I received an e-mail from my grandchildrens mother the other day and she told me this about my youngest granddaughter Chelsea:”Speaking of Chelsea, she is doing very well in high school so far. Good grades and her teachers seem to respect and like her. She was baptized on Superbowl Sunday! I was so proud. I thought of her Great Grandma Dolly (my mother) on that day and of how proud she would be that all 3 of her great grand daughters know the Lord and have been "dunked". I have to say, I feel relieved myself. I can't explain it, but I feel as though now that they have all been baptized, I know the Lord will always be with them, and they will follow me to heaven some day. It's a comforting feeling. And does a mother's heart good.”
What a wonderful message to receive and I especially liked “……and they will follow me to heaven someday”.
I have always strived to be good enough to get into heaven, but I never actually assumed I would go to heaven. I guess I always thought I would be assessed upon arrival at the Pearly Gates. If you live according to His will, why shouldn’t you assume you will go to heaven? Maybe I need to be more positive about my salvation! Thanks JoAnn for such a wonderful message.
Jerilyn has recovered from her fight with a cold. As a matter of fact, we are making preparations for our trip to Myrtle Beach next week. She just had me print out the weather for the next 10 days down there. We certainly are looking forward to it. We haven’t been out of town since last August due to her mother’s increasingly bad health. For now, everything is go for liftoff. No, Gladys does not know about it yet. We have to wait and spring it on her about 2 days before we leave, otherwise, she gets real sick real fast. I think we all hate deceit don’t you?
My cousin Jesse is still fighting his cancer. He received some bad news from his doctor the other day. The chemo he was taking is not working and his cancer has increased in size in several locations. They plan on a giving him an experimental type of chemo starting in a couple of weeks. He is a wonderful person with a lot of faith in God and he has placed his fate in His hands. I pray for him daily and if you have room for him on your prayer list please place him on it. Our family will be so grateful.
My next door neighbor (John) and I have been trying to set up his laptop so he can logon to my wireless network to get on the internet. After several attempts we decided the signal was just too weak, so we ordered a signal expander to increase the signal strength. It should arrive in a few days. I will keep you advised on our progress. I was out in the driveway yesterday, with the hood of our car up, trying to diagnose a squeal coming from the serpentine belt that travels all over the engine. John walks over, studies the situation a few minutes and says “squirt some WD-40 right there”, pointing to a pully located at the top of the engine. I walk into the garage and come back with a spray can filled with silicone. Two minutes later the squeal was gone. “John”, says I, “anytime I open the hood on one of my vehicles I need to get you over here!” Says he, “Well, my father used to say any dumb hog will find an acorn sometime”. Humility is a wonderful thing don’t ya think?
I have been working on my weedeater the last few days. I finally discovered the location of the gas leak. It is about 14 years old and, I guess, the tank just got tired and sprung a leak. I tried several remedys and then my friend John suggested I get some of this clay like stuff you knead together and then it hardens. Off I go to Advance Auto and come back with the stuff he suggested. It appears to be working. It has been in place for 2 days and as of yet I have not detected a leak. I sure hope John doesn’t plan on moving away anytime soon.
Jerilyn and I attended Chris’ birthday dinner Sunday evening at a chinese resturant that cooks the food on a grill in front of you. The chef did a lot of clever things to entertain us and we left with a full stomach and the warm feeling that goes with spending time with family. Chris appears to be anxious to start his life as an adult. He has less than 60 days left before graduation from high school. I’m sure he will do well as an adult.
I went to a retirement breakfast yesterday morning with my friend Skip in Williamsburg (30 minutes away). I think the only requirement is that you have to be a Newport News Shipbuilding retiree and with 43 years service I certainly qualified (and so did Skip with 42.5 years). I was surprised at the number of people that attended, possibly 75 or more. I doubt that I have ever seen so many old people in one room before. An old friend of mine, whom I had not seen in many years, sat across the table from me and asked me several times what my name was. Another guy, who probably fought in the Civil War, spent several minutes telling me about his adventures in the shipyard. I guess I have a pretty good idea of what lies in store for me down the road.
Reminds me of a joke I heard recently: This old fella (Bill), in his late 80’s, loved to play golf but his eyesight was bad and he couldn’t see where his golf ball landed after hitting it. One day he came upon a solution: His next door neighbor (Ed), who was in his 90’s had perfect eyes, so he asked Ed to go with him and he agreed. Bill gets to the first tee and knocks the ball down the fairway. “Ed”, says Bill, “did you see where my golf ball went?” “Yes”, says Ed and as they walk down the fairway, Bill says, “ok Ed, where is it?” “I dunno” says Ed, “ I forgot”.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
2-28-2008
The expected did happen. Gladys was moved into the Health Care unit of her retirement community the other day (2/19). The doctor is operating on her back this afternoon and we hope that it will do her some good. She has had two other operations on her back just like the one today (cracked vertbrae) and both times the pain was eliminated (for the most part).
Jerilyn has come down with a cold (from me) and is working her way thru it. She is putting up a valiant fight, but you just have to suffer thu the thing like everyone else. Mine lasted about a week. I hope she has the same experience. Sometimes, a cold can last forever. She worries about giving it to her mother and not about how bad she feels. It is a habit of her’s to put others first. It’s great for the other folks, but not so great for her. I shouldn’t complain she always puts me first. What a wonderful person she is.
For the last few mornings anywhere from 10 -30 ducks fly into our backyard and eat the tiny acorns that fall from our tree overnight. They eat frantically, gobbling down as many as they can before their comrades can eat them all up. Then, almost on signal, they fly away, landing in the the canal about 50 feet away. I don’t mind the ducks, it’s the geese I dislike, they poop all over the place. I do enjoy watching the wildlife around our place. The squirrels constantly entertain us, the birds are a pleasure to watch, the Great Blue Herons are a delight and the occassional raccoon and possum are observed cautiously. For the most part, all of them are constantly looking for food. I guess that’s the way it is in the wild. Come to think of it, that’s the way I am!
