Pat & Ray

Now I Remember

2011-08-24T13:51:00.004-04:00

August 22nd, Pittsburgh. The Pirates and the Brewers were playing a twinight doubleheader. In a mini family reunion Pat, myself, and my brother Rick had driven in from NJ to meet my brother Bob and his wife Judy. Because the 22nd was our anniversary we went to dinner on Sunday night and did some sight seeing on Monday before attending the ball game at PNC Park.

But that is not the reason for this entry. The ballgame is the reason. Or more precisely attending the game is the reason. I now remember why I don't like to go to ball games any more. First and foremost is the music. From the time you enter the ballpark you are bombarded with music played so loud you have to talk loudly to be heard by the person sitting next to you. And it doesn't end when the game begins. Between innings and even between at bats the music blares. Each player has a certain song he wants played before he comes to bat. It borders on the ridiculous. And it isn't just the music either. Every moment that isn't a pitch or a play in the field is filled with either music or some game on the scoreboard, or some announcements. There is never silence. And by silence I mean sounds of the game or just the sounds of fans in the ballpark.

This need to have music playing all the time is also reflected in things you see every day. People walking, running, reading, driving, an doing most everything, need to have earphones or earbuds to listen to music. Are people that afraid or uncomfortable to have silence and basically be alone with themselves? Or at the game, does management think people have a need to be entertained constantly or they will leave the park or not come? Do they come to see a game, or to listen to music?

Music is number one but the remaining are not in any specific order. Seating can be next. I haven't been to Citi Field, and have not much experience at any stadium except Shea, but at PNC Park the seats are so narrow and the space between the rows are likewise so narrow that it borders on the ridiculous. You would think a new park would be made more fan friendly and more comfortable. Not in Pittsburgh.

Vendors at this park are virtually non-existent. I recall the days when there would be vendors moving up and down the aisles constantly. Which brings me to my next gripe. People. There are so many people who don't even pay attention to the game. It is like a social event or a place to come and eat. But in order to eat you have to go out to the concession stands because of the forementioned lack of vendors.

People? Obnoxious people. They can ruin it for everyone. I refer to the guys who stand up and yell at the umpire or the batter apparently thinking they will be heard and it will make a difference. And those that encourage them by laughing or joining in are just as bad. Sure, I have yelled in the past, but not this constant badgering of players.

And finally. Does anyone keep score anymore?

What do you do?

2011-06-10T17:15:00.001-04:00

Many people have fender bender accidents. The proper thing to do is to call the police and wait. I know this is not true in CA and might be that way in other places too. BUT if the other car happens to be a police car? What do you do then? Call another cop to the scene?

Just some food for thought.

Unbelievable

2011-06-08T20:58:00.001-04:00

Driving in the car today the dash said the outside temperature was 100. Holy crap!!

New iPhone

2011-06-06T19:15:00.001-04:00

A couple weeks ago, prior to our trip to AZ and CA I finally moved into the 21st century by buying an iPhone. I am still learning everything you can do with it but just found that I can blog from it. At least I think I can. This entry will be a test.

Heading home

2010-12-07T13:44:00.004-05:00

It has been a long while since I made an entry here and for those of you who also followed my 365 site you have seen that is now defunct. But this blog still has life. As the title indicates we are heading home on Thursday. After spending 66 out of 79 nights in a bed other than our own, with the last stretch being 35 days, it will be great to sleep at home again. But what we are not looking forward to is the change in temperatures. Today in California it is near seventy degrees and in NJ it is in the low thirties. That is going to be quite a difference when we exit the terminal at the airport.

It is definitely strange having the Christmas season upon us and the temps being so warm here. Just can't get in the mood of the season. Another strange thing is that the leaves are just changing now on the trees that get color and lose their leaves. A very strange place to live for sure.

Nothing else for now.

Countdown

2010-09-02T09:21:00.001-04:00

Mets magic number is 17. Stick a fork in them.

Sheep

2010-08-28T08:40:00.000-04:00

"This is the beginning of the great awakening of America ... We must give voice to what God says we must do," he added. "My message to you tonight is stand where He wants you to stand and trust in the Lord. If He tells you to do it, do it. If you can't figure it out, He will. Just do it."

Glenn Beck's words at a rally on Friday, the day before his Restoring Honor event. What strikes me about this quote is how much he sounds like a television evangelist. You can almost hear Jim Baker or Kenneth Copeland standing before their flock and saying similar things. All Beck has to do now is begin healing people. But what is more amazing to me and maybe it shouldn't be, is that he can conceive of and implement such an event. Is it that people would come to this event even if there were no central figure or is it Beck that draws them? If it is him, if he is some sort of Svengali, then it scares me that so many people can blindly follow someone. To use Beck's own argument, isn't it then like what Hitler did in Germany? And if he believes we should strictly follow the constitution then why does he say, "My role is, as I see it, to wake America up to the back-sliding of principles and values and, most importantly, of God. We are a country of God". I must be missing something because I can't understand why those who follow (like sheep) him can't see that he is just one man espousing ideas that are his and not theirs. What am I missing? He is in the end a personality, a former "morning zoo" dj, an entertainer. Is it time to move to Canada yet?

A Miracle

2010-08-04T15:04:00.004-04:00

Our new 55" flat screen TV was scheduled to be delivered today. I had received two different confirmation emails giving me time of delivery, both being between 10 and 1PM. But one of them stated it was PDT and one was EDT. So that meant the delivery window for me was anywhere from ten and four. Not happy. So, I am sitting in the den and I hear a door slam out front. The TV was being delivered by Pilot trucking so I assumed it would be a large truck and I would hear it coming down the street. Besides it is 9:55 in the morning. I look outside and there is a small panel truck across the street. The driver gets out and opens the back and pulls out a hand truck. I stay to watch wondering what the neighbors across the street have purchased. Then he reaches into the back of the truck and slides a long thin box out. On the side of the box there are two things I can make out: "Samsung" and "55". Holy Crap! Remember it isn't even ten o'clock yet. I rush to the door and as he is wheeling it across the street I direct him to the patio in the back. I sign for it and he leaves. I go back in the den and it is 9:58. Never happened before. Never. Thirty eight years living here and I do not recall one instance where we were first on a delivery schedule when we were given the delivery hours. Many times the delivery window has closed and still we waited. Today was something totally out of the ordinary. It is truly a miracle.

There must be some mistake

2010-07-07T18:32:00.001-04:00

There is no way Ringo Starr can be seventy years old today!!

July 4th

2010-07-04T16:13:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Rube!

