. It actually results in the an increased inability on our part to fight off bacteria with standard antibiotics and this is a problem. Maybe it's time to go vegetarian. Bring on the brussel sprouts! Braised to a golden brown and served warm with parmesan cheese...is there any other way?
Lest you think me paranoid, think again. I am the same guy who took his lovely wife to task recently for leaving my coffee press with a little bit of water in it after she cleans it out. What better opportunity to swill just a tad of arsenic into the water with the expectation that over time I will drink just enough to bring me to my knees and leave me on my death bed for the grim reaper to grab when he is good and ready. Who would be the wiser? Despite her assurances that she is doing no such thing, there is no less water in my pot each and every morning and that gives me reason to pause. Nothing that a good splash of water won't fix, me thinks. She will have to back over me in the driveway or something equally nonsensical in order to punch my card because I have her number. I know it's nothing personal. We're the best of friends and more than likely will be until the day one of us dies. I shall have to have my will amended such that the coroner has explicit instructions to perform whatever post-mortem tests are necessary to get to the bottom of my untimely demise. Only then will I be able to pass into eternity with some degree of finality. Maybe I'm asking too much. Maybe I will just leave fate to fate and see where it takes me.
I was watching some Frontline show last night on television that dealt with certain forms of bacteria and the inability of the health organizations around the world to combat them with existing drugs. Seems those little puppies are particularly virulent and the personal and professional stories of people and organizations on the front lines fighting this problem are profound. Another example I would say, based on the interviews I watched on the show, of the incompetence of the government and the officials working for same to not only understand the scope and severity of the problem but to find ways to prioritize and deal with it. It should come as no surprise that when they went to interview Kathryn Sebellius, the head of the Human Services for the Obama administration, that she was unwilling to face the camera and admit that they have fallen short in their efforts to combat this growing problem. This is the same incompetent boob that had three years and hundreds of millions of dollars to set up a web site for the implementation of Obamacare which failed miserably on day one. An interesting connection is the food that we eat and the antibiotics used in the feed for those animals that we consume. It actually results in the an increased inability on our part to fight off bacteria with standard antibiotics and this is a problem. Maybe it's time to go vegetarian. Bring on the brussel sprouts! Braised to a golden brown and served warm with parmesan cheese...is there any other way?
Lest you think me paranoid, think again. I am the same guy who took his lovely wife to task recently for leaving my coffee press with a little bit of water in it after she cleans it out. What better opportunity to swill just a tad of arsenic into the water with the expectation that over time I will drink just enough to bring me to my knees and leave me on my death bed for the grim reaper to grab when he is good and ready. Who would be the wiser? Despite her assurances that she is doing no such thing, there is no less water in my pot each and every morning and that gives me reason to pause. Nothing that a good splash of water won't fix, me thinks. She will have to back over me in the driveway or something equally nonsensical in order to punch my card because I have her number. I know it's nothing personal. We're the best of friends and more than likely will be until the day one of us dies. I shall have to have my will amended such that the coroner has explicit instructions to perform whatever post-mortem tests are necessary to get to the bottom of my untimely demise. Only then will I be able to pass into eternity with some degree of finality. Maybe I'm asking too much. Maybe I will just leave fate to fate and see where it takes me.
I'll be Damned
01/01/14 07:42
It's 2014, is it? Damn! I told myself that I would go back and have my journals from the last 5 years put into a binder of sorts for posterity's sake. That would include thoughts and such going back to when Evan was in high school so it may be worth keeping. I guess habits good and bad die hard. It may be worthwhile commenting on a few things going on this world that may or may not help to put things into perspective somewhere down the road. For example, the government has approved the testing of drones in several states in 2014. The government has been successful in deploying these unmanned aircraft in areas around the world to search out and destroy Al Quaida operatives and others who would do harm to American citizens. And now, with a track record of kills under their belt, the government wants to deploy these very same machines on American soil. They would tell you that it is for our own protection but we know better. One only needs to listen to the likes of Edward Snowden to know that they do not have our best interests in mind. It smacks of the worse kind of government intrusiveness and I can assure you that it is not what our founding fathers had in mind when they crafted our constitution. And another recent revelation from Snowden, as told in the German daily Der Speigel, is that the NSA actually intercepts laptop deliveries to US citizens in order to install spyware in order to spy on Americans. Enough already. We need to take our country back.
And these very same dogs in Government would use a tragedy where children were slaughtered by a drug induced schizoid in their very classroom in a place call Newtown, CT in order to rally the liberal establishment to restrict, reduce, and eliminate the availability of guns. What better way to emasculate the gun toting Americans who want no more than to use their firearms as intended and as protected under the second amendment to our constitution. They tried in vain to implement a ban on assault weapons in the wake of the disaster and Obama administration embraced the movement as their own. It failed miserably at the federal level although various liberal states found ways to pass their own laws which made gun ownership more difficult and more restrictive than ever.
And then there is Obamacare. It is the ill conceived program passed by the liberal establishment without so much as one republican vote which promises healthcare for all American citizens. It was clearly designed as yet another mechanism in the Marxist movement under the leadership and tutelage of the Obama administration in order to redistribute wealth amongst its citizens. Since when do we need the Government involved in the delivery of health care in our country? Is that not an ill conceived idea from the start? Were those unable to afford health care services before the program became law unable to find care when the need arose? They most certainly were. And now, just as the law is implemented and effective on January 1, 2014, there are 5 million Americans who have lost their insurance because their existing plans did not include those coverages mandated by the law. They were forced into signing up online for less in the way of coverage and more in the way of cost. The penalties for not signing up get progressively worse with the passing of time. But, god bless those who were previously unable to get insurance. They now have coverage and the rest of the population be damned. It is all about satisfying constituencies of the liberal establishment. A liberal establishment which promises even greater power to the liberal elite with the resurrection of the amnesty movement. Yes, another government program which promises to turn red states blue and blue forever more. God help us.
And these very same dogs in Government would use a tragedy where children were slaughtered by a drug induced schizoid in their very classroom in a place call Newtown, CT in order to rally the liberal establishment to restrict, reduce, and eliminate the availability of guns. What better way to emasculate the gun toting Americans who want no more than to use their firearms as intended and as protected under the second amendment to our constitution. They tried in vain to implement a ban on assault weapons in the wake of the disaster and Obama administration embraced the movement as their own. It failed miserably at the federal level although various liberal states found ways to pass their own laws which made gun ownership more difficult and more restrictive than ever.
And then there is Obamacare. It is the ill conceived program passed by the liberal establishment without so much as one republican vote which promises healthcare for all American citizens. It was clearly designed as yet another mechanism in the Marxist movement under the leadership and tutelage of the Obama administration in order to redistribute wealth amongst its citizens. Since when do we need the Government involved in the delivery of health care in our country? Is that not an ill conceived idea from the start? Were those unable to afford health care services before the program became law unable to find care when the need arose? They most certainly were. And now, just as the law is implemented and effective on January 1, 2014, there are 5 million Americans who have lost their insurance because their existing plans did not include those coverages mandated by the law. They were forced into signing up online for less in the way of coverage and more in the way of cost. The penalties for not signing up get progressively worse with the passing of time. But, god bless those who were previously unable to get insurance. They now have coverage and the rest of the population be damned. It is all about satisfying constituencies of the liberal establishment. A liberal establishment which promises even greater power to the liberal elite with the resurrection of the amnesty movement. Yes, another government program which promises to turn red states blue and blue forever more. God help us.