Well, the tax season for me is well under way. I have finished ours and all that is left to do is sending it out. Gladys’ information has been delivered to the tax firm along with her husbands estate. I have finished my daughter’s taxes and they have been filed. What a relief it will be when all of this is over with. I do think that I will go back to Turbo Tax next year. Tax Cut is strickly an interview type program, whereas, TT lets you access individual forms. It cost twice as much but I think it is probably worth it. I dunno, I’ll have to give that “twice as much” idea some thought.
I watched the debate the other night between Hillary & Obama. I am having a lot of difficulty making up my mind about who to vote for. I want to vote for McCain but I’m having trouble with doing that. I do not want another president that “shoots from the hip”. From all I have read about him, he is a hothead and does not tolerate dissention. Hillary will say and do anything to get elected. I think she should have divorced Bill years ago (not politically expedient). There is something about her I don’t like but I cannot quite tell what it is. Obama is a likeable fellow. He appears quite intelligent and seems to have a cure for every ill. I worry that he will spend too much time trying to help people that do nothing to help themselves. I would like to see an orderly withdrawl from Iraq (but not like Vietnam), every kid under 18 with unlimited health insurance, and dealer penalties for every car sold that weighs over 2500 lbs and gets less that 37 mpg. I would like to see a balanced budget required and tax laws that are fair to all. I am not opposed to a flat tax for everyone over a certain income level. I think every adult that receives a handout from the state/federal government should have to pass a drug/alcohol test ever 4 months. If they cannot pass that test, I know what they are using their handout for and I want it stopped. I would like to win the lottery. This could go on ad infinitum. Me thinks I rant too much.
Jerilyn’s oldest grandson, Chris, celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday. What a wonderful age! I remember turning 18 on January 30th 1959 and a few days later taking the family car and driving to the local “watering hole” at a small part of our community called Red Jacket (Red Jacket Coal Co.). I walk into the joint around 5 pm, set down at the counter and ordered a beer. The waitress eyes me suspiciously, then says, “you just turn 18?” “yes”, says I, “do I need to show you my drives license?” She smiles mischieviously, reaches in the cooler and sets a Budwiser in front of me. I drink it slowly, pay and leave a tip, and head home, hoping Mom will not detect the smell of alcohol on my breath. I avoided her the rest of the day and my venture into adult vices went unnoticed. I was 24 before I had another beer. Nothing taste better to me, during the summer, than having a good cold beer after a hard day’s work outside.
Jerilyn has come down with a cold (from me) and is working her way thru it. She is putting up a valiant fight, but you just have to suffer thu the thing like everyone else. Mine lasted about a week. I hope she has the same experience. Sometimes, a cold can last forever. She worries about giving it to her mother and not about how bad she feels. It is a habit of her’s to put others first. It’s great for the other folks, but not so great for her. I shouldn’t complain she always puts me first. What a wonderful person she is.
For the last few mornings anywhere from 10 -30 ducks fly into our backyard and eat the tiny acorns that fall from our tree overnight. They eat frantically, gobbling down as many as they can before their comrades can eat them all up. Then, almost on signal, they fly away, landing in the the canal about 50 feet away. I don’t mind the ducks, it’s the geese I dislike, they poop all over the place. I do enjoy watching the wildlife around our place. The squirrels constantly entertain us, the birds are a pleasure to watch, the Great Blue Herons are a delight and the occassional raccoon and possum are observed cautiously. For the most part, all of them are constantly looking for food. I guess that’s the way it is in the wild. Come to think of it, that’s the way I am!
Well, the tax season for me is well under way. I have finished ours and all that is left to do is sending it out. Gladys’ information has been delivered to the tax firm along with her husbands estate. I have finished my daughter’s taxes and they have been filed. What a relief it will be when all of this is over with. I do think that I will go back to Turbo Tax next year. Tax Cut is strickly an interview type program, whereas, TT lets you access individual forms. It cost twice as much but I think it is probably worth it. I dunno, I’ll have to give that “twice as much” idea some thought.
I watched the debate the other night between Hillary & Obama. I am having a lot of difficulty making up my mind about who to vote for. I want to vote for McCain but I’m having trouble with doing that. I do not want another president that “shoots from the hip”. From all I have read about him, he is a hothead and does not tolerate dissention. Hillary will say and do anything to get elected. I think she should have divorced Bill years ago (not politically expedient). There is something about her I don’t like but I cannot quite tell what it is. Obama is a likeable fellow. He appears quite intelligent and seems to have a cure for every ill. I worry that he will spend too much time trying to help people that do nothing to help themselves. I would like to see an orderly withdrawl from Iraq (but not like Vietnam), every kid under 18 with unlimited health insurance, and dealer penalties for every car sold that weighs over 2500 lbs and gets less that 37 mpg. I would like to see a balanced budget required and tax laws that are fair to all. I am not opposed to a flat tax for everyone over a certain income level. I think every adult that receives a handout from the state/federal government should have to pass a drug/alcohol test ever 4 months. If they cannot pass that test, I know what they are using their handout for and I want it stopped. I would like to win the lottery. This could go on ad infinitum. Me thinks I rant too much.
Jerilyn’s oldest grandson, Chris, celebrated his 18th birthday yesterday. What a wonderful age! I remember turning 18 on January 30th 1959 and a few days later taking the family car and driving to the local “watering hole” at a small part of our community called Red Jacket (Red Jacket Coal Co.). I walk into the joint around 5 pm, set down at the counter and ordered a beer. The waitress eyes me suspiciously, then says, “you just turn 18?” “yes”, says I, “do I need to show you my drives license?” She smiles mischieviously, reaches in the cooler and sets a Budwiser in front of me. I drink it slowly, pay and leave a tip, and head home, hoping Mom will not detect the smell of alcohol on my breath. I avoided her the rest of the day and my venture into adult vices went unnoticed. I was 24 before I had another beer. Nothing taste better to me, during the summer, than having a good cold beer after a hard day’s work outside.