It is official

2010-06-17T13:20:00.002-04:00

Wow, it has been a while since an entry has been made in this blog. I guess the novelty has worn off, or is it that I have become too involved in my 365 project? But it seems to be true not only for me but for others I know who have a blog. You know who you are. But back to this entry. It truly is official. I am old. I am retired. I am over the hill. I am on Social Security. Yep. Yesterday my checking account received a direct deposit from the federal government. Social Security. At one time it seemed so far in the future. That it was only for old people. That I would be dead before ever collecting. Yikes. Where has the time gone? .......... Only one other thing to mention. Anyone who is working and contributing to Social Security, please continue to do so. :-)

Frustration

2010-05-16T14:59:00.002-04:00

If I see Oliver Perez start another game for the Mets I will scream. If I see David Wright lunge at a ball outside and strike out I will throw something at the TV. If I see Jose Reyes lunge and pop up another pitch I will give up on the Mets this year.

I am a glutton for punishment as I keep watching, though I will admit not every game. Two weeks ago they are in first place, today they are a couple innings of dropping into the basement. From Yadier Molina's home run in 2006, through the collapses of 2007 and 2008 and the dreadful 2009 season how can you blame me for being close to giving up already for this year. I know, I know, the season is just barely one quarter over and a lot can happen yet.

And now as I watch with the Mets down 7-0 in the 6th they have just scored three to tease me a bit. I can't take it. I just can't take it.

Happy Pi Day everyone

2010-03-14T11:34:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YsM4ElTJcE&feature=player_embedded#

Are we alone?

2010-02-22T09:32:00.003-05:00

Are Pat and I the only ones in the country not watching the olympics? We didn't watch the opening ceremonies except for perhaps ten minutes while sitting in Kevin and Tracy's living room. Since then I have seen perhaps another ten minutes of skiing. It seems to be of no interest to either of us. Even the big hockey game yesterday, Canada vs. USA, didn't draw my attention. Can't put my finger on the why, but it does free up a lot of time. Not that we need any more free time.

The Pluto Platter

2010-02-11T21:30:00.004-05:00

Walter Frederick Morrison has passed away. A simple invention that provided so much fun for so many, including the writer of this blog. I think the most I played with his Frisbee was in college. A bunch of us would get together , with beers, and in a square would toss the frisbee around to see how many times we could go without someone dropping it. I know, pretty lame. Another "game" was in our long hallway in the dorm. Standing on each end of the hall we would play catch using the walls to bounce the frisbee along to each other. Mr. Morrison, thank you.

Pluto Platter was the original name of the Frisbee.

Meet the Mets

2010-01-30T13:24:00.003-05:00

It was announced today that this past Monday we lost one of the memories and one of the sounds of my past. Jane Jarvis died at the age of 94. She will always be associated with attending Mets games in my youth. So many today don't recall the sound of her organ echoing through Shea. Now she is gone, and Shea is gone and we are left with a sterile ball park and rock music. I long for the old days.

Happy Birthday

2010-01-24T21:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Bubble Wrap

First stage done

2010-01-23T08:25:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Rob (contractor) was here all day ripping out the old doors and installing our new six panel doors. Not an easy swap because these houses originally had metal frames instead of wood jambs. I had a major problem fitting and squaring up the wood jamb and doors years ago when I replaced the originals. A lot of cursing and trimming, but I made them work. Rob actually took out one of the framing 2x4s on each side of each opening and replaced it with a piece of 5/4" board, thus allowing space for shimming and squaring. The three bedroom doors, bath and linen closet are all done except for knobs which I am responsible for. Not sure if we will get new ones or not. Today he will return to pop in the entry way closet door. He ran out of time yesterday. Next week, not sure of the days yet, the floor guys come to sand and finish the floors. Then the tile guy will come to tile the entry way, followed by Rob coming back to put shoe molding all around the floor molding. THEN comes my job when I have to paint.

You can see a pic of the hallway doors on my 365 project blog.

Viewers

2010-01-18T18:17:00.004-05:00

I always wonder who views my blog, and now my 365 project blog, only because no one, or very few ever comment on anything in either blog. But this weekend I was both disappointed and happy about learning about my viewers or lack thereof. It seems my brother, who I always thought was a loyal follower, was not following my blogs at all. How distressing. But a day later I learned that a brother of an in-law does follow, even though he makes no comments. That was a nice thing to hear. So, to all who are reading this, please, every once in a while, take the time to make a comment on either this blog or my 365 project blog.

And to those who have been making comments. Thank you.

Eight Minutes!

2010-01-15T11:15:00.004-05:00

In order to have the floors redone we needed to get the piano out of the living room. It is the only piece of furniture which we can't handle ourselves. Due to the house's floor plan there is no way to roll it into another room. In order to get it out of the way it would have to go on end, which I was not going to attempt even with help. So we hired piano movers. Three guys, two dollies, one blanket, one roll of shrink wrap and a ramp. They threw a large blanket over the piano, wrapped shrink wrap around and around to hold the blanket. Then the piano was tilted up on end onto a dolly. After they rolled it into the kitchen they tilted it off the first dolly, right onto the second one so the piano was no right side up again. Then a simple ride down the ramp to the den. They lifted it off the dolly and positioned it. I made out the check, signed the invoice and they were gone. Eight minutes from the time I opened the door until I closed the door behind them. Unbelievable.

Going for it all

2010-01-14T19:27:00.003-05:00

Pat has been wanting hardwood floors in the living/dining room and hall for a long time. I finally gave in and we ripped up the carpeting over the past week. Today I tore up all the tile by the front door. A few days ago I figured with everything being done and all the furniture out of the living and dining rooms I might as well bite the bullet and go all the way. So, we are switching out all the doors from the inexpensive (spelled c-h-e-a-p) to six panel doors to be painted white. All moldings around doors will be replaced and painted and all molding along the floor will also be painted white. Eventually after the floors are done we will be getting area rugs. But for now it is a lot going on. After this is all done I think we will be finished for a while. That is until Pat sits and begins to think of other things she wants done. Then I will again resist and maybe this time I will not change my mind. But for now I can't foresee any major changes that could possibly be made.

It is official

2010-01-13T12:44:00.005-05:00

Well, today marks the day. We, or Pat more specifically, have become seniors, the aged, retired, or anyone who can be defined as receiving Social Security benefits. Yes, today the direct deposit was made for Pat's benefits. Four more months for me. So...everyone out there; please keep working and contributing.

Happy Anniversary To Us

2010-01-10T11:04:00.007-05:00

What, you say? Another anniversary? Isn't our anniversary in August? The answer is yes and yes. Yes our anniversary was August 22nd, thirty nine years of wedded bliss. But today is another anniversary. It marks the day that we first went out, January 10th, 1963. It was a Thursday. I am not sure where we were or what we did but this has always been our recollection of when we first started going out. Being a Thursday my guess would be it was a basketball game at the high school. Granted there were times when we broke up, or to be correct, I broke up with Pat, but that is the date when we first were together as a couple. Fourty seven years. Egads! Yikes! More than seventy five percent of our lives have been together. I guess we were meant to be together. This August marks forty years of marriage and in only another ten we will be able to have our picture in the paper for our golden anniversary. Boy does that make me feel old. To quote Frank Barone ..... Holy Crap!

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T16:04:00.006-05:00

So, another year has come and gone. I used to think that the end of the year was overblown in its importance, but this year has me looking on it differently. So many things have transpired this past year that I am glad that it is over. Turn the page. Look to the future. Hopefully 2010 will be a better year.

And in keeping with the change, I have taken on a challenge, one I have given myself. I am going to keep a daily photoblog. Yes, I know what you are thinking, that it will last a few weeks and then I will give up. That could very well be true, but only time will tell. I don't know the blog definition yet except to say that it will be a picture a day. Not a self portrait as Kevin tried last year. This will be more of a chronicle of my daily life. How each day's picture will be determined is what I still need to come to grips with. It may start out in January, and by June (if it is still going) be totally different. So, it being January 1st, my first entry is posted.

http://www.photoblog.com/rayswrld/

Happy Festivus

2009-12-23T20:49:00.000-05:00

Frank Costanza: "Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way."

Kramer: "What happened to the doll?"

Frank Costanza: "It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born: a Festivus for the rest of us!"

Kramer: "That must have been some doll."

Frank Costanza: "She was."

It sure would be nice

2009-12-09T08:48:00.002-05:00

With all the advances in technology in the automobile industry from computers and sensors that can tell you when your tires need air to a camera that looks behind you when you back up, why, oh why, can't they make steering wheels that are heated. They can heat your seat, which by the way is very nice. Nothing like a warm tush when you are driving. But how difficult can it be to warm a steering wheel the same way. Surely there must be some reason that it can't be done because it seems unlikely that one of the braniacs in the research department of the auto makers hasn't suggested this in some conference room. But, it sure would be nice.

WHOA!!!!! I decided before posting this to do some googling. It turns out that there are many patents out there for heated steering wheels and steering wheel covers. But then I found it. BMWs have them. Some other high end cars have them, like Cadillac and now Ford is going to start putting them in their cars and trucks! I hope Honda follows suit because I like my Hondas and hate to have to switch allegiances to keep my hands warm.

And a last thought. I guess it is a good idea for me to google first before going off on a rant.

What a fox!!!

2009-11-20T17:25:00.002-05:00

My regular readers know that in the past I have posted about animals and road kill that I have encountered on my cycling excursions. Well today, despite it being November, I went out for a ride. It was near sixty so the calendar didn't really dictate whether I rode indoors on the trainer or outside. For those familiar with the area, I was at the intersection of Telegraph Hill Road and Bethany Road. I made a left off of Telegraph Hill and proceeded on Bethany. There is a small bridge that crosses a creek between Telegraph Hill and Hazlet Avenue. Right before that bridge I saw up ahead on the sidewalk an animal that I thought at first was a dog. But as I got close I saw it had a long bushy tail. A tail just like a fox. And as I passed this animal i looked at the face/head and darn if it didn't look like a fox. So, I came home, went to the internet and googled dogs that looked like foxes. I could only find one, a New Guinea Singing Dog, but pictures showed that it was nothing like what I saw on the sidewalk. So, my only conclusion was that I saw a fox. Where did he come from? Where was he going? Did someone have a fox for a pet? These questions will never be answered. At least by me.

I'm Not Ready!

2009-11-14T08:59:00.002-05:00

Retailers have begun the blitz already, and it has been going on for a week or more. For me it is way too soon for Christmas ads and decorations. I can deal with it right around Thanksgiving, when the "official" start to the holiday begins. Well, it used to be the official start, but not anymore. Earlier and earlier in the year. Pretty soon we will be giving out candy canes to trick or treaters. But it was the Jeffersons that prompted me to write. No, not George and Weezy, but the neighborhood Jeffersons who always put up their decorations early. Two days ago we drove past and, not only do they have the lights on the house, but their tree is up. As I said, way too early.

I did not know that

2009-11-13T18:43:00.002-05:00

My truck is due for an oil change. My last one was eleven months ago and I still have another eight hundred miles to go to hit the five thousand mile mark. I have had the truck for almost six years now and thought it might be a good idea to get the coolant system flushed and refilled while getting the oil change. But I didn't know what the maintenance schedule recommended for the procedure. So, I opened the glove compartment (I don't keep gloves in there) and checked the maintenance schedule. Well, much to my surprise, the coolant only needs to be replaced at, now get this, one hundred thousand miles. Wow. Things sure have changed.

Still alive

2009-11-03T17:11:00.000-05:00

There is still hope.

Go Phils??

2009-10-29T20:43:00.002-04:00

So, I am watching the game. Nothing else worth watching on the tube tonite. Pat is out and I sit here with a Yuengling and watch. And guess what? I am totally invested in the Phils. Is it because Pedro is pitching? Maybe. But as I said in my last post my dislike for the Yankees runs a lot deeper than it does for the Phils. Up until a few years ago the Mets main opponent was the Braves, so the Phils have only come on as a hated rival recently. But the Yankees, that dislike (spelled h-a-t-r-e-d) has been there for more than forty years.

Hours to go

2009-10-28T16:42:00.003-04:00

A few hours to go til the series begins. I will not be watching, but will check in for scores. And I will be rooting against the Yankees. Not for the Phils, but against the Yankees. My dislike for the Phils is no where near as longstanding as my dislike for the Yankees. And as one caller into WFAN this morning said, "If the Yankees were playing Al Qaeda I wouldn't root for them".

And the dilemma is here

2009-10-26T09:34:00.003-04:00

I went to bed last night at eleven with the Angels behind as well as Big Blue. This morning I woke up and checked the scores and found myself glad I didn't stay up for two losses. But with the series now set with the Yankees vs. Phillies I found myself leaning toward hoping the Yankees lose more than the Phillies. Notice I didn't say I want the Phillies to win. I think perhaps it matters that I live in the NY area and hear all the Yankee praise on the radio, tv and in the papers. If I were near Philly and was still a Met fan I might lean toward the Yankees. So, with all that said, I will not watch the series, but will hope for rainout after rainout until it becomes just too cold and too late in the year for there to be a series.