Monday, February 18, 2008
2-18-2008
I haven't been feeling too well the last few days. Seems, I have a cold, or the flu, I dunno which. All I know is that it has sure put a damper on my daily enthusiasm. Jerilyn (Dr. Mom) has been doing her best, pumping all sorts of medicine into me, and some of them help me feel a little better. I guess it's something you have to tough out for a few days. I have been very fortunate. It has been 3-4 years since I have had any problems during the winter months, except with the occasional bout of Vertigo. I'm guessing that in a day or two I will be back to normal.
We are currently having a brick mason chip out and replace some of the cement between the bricks on our three stoops. It seems, that as the house as aged, a lot of the cement disappeared. It has been replaced and hopefully will last another 30 years. There is always some maintenance needed on a home. I guess that is something everyone has to get use to.
The caulking of the bathtub mentioned in last week's WOW has been completed. I am not an accomplished caulker, but it does look good based on my meager abilities. I hope it is a long time before I have to do it again. I worry too much about getting things right and sometimes the more you fiddle with things the worse they get.
Gladys hurt her back again the other day and is back in Assisted Living and probably headed for the Health Care unit of her retirement community. She goes to see the doctor tomorrow (2/19) and will probably need an operation like the two she had several months ago. They shoot some gell in between her vertebrae and then shoot in some glue to hold it in place. It has worked well in the past. At 89, we expect to see this happen on a continual basis. We pray for her every day.
Sometimes, I walk around worrying about something and am unable to put my finger on exactly what it is I'm worrying about. I pause for a few minutes and struggle to figure out what is bothering me. Most of the time I am unable to do so. Maybe we are allocated so many "worrying minutes" per day and regardless of what we do we cannot escape having to "belly-up" to the Worrying Bar and do our share of worrying. The trick is to figure out how to minimize our "worry" allocation. Thusly, I have decided to only worry about those things that I have any control over (should eliminate about 80% of my worries). From that point I can handle the rest (dream on!).
My trip to watch the University of Virginia basketball game last week was fun. On the way up to Charlottesville (on I64) we ran into a lot of ice on the road about 18 miles from our destination. The car immediately in front of me spun out at about 60 mph and landed in the wooded median. From that point on we crept along at 3-4 mph and arrived at the game about half-way thru the first half. The trip home was safe and uneventful. If you should need tickets for any type of sporting event go online to www.stubhub.com . It was refreshing to be in the midst of 5000 young people shouting, cheering and jumping up and down with huge speakers blaring and lights flashing all over the place. It's almost like going to the doctor and getting a "youth" shot. I left the stadium feeling renewed and refreshed. I gotta do that more often.
Jerilyn and I are looking forward to our trip, with our friends Don & Louise, to Myrtle Beach on March 9th . We have made this an annual event. One of the things I look forward to is Don & I heading off to the cigar shop and buying a $5 cigar and setting outside on the park bench, smoking away. I haven't had a cigar since our trip there last year and I need a cigar badly. The girls get a lot of shopping in and Don & I just wonder around looking at this, that and the other. Last year we took a side trip to Charleston, SC and enjoyed it very much. Louise is our trip coordinator and does a very good job at it. She is very good at planning the different things we do while we are there. I think every group needs someone like her, don't you? To make things even better, she is a registered nurse and so if I get a piece of fried chicken stuck in my throat I don't hafta worry. I wonder if Don and Jerilyn know the Heimlich maneuver.
It's time for me to get serious about filing our income tax return. All I can say is that Tax Cut had better be as good as Turbo Tax, although at half price it may not be. Time for me to close this newsletter and start to work.
We are currently having a brick mason chip out and replace some of the cement between the bricks on our three stoops. It seems, that as the house as aged, a lot of the cement disappeared. It has been replaced and hopefully will last another 30 years. There is always some maintenance needed on a home. I guess that is something everyone has to get use to.
The caulking of the bathtub mentioned in last week's WOW has been completed. I am not an accomplished caulker, but it does look good based on my meager abilities. I hope it is a long time before I have to do it again. I worry too much about getting things right and sometimes the more you fiddle with things the worse they get.
Gladys hurt her back again the other day and is back in Assisted Living and probably headed for the Health Care unit of her retirement community. She goes to see the doctor tomorrow (2/19) and will probably need an operation like the two she had several months ago. They shoot some gell in between her vertebrae and then shoot in some glue to hold it in place. It has worked well in the past. At 89, we expect to see this happen on a continual basis. We pray for her every day.
Sometimes, I walk around worrying about something and am unable to put my finger on exactly what it is I'm worrying about. I pause for a few minutes and struggle to figure out what is bothering me. Most of the time I am unable to do so. Maybe we are allocated so many "worrying minutes" per day and regardless of what we do we cannot escape having to "belly-up" to the Worrying Bar and do our share of worrying. The trick is to figure out how to minimize our "worry" allocation. Thusly, I have decided to only worry about those things that I have any control over (should eliminate about 80% of my worries). From that point I can handle the rest (dream on!).
My trip to watch the University of Virginia basketball game last week was fun. On the way up to Charlottesville (on I64) we ran into a lot of ice on the road about 18 miles from our destination. The car immediately in front of me spun out at about 60 mph and landed in the wooded median. From that point on we crept along at 3-4 mph and arrived at the game about half-way thru the first half. The trip home was safe and uneventful. If you should need tickets for any type of sporting event go online to www.stubhub.com . It was refreshing to be in the midst of 5000 young people shouting, cheering and jumping up and down with huge speakers blaring and lights flashing all over the place. It's almost like going to the doctor and getting a "youth" shot. I left the stadium feeling renewed and refreshed. I gotta do that more often.
Jerilyn and I are looking forward to our trip, with our friends Don & Louise, to Myrtle Beach on March 9th . We have made this an annual event. One of the things I look forward to is Don & I heading off to the cigar shop and buying a $5 cigar and setting outside on the park bench, smoking away. I haven't had a cigar since our trip there last year and I need a cigar badly. The girls get a lot of shopping in and Don & I just wonder around looking at this, that and the other. Last year we took a side trip to Charleston, SC and enjoyed it very much. Louise is our trip coordinator and does a very good job at it. She is very good at planning the different things we do while we are there. I think every group needs someone like her, don't you? To make things even better, she is a registered nurse and so if I get a piece of fried chicken stuck in my throat I don't hafta worry. I wonder if Don and Jerilyn know the Heimlich maneuver.
It's time for me to get serious about filing our income tax return. All I can say is that Tax Cut had better be as good as Turbo Tax, although at half price it may not be. Time for me to close this newsletter and start to work.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
2-12-2008
I read an article the other day that said happiness occurs during two phases of our life. The 1st is in our 20’s and the 2nd is during our 70’s. In other words happiness is shaped like a “U” and the worst years are during middle age (40-60). They were at a loss to explain why, but had several theories. Being the sage I am, I can easily explain. During your 20’s nothing bothers you and, of course, if you have no worries you are happy. During your 70’s you are retired and “don’t go to work no mo”. Now what could possibly make you happier? I bumped into a friend the other day (Amos Mongo) that has been retired for 13 years. I had not seen him since he retired. He looks much better now. Of course I could tell he had aged somewhat, but his eyes were brilliant and full of life and mischief. He stood straight and tall and told me his health was very good, playing a lot of golf and traveling. I guess now I have to stop yearning to be 30 or 40 again and start looking forward to my 70’s. This 70’s thing had better work for me.
Just like most of you, I have started to worry a little about tax time, which seems to be fast approaching. In the past, I have always used Turbo Tax by Intuit and that software has always been well written and easy to use. The problem is that it keeps getting more expensive. So this year I decided to try Tax Cut. It cost half as much. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
The yard received it’s winter dose of fertilizer and weedkiller the other day. The night after I put it out, I was awakened by this persistent noise. Turns out, it was my grass growing, with the howling of weeds dying mixed in. In years past, I have been disappointed in the part that kills weeds. I’m looking forward to better results this year. Yea, I believe in the Tooth Fairy also. I’ve got to get a better attitude. I guess Jerilyn hide it someplace ‘cause I can’t find it.
Jerilyn’s youngest grandson, Brandon stayed a few nights with us last week while his parents took his older brother, Chris, to Knoxville to tour the University of Tennessee. Chis’ application to attend UT has been accepted and they wanted to see what it looked like and assess the teaching staff and course offerings. This has to be an exciting time for Christopher and his family. It has been several years since Brandon (age 13) has stayed with us. He is a delightful and active young fellow and we enjoyed his stay. I was standing in the garage one morning as Jerilyn escorted him down the driveway to the bus stop. He had his backpack on, filled with books and stuff, and my thoughts wondered back to when my kids were that age and catching the school bus in front of our house. Life is full of wonderfully pleasant experiences. How can we not remember them. I’m sure, to Brandon, it was a place to stay until his family returned, but to Jerilyn and I, it was a chance to enjoy youth one more time.
Tonight, my son Rusty and I,along with Jerilyn’s grandson Chris & his friend Trent, are headed off to the University of Virginia , in Charlottesville, to watch UVA play North Carolina University. We are expecting NC to wipe the floor with UVA, but the experience of attending a major conference game will be fun. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with Rusty and Chris. Chris will be 18 on the 27th and will be heading off to college in the fall. He has already visited UT, as mentioned above, and is leaning toward going to school there. There is a possibility of rain & light snow in Charlottesville tonight. Hopefully, that will not happen. The game starts at 8 and is 3 hours away, so we will be getting home around 1:30 a.m. Luckily, Chris is on spring vacation and Rusty can take some time off, but I have to get up and go to work in the morning….no, wait, I’m retired!
We vote in our State Primary today. In Virginia, you have a choice of voting on the Democratic ticket or the Republican. Normally, I would vote on the Republican ticket, but McCain already has it locked up, so I will vote for the Democrat I would like to see on the ticket. The polls are predicting an Obama win. I’m wavering on my vote, but I’m leaning more toward Hillary since I want to see a woman president in my lifetime and she appears to be as qualified as anybody else running.
I had to replace two large springs that help when we open our garage door. We drove up to the door the other night, pushed the button to open the door and drove in, closing the door as we exited the car. As I was walking around the front of the car, we heard this big “bang” that sounded like a grenade had exploded in the garage. As we prepared to hit the floor, we realized that something had broken. Further inspection revealed the broken spring. A trip to Ace Hardware the next day cost $33 (to obtain two new springs & the necessary cables). The helpful assistant told me that he has heard of people being killed by broken garage door springs. I could image the damage they would inflict if they hit someone, so I have devised a way to prevent that from happening. The new springs say they will work for 10,000 openings. This house was built in 1978, so maybe their time was up. Now, I need to replace the two springs on the other garage door, but have decided instead to install my new safety device and wait for the big “Bang”. I cannot imagine a company making these doors without some kind of safety device installed. Maybe, the newer doors have something. If you are interested in installing my safety system on your doors, let me know
Just like most of you, I have started to worry a little about tax time, which seems to be fast approaching. In the past, I have always used Turbo Tax by Intuit and that software has always been well written and easy to use. The problem is that it keeps getting more expensive. So this year I decided to try Tax Cut. It cost half as much. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
The yard received it’s winter dose of fertilizer and weedkiller the other day. The night after I put it out, I was awakened by this persistent noise. Turns out, it was my grass growing, with the howling of weeds dying mixed in. In years past, I have been disappointed in the part that kills weeds. I’m looking forward to better results this year. Yea, I believe in the Tooth Fairy also. I’ve got to get a better attitude. I guess Jerilyn hide it someplace ‘cause I can’t find it.