We mourn with Pookie

2009-10-23T17:39:00.002-04:00

Yes, we mourn with Pookie, White Fang and Black Tooth. I am sure they will all be doing the Soupy Shuffle one more time in Soupy's honor. For those who have no idea what I am talking about, google Soupy Sales. Yes, Milton Supman passed away today.

I didn't watch but.........

2009-10-23T09:19:00.002-04:00

After watching The Office and 30 Rock, and checking the score at commercials, I flipped over to the game to watch an inning. It was 4-0 and I turned it off and went to bed. Good thing I did because if I had started watching the seventh inning I would have turned it off anyway, not waiting for the Halos comeback in the bottom of the inning. Nothing new here so far that someone couldn't find in any coverage. But, in the morning I was in the car with the radio on and I heard that fans could start ordering World Series tickets. Jumping the gun? Being over confident? Now I know it is probably standard practice to do that for all teams, but I wondered if this was the jinx, the death knell, that would send the Evil Empire spiraling to another series debacle. Oh, to hope.

Oh crap!

2009-10-21T15:43:00.002-04:00

A huge dilemma looms ahead. Both LCSes are three games to one. With one more win each it will be the Yankees and the Phillies in the World Series. For those who know me, you can see my dilemma if that happens. Who do I root for? Try to decide which team I dislike more? Try not to care? True, I will not watch, but only check in from time to time to see the score. But without a rooting interest that even seems unlikely. Whose loss will give me the most pleasure? If that were the only question to be considered I would have to say I would root against the Yankees; but that would mean rooting for the Phillies, which goes against everything being a Met fan stands for. Oh well. Maybe the Dodgers and Angels will pull it out.

Bad sports weekend.

2009-10-19T14:22:00.003-04:00

It began on Friday when I watched some of the Rutgers game and watch them lose to a very good Pitt team. Then Saturday I watched the Irish lose a very close game against their nemesis, USC who they haven't beaten in eight or nine games. Then Sunday Big Blue got a dose of reality by being blown out by another undefeated team. Shows they might have been a bit overrated and overconfident after their first five wins against losing teams. And then......and then...... Gang Green reached an all time low. Losing to the Bills. Horrible game. Just horrible. But when the dust settled on the weekend and I checked the sports scores this morning I found that it was even worse than I thought. Not only is the Evil Empire up two games to none, but the hated Phillies are up two to one. Is there no hope?

59 days - 16 miles

2009-10-19T14:15:00.002-04:00

[First let me say I wrote this post on Wednesday the 14th, but forgot to post it]

Today I finally got back on my bike after fifty nine days. Yes fifty nine days. This has to be my longest stretch without riding in quite a few years. Moving, painting, back ailments and California were the contributing factors that prevented me from enjoying a ride. And my first ride back today was a sixteen miler and it felt great. But it looks like rain for the rest of the week which will mean inside on the trainer. I want to get back to riding three times a week, and outside as long as the temperature is above thirty. That would be a calm thirty. With a bit of wind the temperature would need to be a bit warmer.

BWS

2009-10-01T20:51:00.004-04:00

The first few days we were in CA it was too warm for the boys to go outside, and in actuality they haven't been out for a while due to the high temps and the smoke from the surrounding fires. But finally it was a nice day and everyone went out to sit and enjoy the balmy weather. Kevin took the cover off the water table and saw in the umbrella hole a spider. Closer inspection led to an identification; black widow. He shook the table so the spider dropped onto the ground where it was squashed like the bug it was. Following this execution Kevin and I began a search of the other outside toys, beginning with the picnic table. Underneath there was one in each corner of the benches. That makes five. Then to the slide, the push toys and sandbox. I lost count but Kevin said there were a full dozen. Welcome to California. After we came inside I did some Googling and found that the majority of people who have lived in California have seen at least one in their lifetime and such discoveries as we made were not uncommon. It is scary, but most information says that the widow is nocturnal and nonagressive. Still on the few days since then we have checked everything for the thin gossamer webs that identify the BW.

WiFi

2009-09-26T05:52:00.003-04:00

So here I sit at Gate 83 waiting for boarding. Free WiFi, but only for twenty minutes, as a trial. $9.95 for a subscription to boingo wifi. I don't think it is worth it so I only have three minutes left on the twenty minute trial. I know some airlines have free wifi on board, but not Continental. It would really make the trip quicker if I could get online and google my time away. Two minutes left. Someone opened the door to exit and a chirping alarm is driving me crazy now. One minute left.

I killed a bird

2009-07-28T12:38:00.003-04:00

Not deliberately anyway. I got up in the morning, put coffee on, and then went outside to get the paper in the driveway, unaware of the events that were about to be put in motion. If I had gotten up a little later or earlier, perhaps then things would have been different. As I walked between the truck and car in the driveway and approached the paper out near the sidewalk, a cat which roams the neighborhood, came out from under the car. I ran at it to scare it off our property. The feline ran down the sidwalk in front of the neighbor's house. Garbage and recylcling had been out in the neighborhood and there were birds around the neighbor's recycling walking and pecking around the curb. The cat, running down the sidewalk, veered to the left at the birds, and the next thing I knew he was running down the sidewalk with a feathered body in his mouth. I could only stand there and watch, being too far away to run at him in hopes he would drop the bird. I say "I killed a bird" only because I assume the bird didn't survive.

The Magic Number Is.........

2009-07-22T13:33:00.003-04:00

Today the Mets' magic number to clinch a nonplaying spot in the post season is, I believe, 81. But for me the magic number is TEN. That has always been the number of games behind in past years where I automatically lose interest. And this morning I wake up and the Mets are ten games out. Of course you are probably saying that there is the wild card, and for that they are only 6.5 games out. Whoopee! There isn't a chance in hell that they are making the playoffs. I will stick with ten as my number to not care anymore. If they reach ten in the wild card then they will be closing in on twenty in the division. BUT, if by some miracle, as in 1969, when they came from ten back, they do get back in contention, I will be there. Fair weather? Not really. I still will follow them in the paper, and on the internet, but what I won't do is invest all the time in watching games that I have always done when they are in contention.