Jerilyn’s youngest grandson, Brandon stayed a few nights with us last week while his parents took his older brother, Chris, to Knoxville to tour the University of Tennessee. Chis’ application to attend UT has been accepted and they wanted to see what it looked like and assess the teaching staff and course offerings. This has to be an exciting time for Christopher and his family. It has been several years since Brandon (age 13) has stayed with us. He is a delightful and active young fellow and we enjoyed his stay. I was standing in the garage one morning as Jerilyn escorted him down the driveway to the bus stop. He had his backpack on, filled with books and stuff, and my thoughts wondered back to when my kids were that age and catching the school bus in front of our house. Life is full of wonderfully pleasant experiences. How can we not remember them. I’m sure, to Brandon, it was a place to stay until his family returned, but to Jerilyn and I, it was a chance to enjoy youth one more time.
Tonight, my son Rusty and I,along with Jerilyn’s grandson Chris & his friend Trent, are headed off to the University of Virginia , in Charlottesville, to watch UVA play North Carolina University. We are expecting NC to wipe the floor with UVA, but the experience of attending a major conference game will be fun. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with Rusty and Chris. Chris will be 18 on the 27th and will be heading off to college in the fall. He has already visited UT, as mentioned above, and is leaning toward going to school there. There is a possibility of rain & light snow in Charlottesville tonight. Hopefully, that will not happen. The game starts at 8 and is 3 hours away, so we will be getting home around 1:30 a.m. Luckily, Chris is on spring vacation and Rusty can take some time off, but I have to get up and go to work in the morning….no, wait, I’m retired!
We vote in our State Primary today. In Virginia, you have a choice of voting on the Democratic ticket or the Republican. Normally, I would vote on the Republican ticket, but McCain already has it locked up, so I will vote for the Democrat I would like to see on the ticket. The polls are predicting an Obama win. I’m wavering on my vote, but I’m leaning more toward Hillary since I want to see a woman president in my lifetime and she appears to be as qualified as anybody else running.
I had to replace two large springs that help when we open our garage door. We drove up to the door the other night, pushed the button to open the door and drove in, closing the door as we exited the car. As I was walking around the front of the car, we heard this big “bang” that sounded like a grenade had exploded in the garage. As we prepared to hit the floor, we realized that something had broken. Further inspection revealed the broken spring. A trip to Ace Hardware the next day cost $33 (to obtain two new springs & the necessary cables). The helpful assistant told me that he has heard of people being killed by broken garage door springs. I could image the damage they would inflict if they hit someone, so I have devised a way to prevent that from happening. The new springs say they will work for 10,000 openings. This house was built in 1978, so maybe their time was up. Now, I need to replace the two springs on the other garage door, but have decided instead to install my new safety device and wait for the big “Bang”. I cannot imagine a company making these doors without some kind of safety device installed. Maybe, the newer doors have something. If you are interested in installing my safety system on your doors, let me know
Monday, February 4, 2008
2-04-2008
In 1974, I purchased a small, handheld, calculator from Sears for $100. It was black, with white keys and was the on the “cutting edge” at the time. I worked in the Payroll Department of Newport News Shipbuilding (we paid about 19,000 employees) and we had two huge desktop calculators that everyone used. Rather then stand in line, most of us would use paper and pencil to do our calculations. One day I proudly walk in with this hand size calculator and start to work. Well, the office is abuzz about this little gadget I’m using and “could it possibly be giving me the correct answers?” After all, my machine weigh’s about 10 ounces, versus the office machines that weigh 20- 30 lbs. In short order my boss is standing at my desk with a puzzled look. “Tommy”, says he, “You’re not going to use that little things to do your job, are you?” “Ish”, says I, “let me do a couple of hours work with it, then you check to make sure it is correct.” Needless to say, at the end of the day, everyone was impressed and almost everyone inquired about it. Because of the $100 price tag I was the only one with my own calculator for a long time. Last week I found it setting all by itself in a bookcase I seldom use. I’m thinking, “Does this thing still work?” So I haul it out to my workbench in the garage and commence to take it apart so I can remove the original batteries from it and hope they have not corroded the inside of the thing. I carefully remove the batteries, they were permanently installed, head off to Radio shack and hack a replacement set of batteries in their place. To my surprise, the thing comes on and is working. All of a sudden, I’m setting at my desk in 1974 with coworkers gathered around me, in awe of this marvelous piece of technology. Today, I carry around a credit card size calculator that requires no batteries and is powered by the sun. I think all of us have “aha” memories like this. If you would like to share your’s with me, please do.
Jerilyn and I traveled to Williamsburg the other day to a very large antique shop. Seems, she was there a while back and spotted this old, weathered, bird house (15”W,16”L,18”H), with a big black weather vane setting atop it. Anyway, she decided she just had to have it, so off we go to bring it home. Needless to say, it needs some work (done by me of course) and has to be installed on a pole in the yard. I will include a picture of it when the task has been completed.
Mary (KD’s wife), her son Duke, and I spread KD’s ashes last week at the place he loved to be the most. It was heartbreaking to do it, but it needed to be done. She let me keep a small amount of the ashes and I have them in a small, thumb size bottle, setting on my desk. Jerilyn’s mother (Gladys) thinks it’s odd that I would do such a thing. I surely hope I’m not odd. I prefer to think this will insure that I will never forget him. I have one other small bottle of ashes on my desk. I knew George Mitchell for 47 years and he and I had many conversations. I must say his death did not hurt like KD’s, but I still enjoy thinking about George.
It is time to fertilize the yard and put out the stuff that kills crabgrass. Everything I read about yard maintenance says that I should fertilize my grass every 3 months during the fall and winter (September, November & February). Sometimes, I think the stuff that kills the weeds doesn’t work very well, but I do it anyway. I guess I think if I stop using it my whole world will be consumed by weeds and choke out my entire existence. I dunno why I feel that way. I know people that do very little to their yard and they seem to suffer no ill effects from their lack of interest. I worry about the runoff of the fertilizer into our water, but the choice seems clear to me: fertilize with weed killer, or, die! So, in a few days I will be out there with my trusty spreader, doing what Scotts has instructed me to do. I wonder if anyone still performs exorcisms.
I received a birthday card from a very special friend and would like to share it with you:
“Sometimes we may not realize that everything we do affects not only our lives, but touches others, too. A little touch of thoughtfulness that shows someone you care creates a bit of happiness for both of you to share. And every time you offer someone a helping hand, every time you have a kind and gentle word to give, you help someone find beauty in this precious life we live. May your birthday bring you all the happiness that you share with others day by day” What a wonderful thought, that we, as individuals, can create happiness for others without even knowing it. I have always thought you had to do big things to make people happy, but I should’ve known better, little things always make me happy. Isn’t it amazing how some people can say things so eloquently?
We watched the NY Giants win the Superbowl last night. Mary came over and watched it with us. Jerilyn provided some wonderful food to eat as the game progressed and we cheered for the Giants each step of the way (Jerilyn is from NY). This Superbowl thing seems to have become a cultural phenomenon. Millions of people around the globe tune in to watch the game and the halftime entertainment, including the commercials, always seems to be a hit. In a way, it’s kinda neat to watch an event with so many of earth’s inhabitants.
Jerilyn and I traveled to Williamsburg the other day to a very large antique shop. Seems, she was there a while back and spotted this old, weathered, bird house (15”W,16”L,18”H), with a big black weather vane setting atop it. Anyway, she decided she just had to have it, so off we go to bring it home. Needless to say, it needs some work (done by me of course) and has to be installed on a pole in the yard. I will include a picture of it when the task has been completed.
Mary (KD’s wife), her son Duke, and I spread KD’s ashes last week at the place he loved to be the most. It was heartbreaking to do it, but it needed to be done. She let me keep a small amount of the ashes and I have them in a small, thumb size bottle, setting on my desk. Jerilyn’s mother (Gladys) thinks it’s odd that I would do such a thing. I surely hope I’m not odd. I prefer to think this will insure that I will never forget him. I have one other small bottle of ashes on my desk. I knew George Mitchell for 47 years and he and I had many conversations. I must say his death did not hurt like KD’s, but I still enjoy thinking about George.
It is time to fertilize the yard and put out the stuff that kills crabgrass. Everything I read about yard maintenance says that I should fertilize my grass every 3 months during the fall and winter (September, November & February). Sometimes, I think the stuff that kills the weeds doesn’t work very well, but I do it anyway. I guess I think if I stop using it my whole world will be consumed by weeds and choke out my entire existence. I dunno why I feel that way. I know people that do very little to their yard and they seem to suffer no ill effects from their lack of interest. I worry about the runoff of the fertilizer into our water, but the choice seems clear to me: fertilize with weed killer, or, die! So, in a few days I will be out there with my trusty spreader, doing what Scotts has instructed me to do. I wonder if anyone still performs exorcisms.
I received a birthday card from a very special friend and would like to share it with you:
“Sometimes we may not realize that everything we do affects not only our lives, but touches others, too. A little touch of thoughtfulness that shows someone you care creates a bit of happiness for both of you to share. And every time you offer someone a helping hand, every time you have a kind and gentle word to give, you help someone find beauty in this precious life we live. May your birthday bring you all the happiness that you share with others day by day” What a wonderful thought, that we, as individuals, can create happiness for others without even knowing it. I have always thought you had to do big things to make people happy, but I should’ve known better, little things always make me happy. Isn’t it amazing how some people can say things so eloquently?
We watched the NY Giants win the Superbowl last night. Mary came over and watched it with us. Jerilyn provided some wonderful food to eat as the game progressed and we cheered for the Giants each step of the way (Jerilyn is from NY). This Superbowl thing seems to have become a cultural phenomenon. Millions of people around the globe tune in to watch the game and the halftime entertainment, including the commercials, always seems to be a hit. In a way, it’s kinda neat to watch an event with so many of earth’s inhabitants.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
01-27-2007
I will celebrate my 67th birthday (1/30/1941) and it is so very hard for me to grasp the fact that I am that old. As a young man, I never thought of myself as ever being a senior citizen, a nice way of saying “old person”, as if it were an affliction. I’m still in fairly good shape, I can run the 5 mile Noland Trail in 59 minutes, I can still lift, pull and squeeze whatever needs those things. My brain still seems to be fairly well intact, with the ocassional forgetfulness, and I still remember names, faces and lots of unnecessary facts. As an “Old Guy”, I find that I most enjoy communicating with my friends (you), traveling and puttering around the yard. My Audio Books are still a source of entertainment (approaching 300 books so far) and visits with family & friends always make me happy. I read once that life is a lot of unhappiness with some happiness sprinkled in. I prefer to think the opposite is true. Ahhh, the power of positive thinking.
My PC has been sorta cantankerous lately. One morning I woke up and found that I had lost my internet connection due to a corrupted file. An examination of the files involved solved that problem, then I discover that one of my CD drives was missing. A system restore solved that problem. It’s a good thing I approach my PC as if playing a chess game with every problem a chess move by my opponent, requiring an appropriate move by me. Of course this game ceases when I no longer find it fun.