I need to get out more

2009-07-13T13:45:00.004-04:00

I had an errand to run today and I opted to drive my truck. While sitting at a traffic light I looked at that small sticker they put in the corner of your windshield when you get an oil change. It is there as a reminder, but since it is always there I never really pay attention to it, and in many cases you can't even read what is written. But I could read it. It said that my next oil change should be at 43,000 miles. That meant that my truck's previous visit to the maintenance bay was at 38,000 miles. The fact that it is a five thousand mile span while some places put it at three thousand is not up for discussion in this posting. With the mileage on the small sticker it is sometimes accompanied by a date when you should bring it in, on the outside chance that the date should come before you drive the five thousand miles. After taking in all this information I looked down at my odometer. Not a true odometer, or at least in my mind, which is one that has numbers on a wheel and they roll over as your vehicle moves down the road. Today's vehicles have digital odometers. Mine said.... actually it didn't say anything ....... it read 40,298. Now that I had that information I could determine by simple subtraction, that I had driven 2,298 miles since my last oil change. BUT, I needed one more piece of information, and that was when did i get the last oil change. Then the light changed and I drove on. When i got to my destination I remained in the truck, opened the glove compartment (does anyone really keep gloves in there?) and pulled out the small pile of receipts from all my oil changes and vehicle services. The most recent one was dated 12/9/08. Again, simple calculations gave me the amount of time elapsed since then; seven months. I think it is time for another oil change because if I wait for the five thousand miles almost a year will have passed. But the gist of this entry is to state that in sieven months I drove my truck a mere 2,298 miles. Again, with some division, that is 328 miles a month, or extrapolated out, would be 3936 miles a year. Little old ladies don't drive that small amount of miles. So, I do need to get out more.

Mets Suck? Or....

2009-07-11T08:28:00.002-04:00

Well, the Mets do suck. But is it what is supposed to be? There was a distinct hope prior to the start of the season that there would be the chance of winning the division or at least of capturing the wildcard. But all that is far in the rear view mirror now. Well below 500, mired in fourth place with only the hapless Nationals below them I can safely say that only a miracle can save this season. But my question was ,do the Mets suck, or was it something that should have been expected? Should there have been a suspicion of bad things coming once the real home of the Mets was turned into a pile of rubble? Sure Shea was a stadium well past its prime, but it was a place that held some great moments, great games, and one of the most notable plays in baseball history. To replace it with a homage to the Dodgers instead of a celebration of Shea, past players and teams must have angered the Gods of Baseball. They have decided that this will not be the Mets year. But what worries me is how many seasons will they demand of this organizaion before they are satisfied that the suffering is enough.

Hmmm?

2009-06-25T18:47:00.002-04:00

So, I sit here watching Brian Williams and he is reporting about the deaths of Farrah and of Michael, Governor's affairs, Iran, and I feel I should have something to write about. But all I can come up with is .......... a dead squirrel, a dead bird, a dead mouse .......... and no ingested bug.

The Balance In Nature ..... or More Protein

2009-06-19T14:47:00.005-04:00

Two rides ago I saw two dead squirrels, one dead rabbit and a live ground hog. Today I went for a twenty seven mile ride (irrelevant to this post) and saw two live squirrels, one live rabbit and a dead ground hog. Now you probably think I am making this up, and as I formulated the posting as I rode I was short a dead ground hog and was contemplating some fiction. But with about five miles left in the ride there he was, or she was, (I didn't stop to check), fresh road pizza.

And I ate another bug.

Words cannot express how I feel

2009-06-13T08:38:00.002-04:00

Stunned disbelief is one way to describe it. Demoralizing is another. It was a brutally devastating loss, but it should come as no surprise, because that is what they do; find ways to lose. So, what time is the next Blue Claws game?

oh well

2009-05-25T18:39:00.001-04:00

I went for a thirty mile ride today. Ten minutes into the ride a bug flew in my mouth. AACGHH!!! ............. Nothing more to say.

Staff Sgt. Frankie Zoly Molnar

2009-05-22T08:30:00.011-04:00

In my last post I linked to my latest books. One of those books was a story about men in the Korean War. This post, with Memorial Day weekend beginning tomorrow, is in a similar vein. In today's local paper, The News Tribune, there was a column by Rick Malwitz honoring Staff Sgt. Frankie Zoly Molnar. He was born in West Virginia but resided in New Brunswick when he enlisted in the Army. Thus he is listed on the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall. This entry is due to my never being able to understand how all the young men in the service, especially those that saw combat, in whatever war or conflict, did what they did. Selfless service. This posting honors all of them who served and are serving our country. While I was nestled safely in the hills of western Pennsylvania attending college, there were young men my age being put in harms way and doing the job they signed up for. This is not to question the reason we were in Vietnam. This is, as I said, to honor all those who served. Sgt. Molnar was one of those. He served and he gave his life. He was given the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously.

Here is part of the article that appeared in the paper today. It is the citation that accompanied the Medal of Honor. The full article can be seen here.

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. SSGT Molnar distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader with Company B, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry during combat operations. Shortly after the battalion's defensive perimeter was established, it was hit by intense mortar fire as the prelude to a massive enemy night attack. SSGT Molnar immediately left his sheltered location to insure the readiness of his squad to meet the attack.

"As he crawled through the position, he discovered a group of enemy soldiers closing in on his squad area. His accurate rifle fire killed five of the enemy and forced the remainder to flee. When the mortar fire stopped, the enemy attacked in a human wave supported by grenades, rockets, automatic weapons and small-arms fire. After assisting to repel the first enemy assault, SSGT Molnar found that his squad's ammunition and grenade supply was nearly expended. Again leaving the relative safety of his position, he crawled through intense enemy fire to secure additional ammunition and distribute it to his squad.

"He rejoined his men to beat back the renewed enemy onslaught, and he moved about his area providing medical aid and assisting in the evacuation of the wounded. With the help of several men, he was preparing to move a severely wounded soldier when an enemy hand grenade was thrown into the group. The first to see the grenade, SSGT Molnar threw himself on it and absorbed the deadly blast to save his comrades. His demonstrated selflessness and inspirational leadership on the battlefield were a major factor in the successful defense of the American position and are in keeping with the finest traditions of the U.S. Army. SSGT Molnar's actions reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the U.S. Army."

Books

2009-05-16T15:25:00.003-04:00

I just finished the second of two books which I thought worthy of mention. You can see them by clicking on the link in the right column or here. Now onto my next book.

Resistance is futile

2009-05-11T19:00:00.007-04:00

No it isn't the Borg on Star Trek. But resistance still seems to be futile. What am I talking about? Facebook. The dreaded Facebook. It seems that Pat knows things going on in California with Kevin and family well before I have an inkling. And there are occasions where I don't find out until much later. Lately I have been viewing it through Pat's homepage on Facebook, but now wonder if it is inevitable that I too must join. For example, Kevin puts pictures up on Facebook that never seem to show up on Phanfare, where I look regularly. This also applies to Lauren's family too, but not to the same degree. So, what do I do? Do I keep hijacking Pat's site to see what is going on? Or do I break down and do what I said I would never do? Aghhhhh!! For now I will resist.