Jerilyn and I have been attending her grandson’s (Brandon) rec basketball games. He is a short lad, but loves the game. He has become quite good and his team is so much better when he plays (everybody has to share the bench except the coach’s son). Although he is not my grandson, I enjoy watching him play and being around him. Regretably, I see very little of my grandchildren. Robin lives in Trenton, TN, Christine lives in Knoxville, TN and my youngest, Chelsea, lives in Dyer, TN. It is so hard to stay close when you live so far apart.
I am still involved with the effort of converting all our VHS home movies to a digital format and putting them on a DVD. The tapes go back to 1985 and include Mom & Dad and a lot of family members. I plan on giving each family on the tape a copy. I am trying to figure out a way to include only the family of the person who receives the tape. That solution still eludes me. As most of you know, I enjoy taking photos. I have a website now that lets me store all my pics and make them accessible to my friends. This is the site: http://bipolar66.smugmug.com/ . I hope you enjoy viewing them. My username is bipolar66. I say this so you won’t think it’s an evil site. I plan on posting all my photos there so whenever we take a trip you will be able to enjoy our trip with us.
The Canadian geese have returned. Practically every day, they land in our back yard and commence pooping all over the place. This necessitates a visit by me and my trusty sling shot, loaded with marbles from Walmart. Geese are really smart. The moment they see me they perk up and stand at the ready to fly away. Sometimes I hit one and other times I miss. I miss a lot, but it always scares them away. Even when I hit one, it does little damage, other than to make them depart at a faster pace. I would be sad if I hurt one really bad, but they need to know that I will not tolerate their presence in our yard. They are such a nuisance.
It looks like I will be replacing some grout in our shower before long. I have never done that before, but my plan is to use Google to find out the best way to do it. Normally, I’m not very good at doing things like that, but I am willing to give it a try. If I make a mess of things I can always call in the pro’s and let them fix it.
Our trip to CA in February is probably not going to happen. Jerilyn’s mother (Gladys) has moved back to her apartment from Health Care and is in need of our local presence. We are currently attempting to reschedule it for May. We attended a meeting last week on our July trip to Hawaii. Due to Gladys’ health we bought insurance to cover that trip. Normally, I am against insuring things that rarely happen, but the probability of having to cancel this trip is great. I don’t begrudge having to do things for Gladys. I’m guessing if I get to the ripe age of 89, I too, will net help of some kind. The hope is that my children will have the same attitude as I do.
Wayne Gretsky’s explanation for his success as a hockey player, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been” is one of my favorite quotes. Wouldn’t our lives be much better if we looked at where we are going instead of where we have been.
Jerilyn and I attended a country music concert with our friends Don & Louise Saturday night. The show started at 4:00pm and lasted until 10:15pm with 3 breaks between acts. The biggest star was Chris Cagle, with performances by less known stars like, Whiskey Falls, Ashton Shepherd, Laura Bryna and Emily West. We enjoyed each artist and were very pleased that it only cost $10 for each of us to attend. We were also pleasantly surprised there were no parking fees.
My PC has been sorta cantankerous lately. One morning I woke up and found that I had lost my internet connection due to a corrupted file. An examination of the files involved solved that problem, then I discover that one of my CD drives was missing. A system restore solved that problem. It’s a good thing I approach my PC as if playing a chess game with every problem a chess move by my opponent, requiring an appropriate move by me. Of course this game ceases when I no longer find it fun.
Jerilyn and I have been attending her grandson’s (Brandon) rec basketball games. He is a short lad, but loves the game. He has become quite good and his team is so much better when he plays (everybody has to share the bench except the coach’s son). Although he is not my grandson, I enjoy watching him play and being around him. Regretably, I see very little of my grandchildren. Robin lives in Trenton, TN, Christine lives in Knoxville, TN and my youngest, Chelsea, lives in Dyer, TN. It is so hard to stay close when you live so far apart.
I am still involved with the effort of converting all our VHS home movies to a digital format and putting them on a DVD. The tapes go back to 1985 and include Mom & Dad and a lot of family members. I plan on giving each family on the tape a copy. I am trying to figure out a way to include only the family of the person who receives the tape. That solution still eludes me. As most of you know, I enjoy taking photos. I have a website now that lets me store all my pics and make them accessible to my friends. This is the site: http://bipolar66.smugmug.com/ . I hope you enjoy viewing them. My username is bipolar66. I say this so you won’t think it’s an evil site. I plan on posting all my photos there so whenever we take a trip you will be able to enjoy our trip with us.
The Canadian geese have returned. Practically every day, they land in our back yard and commence pooping all over the place. This necessitates a visit by me and my trusty sling shot, loaded with marbles from Walmart. Geese are really smart. The moment they see me they perk up and stand at the ready to fly away. Sometimes I hit one and other times I miss. I miss a lot, but it always scares them away. Even when I hit one, it does little damage, other than to make them depart at a faster pace. I would be sad if I hurt one really bad, but they need to know that I will not tolerate their presence in our yard. They are such a nuisance.
It looks like I will be replacing some grout in our shower before long. I have never done that before, but my plan is to use Google to find out the best way to do it. Normally, I’m not very good at doing things like that, but I am willing to give it a try. If I make a mess of things I can always call in the pro’s and let them fix it.
Our trip to CA in February is probably not going to happen. Jerilyn’s mother (Gladys) has moved back to her apartment from Health Care and is in need of our local presence. We are currently attempting to reschedule it for May. We attended a meeting last week on our July trip to Hawaii. Due to Gladys’ health we bought insurance to cover that trip. Normally, I am against insuring things that rarely happen, but the probability of having to cancel this trip is great. I don’t begrudge having to do things for Gladys. I’m guessing if I get to the ripe age of 89, I too, will net help of some kind. The hope is that my children will have the same attitude as I do.
Wayne Gretsky’s explanation for his success as a hockey player, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been” is one of my favorite quotes. Wouldn’t our lives be much better if we looked at where we are going instead of where we have been.