Dishwasher followup

2009-05-07T16:33:00.002-04:00

I am sure everyone was waiting for the final chapter in the dishwasher saga. Since there has only been one other "chapter", I think this is doubtful. But, nevertheless, I will relate the ending of this story.

I had called "our" plumber after failing to get the small leak to stop dripping. He called me back that evening, Tuesday, and suggested putting some pipe dope on the threads of the compression fitting and some teflon tape on the ferrel itself. After I went to Home Depot to get the pipe dope I undid the fitting, put the dope on, but couldn't get the ferrel out of the nut. It was because I was working under the washer and couldn't get both hands onto the copper pipe. So, I just used the dope. Result? Still leaking, drip.............drip.............drip.

Next morning plumber calls me to ask how I did. I explain my futility and he said he will come over to fix it for me. But during the night I lay awake for more than a few hours worrying over my problem. This is standard procedure for me. In addition to the small leak I thought about the fact that I couldn't really get the unit to feel solid and set in the opening. I tended to move a bit when the door was open or closed. Not good. Also I wondered if I had tightened the clam enough on the drain hose. The instructions called for tightening to at least 16 pounds of torque. Who the hell has a torque wrench? So, with all these things in my mind I told George, the plumber, that I was going to call the store and see if they could send out an installer to reinstall the unit.

When I called the store that day they were surprised that when we were in the store buying the dishwasher that noone mentioned installation. They gave me the number of the installer and I called him but he was busy that day and the next. So, today, Thursday, he finally came to bail me out. I debated whether to admit that I was the boob who couldn't do the job or blame it on a ficticious friend. Because he was a nice guy who I got a good vibe off of right away I went with the honest approach.

His basic solution to the leaking compression fitting was to trash the copper tubing that was in place from the old unit and replace it with flexible tubing. If I had had that I might have been able to do the job. But I wouldn't have been able to make it feel solid and part of the cabinetry as he did.

When all was done I thanked him for bailing me out. He said it is all about working with the same thing over and over and getting comfortable with doing it to get the confidence. For me it is knowing my limitations. And going forward I will try to remember them.

Know your limitations

2009-05-04T17:34:00.003-04:00

Being a homeowner there have been opportunities for me to do some plumbing work as part of routine maintenance as well as upgrading and improving the house. The first decade in the house I made futile attempts to do simple plumbing repairs with very poor results. Numerous trips to Channel or Rickel (years before Home Depot and Lowes) provided little help and there are many copper pipe connections in the house that are covered in epoxy to stop the one drop a minute leak that was the result of my work. In the years since then I have learned my limitations and have employed a plumber whenever there has been a need for plumbing work. There are exceptions to this however. Those occasions involved drain work and toilet repair, basically where there was no water pressure involved to produce a leak. But with the new compression fittings I even installed a faucet now and then. So, when our dishwasher died last week and we purchased a new one I removed the old one and saw that there would be one simple compression fitting in the installation of the new machine. That should be simple enough. No solder to sweat into joints. A simple compression fitting. Well it was delivered today at two o'clock, and after getting it all installed, leveled, wired up, and water supply connected, I turned on the water and ran a rinse cycle as directed by the instructions. And laying on the floor with a flashlight I saw it. The one drop a minute that has defined many of my plumbing jobs. I tightened the nut a bit more. Now the drip was maybe a minute and a half. Another quarter turn on the nut. Still a drip. So, what do I do now. Simple really. Turn off the water supply and call the plumber; which is exactly what I did. I left a message for him explaining my situation and now I wait for his return call. I became over confident and didn't listen to my own words....."Know your limitations."

Let's go to a game!

2009-04-29T18:34:00.005-04:00

If you haven't heard the Yankees have lowered ticket prices to the "New" Yankee Stadium. The first row Legend Suite seats which are on the outer half of the dugouts and photo cages have been reduced from $2500 to $1250. Also, in seats in the first row down each foul line prices were lowered from $1000 to $650. That affects 48 and 68 seats respectively. Was this done because they felt sorry for the fans who weren't buying tickets because of the economic conditions? I think not. It was because there was no way they could televise a game and not show these seats, which were usually empty. It only has to do with image; not the fans. And this in no way will affect the average blue collar fan who can't afford a ticket in most areas of the stadium.

Now if only the Mets would do the same, perhaps I could afford to go to a game.

Poorly thought out

2009-04-26T15:30:00.003-04:00

For those of you who read my last post let me follow that up by saying it is hot as heck today and I am in shorts with no foot apparel, sitting on the patio drinking some sangria. Sangria, I might add, is not the choice drink for getting a buzz, only having a 7% alcohol volume. Anyway, it is now 3:30 in the afternoon, Mets were on the radio, wine is in the glass and here I sit posting on my blog. I say Mets were on the radio because they are trailing big time and I turned them off in favor of some jazz. But none of that has anything to do with the title of this posting.

This morning after having coffee, bagel and paper out on the patio we decided to not waste a beautiful day just sitting at home. Why not take a ride down the shore and walk on the boardalk. It would be cooler, less people than during the summer because most things wouldn't be open in April. Ah, wishful thinking. We went to Point Pleasant and parking was as scarce as it is on a summer's evening in the middle of the summer. We drove around a bit and decided it wasn't worth it. And this after we got the bridge for about fifteen minutes, AND were stopped at a railroad crossing for another ten. So, we drove up along the shore to Asbury Park. Yes the same Asbury Park that has been so runned down in the past few decades. The revitalization is definitely visible and some stores on the new boardwalk were open. We walked the length of the boardwalk, i took some pictures, and we left, continuing up the shore on Rte 36, through Sea Bright and past Sandy Hook where traffic is all screwed up with the construction of the new bridge. As we drove west away from the Hook traffic going east was backed up for miles and miles. It seems that everyone seemed to have the same idea as we did, and probably thought that it was April, how many people would be at the beach. Oh well.

Summer came early

2009-04-24T11:54:00.005-04:00

I am sitting on the patio at 3:30 in the afternoon. The plastic was taken down this morning and the lawn was mowed. It is warm enough to sit out here, but tomorrow it will be warm enough to wear shorts and sandals with a predicted temperature in the mid to high eighties. Sunday is supposed to be the same. I went for a bike ride this afternoon slathering my legs and face and neck with sunscreen. Notice I didn't say my arms. That is because I wore a long sleeved shirt. When I went there was a breeze coming off the bay and it was a bit cool, but one I got inland it was warm. I haven't been out on the bike much and am not in shape. I went 23.3 miles today and am trying to work my way up to where a thirty mile ride will be anything but a trial. If you check my miles on the link to the right you will see that I only rode 48.4 miles in February and 10.4 in March. So much was going on in those months that riding took a back seat. But now I am committed to getting back to riding three times a week.