Jerilyn and I attended a country music concert with our friends Don & Louise Saturday night. The show started at 4:00pm and lasted until 10:15pm with 3 breaks between acts. The biggest star was Chris Cagle, with performances by less known stars like, Whiskey Falls, Ashton Shepherd, Laura Bryna and Emily West. We enjoyed each artist and were very pleased that it only cost $10 for each of us to attend. We were also pleasantly surprised there were no parking fees.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
01-09-2008
Well, the New Year arrived without too much bluster. We had friends over to help us celebrate. Being the old people we are, we watched a movie (Anti-Trust) and then drank champagne at midnight. I crawled into bed around 2:00 am wondering where all the years had gone. A while back I attempted to identify something that happened each year since I reached adulthood (or, some semblance of it) and each year I attempt to create a list of the good and bad things that happened. I find it gives me some perspective on the ebb and flow of my life. I have so much to be thankful far, but, I also have sadness in my life. How we handle the sadness says a lot about who we are. I know that I’m not very good at it.
Thanks, to all of you that have chosen to continue receiving this weekly missive. I was impressed with the number of people that elected to continue. You will not be receiving notice about my blog being updated, but it will be updated before this e-mail is sent. If you prefer the blog instead, let me know and I will send only the notification of its posting. I know some of you have trouble reading the e-mail version.
I have completed the preparation of a web page at www.mem.com on my Uncle KD. If you are interested in it, click on the site, complete the search box (last name: McCoy; first name: Phillip). It was a work of love.
A group of friends and I helped Jerilyn celebrate her 66th birthday yesterday. We had a great meal at Steak & Ale and a lot of good conversation ensued. I am surely blessed to have since a wonderful mate. For 22 days we are the same age and then, on the 30th , I jump a year ahead of her. I always have a lot of fun with that, touting that I “married a younger woman”. The audio book that I’m currently listening to, The Art of Aging, says that as we age we are obligated to live in such a way that the younger generations will respect us. I take that to mean no bullying, whining, or expecting to be cared for when we can do for ourselves. I also believe it means keeping a positive and cheerful outlook on life and planning each day so it will be pleasant and enjoyable. The author says that as we get older we should acquire wisdom. That, he says, is acquired from obtaining fact, converting those facts to knowledge and then, seamlessly, wisdom will evolve. I think I’m still in the evolving stage.
Our weather continues to jump all over the place. Yesterday’s temp was in the mid-60’s and today much of the same is expected. I’m sure cold weather will be back, but right now being outside is a pleasant experience. All the leaves have been gathered and taken to the city dump, the yard has been swept clean and all is well. I am in the process of doing the maintenance on my lawn care equipment. I learned from an uncle a long time ago to do the maintenance on my equipment during the winter months and it has served me well.
Travel plans for the year are starting to fall into place. We plan on visiting relatives and friends in CA during February, visiting PA & CT in the spring and a trip to Hawaii in July. All of this, of course, is dependent on how well Jerilyn’s mom is doing health wise. We will know more about the February trip later this month. Right now, it’s just in the planning stage. I’m also looking forward to several visits back home in southwest VA. A trip to TN to visit my grand-daughters and great grand-daughter’s are also anticipated. In between all this, we will work in a trip to Winston-Salem, NC to visit with my cousin Jesse. He is in the midst of a battle with cancer and I’m always amazed at his positive attitude. I shouldn’t be surprised; he has a powerful belief in God and is steadfast in believing he will whip this terrible affliction.
Thanks, to all of you that have chosen to continue receiving this weekly missive. I was impressed with the number of people that elected to continue. You will not be receiving notice about my blog being updated, but it will be updated before this e-mail is sent. If you prefer the blog instead, let me know and I will send only the notification of its posting. I know some of you have trouble reading the e-mail version.
I have completed the preparation of a web page at www.mem.com on my Uncle KD. If you are interested in it, click on the site, complete the search box (last name: McCoy; first name: Phillip). It was a work of love.
A group of friends and I helped Jerilyn celebrate her 66th birthday yesterday. We had a great meal at Steak & Ale and a lot of good conversation ensued. I am surely blessed to have since a wonderful mate. For 22 days we are the same age and then, on the 30th , I jump a year ahead of her. I always have a lot of fun with that, touting that I “married a younger woman”. The audio book that I’m currently listening to, The Art of Aging, says that as we age we are obligated to live in such a way that the younger generations will respect us. I take that to mean no bullying, whining, or expecting to be cared for when we can do for ourselves. I also believe it means keeping a positive and cheerful outlook on life and planning each day so it will be pleasant and enjoyable. The author says that as we get older we should acquire wisdom. That, he says, is acquired from obtaining fact, converting those facts to knowledge and then, seamlessly, wisdom will evolve. I think I’m still in the evolving stage.
Our weather continues to jump all over the place. Yesterday’s temp was in the mid-60’s and today much of the same is expected. I’m sure cold weather will be back, but right now being outside is a pleasant experience. All the leaves have been gathered and taken to the city dump, the yard has been swept clean and all is well. I am in the process of doing the maintenance on my lawn care equipment. I learned from an uncle a long time ago to do the maintenance on my equipment during the winter months and it has served me well.
Travel plans for the year are starting to fall into place. We plan on visiting relatives and friends in CA during February, visiting PA & CT in the spring and a trip to Hawaii in July. All of this, of course, is dependent on how well Jerilyn’s mom is doing health wise. We will know more about the February trip later this month. Right now, it’s just in the planning stage. I’m also looking forward to several visits back home in southwest VA. A trip to TN to visit my grand-daughters and great grand-daughter’s are also anticipated. In between all this, we will work in a trip to Winston-Salem, NC to visit with my cousin Jesse. He is in the midst of a battle with cancer and I’m always amazed at his positive attitude. I shouldn’t be surprised; he has a powerful belief in God and is steadfast in believing he will whip this terrible affliction.
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