Also happening this past week were the following events. I could have written about any one of them but will just give a brief summary.

I spent three days removing wallpaper and painting a small bathroom at a friend's house. Because of that, when I removed the plastic from the patio today I had to leave one small piece because I need the step ladder to get to it and that is at the "jobsite" because I have another room to do.

Wednesday I went out to dinner with three of the guys I worked with at Center Core. Good beer, adequate food, and lots of laughts. Always a good time.

Yesterday, Thursday, I went for my yearly skin inspection at the dermatologist. He froze two warts located on my upper left side. I have to remember to stay away from those damn frogs. He also removed a spot for biopsy from just below my waist.

So, that has been my week, basically. Ending here because I have to go get my shorts and sandals ready for tomorrow.

A Sad Year So Far

2009-03-15T09:03:00.004-04:00

Maybe this isn't a topic for a blog entry but so far this has been a sad year. In January Pat's Mom passed away and then last week her Uncle Al also passed. Three times we have been to different funeral parlors when you also add in the neighbor who passed last month. Never in my life has this happened and it has shaken me in a cumulative way. When we were at the cemetery for Uncle Al's internment we walked over to Pat's Mom's gravesite and then I did something I haven't done in many years. I went to my father's. The day before Pat had said she wanted to visit her Mom's and asked if I wanted to see my father's but I gave her the response I always have. I always say that my father isn't there in that grave, so it doesn't serve any purpose to go there. But something moved me to go see it yesterday and I only assume it was because of how much I was moved by the military ceremony at Uncle Al's, and the cumulative effect of all this sadness this year.

I am not going to become introspective here or reveal my personal feelings except to say that I have done some serious reflection since yesterday.

And dear reader I apologize for the tone of this posting.

A couple things

2009-03-09T19:48:00.003-04:00

It has been a while. I think I have said that before in a posting or two. Over the past week or two I have had things to write about but never sat down to put fingers to keyboard. Some of the topics I have considered are the following:

As the end of February approached the fact that there had been no major snowfall this winter gave me pause and I almost wrote an entry. Then two days later we got hit with a major snowfall. Cause and effect?

The snowfall brought up two more topics. First after I had finished clearing our driveway and sidewalk I moved on to the neighbor's driveway. It was then I began to hear an unsettling noise in the snowblower. I kept working but then noticed that the crank that turns to direct the chute had become disconnected somewhere inside the unit. So I had to stop. I came in took off my boots, gloves and coat and was looking forward to some soup that Pat was cooking. It was then I heard the plow. It came down the street and threw snow from the street covering the sidewalk and driveway apron. I cursed a bit. Well, maybe more than a bit and then went out with the shovel to reclear the snow.

There were other topics. On top of the cost I will have to pay when I pick up the snowblower at Sears this week I have to pay Toyota to install a new oxygen sensor. Yes, the day after it snowed the "check engine" light came on. One thing on top of another. Oh, and my bike is in the shop because there is something that is grinding in what I think is the rear hub. When it rains it pours.

Anything else? Of course. I could write about the work we are doing on Pat's Mom's house and preparing for an estate sale. I could write about my thoughts about Facebook and Twitter, but Kevin enlightened me concerning those topics so i am glad I didn't put it here before chatting with him.

So, I am posting this and more or less combining all the topics into one short posting. Maybe going forward I will simply sit and type in my thoughts as they come to me. Or maybe I will once again begin a posting with "It has been a while".

Section 5

2009-02-22T18:49:00.002-05:00

Wednesday morning the last piece of Shea Stadium was knocked down. Forty four years of storied history in this less than perfect home of the Mets. The final standing portion was the section 5 ramp and it came down at 11:25 AM. Soon it will be a parking lot, hopefully with some markings in the pavement of where home plate was, as well as other highlight markers.

Not seeing the demolition, and not seeing the empty space now, the next time I see the area all that they will show on TV is the new park, promoting it as the best thing since sliced bread. But as lacking as Shea was it still was every Mets fan's home. It will be sorely missed.

Sunny California??

2009-02-06T12:32:00.006-05:00

It has been nearly two weeks since my last entry so I thought it time to clutter the internet again.

On January 21st we lost a wonderful woman in Pat's mother and we thank everyone who offered their condolences through emails, card, or in person.

You probably wonder why the subject? Well, on February 2nd we flew out of cold New Jersey to land in sunny California and seventy plus degrees. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the temps were nice and the skies were sunny. We would wake up to mid thirties and then by noon it would be in the mid to high seventies. BUT, Thursday it rained. Today it is raining. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain again. Since we began coming out here in 2003 this is the first time we have experienced rain and even cloudy skies. But this is the time of year when they do get rain out here. Luckily on Sunday, our last day here, it will again be sunny.

I have taken over one hundred and thirty pictures so far, with a birthday party yet to come. I don't know if I will be putting all of them on Phanfare, probably deciding to whittle down the number a bit. Stay tuned.

One more day

2009-01-19T09:48:00.005-05:00

Sure I could say it is one more day until the end of the dreadful presidency of George W., but I prefer to look at it much more optimistically. It is one more day until the inauguration of Obama. Many won't believe it, but back in July of 2004 I became an Obama supporter when I saw him give the keynote speech at the Democratic convention. In listening to his speech and then during an interview afterward I felt this man understood what was needed in our country and a man who would make a great candidate, one that I could support. A candidate that could be good for this country. And now four and one half years later he will become the leader that will bring relief and change from the way thing have been. From the way we have looked at our leaders. It will be a magical day tomorrow, one that no doubt will bring tears to my eyes. Let us all hope that he can bring the needed changes and return us to a people and a country that is great.

Brrrrrr!

2009-01-17T08:44:00.003-05:00

I know it is warm in comparison to what the midwest experienced lately, or what Bullwinkle and Rocky experienced every year in Frostbite Falls, but this morning while laying in bed I sat up, looked out the window at the thermometer andsaw that it was not below zero. However it was not above zero either. Zero degrees. Yikes! Needless to say I will not be riding outdoors today.

Remembering

2009-01-15T09:52:00.006-05:00

Nearly a week since my last posting so I felt I should write something. I could begin with the frigid temperatures we are experiencing along with some snow which is now falling. But who cares what the weather is where someone else lives? So what else is there to write about today? I should have made an entry two days ago for the anniversary of the passing of my 1988 Toyota Tacoma. (See the link to the right "In Memoriam") But I forgot. However, today is the anniversary of the purchase of my new truck. Unless I have some body problems this truck should last a long time because the mileage is very low. Five years and just over 38000 miles. In the past month I have only put on 250 miles, so you can see how little I drive it. But the title of this post is not about the weather, nor is it about my regular cab, standard bed Tacomas. It is about remembering the passing of Mr. Roarke and The Prisoner. They both can be remembered for a multitude of parts, but for me these are the way they will always be remembered.

Happy Anniversary To Us

2009-01-10T09:26:00.004-05:00

Yes. Happy Anniversary to us. Today Pat and I are celebrating our anniversary. Not our wedding anniversary, but rather the day we first started going out. I really don't remember how we decided this was the day but we have been celebrating it for many years, so it must be the right day. I can assume some of my readers are wondering how many wonderful years we have been together. Three quarters of my life would be the answer. And to do the math for you, I am sixty years old, so three quarters of that would be forty five. Yes, forty five wonderful years, thirty eight of which we have been married. And when I stop and think of it all I can say is "Holy S--t!!!

And it is gone

2008-12-30T16:42:00.003-05:00

If you click on http://www.rayriepl.com you will see that my website is gone. Oh well.

Understanding isn't accepting

2008-12-28T10:30:00.004-05:00

"Potholes form with the expansion and contraction of water after it has entered into the subsurface of the pavement. When water freezes, it expands, taking up more space under the paving, which then causes cracking. As temperatures increase, the water then thaws, leaving gaps or voids in the subsurface of the pavement. The voids allow for more water to enter under the pavement, creating a vicious freeze/thaw effect, which eventually weakens the pavement. As the weight of cars and trucks pass over the weak spot in the road, pieces of the roadway material weakened by the freezing and thawing effect get displaced or broken down from the weight, creating the pothole."

All I can say is: FIX 'EM!! ( right Rick?)

In the meantime

2008-12-14T16:46:00.005-05:00

In my last post I said I will let my website die at the end of the year but possibly move it to a new one on Apple's hosting site. But during my decision making period I have found a way to keep somethings available for those who are interested. If you look in the top of the right hand column you can see a few links to some of the content on my old web pages. Let me know what you think, and if there is anything else I should add, if I can.

The ever changing internet landscape

2008-12-12T11:41:00.000-05:00

Around the time of Y2K I decided to put up a website on the world wide web. The internet was still something that a lot of people had not yet discovered or embraced, but always wanting to be on the cutting edge I didn't hesitate in obtaining my domain name and server to host my site. Over the years I have posted pics, movies, lists of books I have read, B&Bs at which we stayed, miles ridden on my bike and a memorial to my truck. How many people have visited my site over the years? My guess? Well, I would have to say it is a very small number, and as the years went by that small number shrank to what I would describe as zero. Phanfare has become the place where I now post pictures and I have this blog to share thoughts. I hope phanfare is getting more visits than this blog which I hope is getting more visits than my old site. So, things have changed over the years and I see no reason to keep my old site up and running. BUT, I may replace it with a new site hosted by Apple. I am in a trial period to see if it is to my liking and sometime in January I will make a decision. It will be a slimmed down version of my old site. Very bare bones. No one cares about B&Bs, but I will still keep my miles ridden and perhaps my books read. As I said it is just in the idea phase. But as of the end of this month my present site will cease to exist.

The ever changing Rte 35 landscape

2008-12-10T12:58:00.002-05:00

For those of you unfamiliar with Rte 35 in central New Jersey you should probably stop reading now. For those of you who wish to continue reading, I will continue writing. Apparently it has been some time since I had driven down 35 as far as Sears, or it might be that when I drive I develop tunnel vision and just aren't an observant driver. Is your interest piqued? Things change so suddenly that if you aren't on the road every day it is hard to believe that they can. Some things, though, aren't so sudden, but have just changed. So, here are my observation over the past week or so. The Home Surplus store just north of Cliffwood Avenue is gone. At least the original building which was replaced by a new one built next to it. The thing I remember about that old building was the lot next to it that had hundreds of vanity tops and sinks. Moving down the highway we are now at the light by K-Mart. Sitting at the light the corner gas station that was on the north east corner is gone. I knew it was going because it was closed and there was a sign that a bank was going to be built in its place. Just what we need around here, another bank. But the last time I drove by it was still an abandoned station. This time the bank is complete. Again, I guess I am just not observant. Moving only a few feet further down the highway we come to the diner. Originally it was the Red Oak Diner, but opened under new ownership as the Adelphi Diner. On my last trip, when I noticed the bank, I also noticed that it was once again the Red Oak. Interesting. Finally, as we continue our drive south, we come to the two shopping centers opposite each other in Middletown. The one on the opposite side of the highway is where there is a Chili's and a Macaroni Grill. Not anymore. The Macaroni Grill is closed. That was a shock. I never thought they were lacking for business. It was the one chain restaurant that I enjoyed going to, especially for the wine and bread. So, there you have it. In a blink of an eye things change.

Traffic solutions

2008-12-06T09:19:00.006-05:00

Isn't it frustrating when you are sitting at a traffic light with more than a few cars in front of you and when the light changes it takes half a minute until you can move? If the first car doesn't move immediately that of course takes some time so it would behoove the first person to be paying attention. The following cars must also pay attention and not leave to big a gap. But the ultimate solution is for everyone to pay attention and when the light changes, everyone, and I mean everyone, begins moving at once, leaving no gap, other than the one that is there while waiting for the light to change. After passing through the intersection each car could then return to a safe following distance. Such a simple solution; don't you think?

Tree lighting

2008-12-05T15:06:00.006-05:00

Two years ago we bought a new Christmas tree for our den. The tree in the living room (yes, we have two trees) is decorated with small lights of green, white and yellow. In the den we were looking for something different and found a tree with the lights already attached, but the unique thing was that the lights were C7s. These are the regular bulbs, not the miniature lights. I thought, cool. I wouldn't have too string lights on at least one tree. First year was a breeze putting it up. Second year a few bulbs were out, which wasn't surprising. But this year I set up the bottom half and before adding the top half I checked to see how many lights were out. There were more than a few so I proceeded to see if tightening up the bulbs would get them to light. I did a few with good results, but in tightening one white one I heard a small pop seemingly on the opposite side of the tree and half the lights went out. After some investigation I saw that there were actually three strings on the bottom half of the tree and one whole string had gone out. I checked the fuse in the plug end of the string. It was okay. I went along and wiggled each and every light but the string stayed out. Then I plugged another string into the end of the faulty string and that one lit. Electricity was going through the dead string, but just not lighting up the bulbs. Totally frustrated I sat there and tried to think what I was missing. Then I took the time to undo all the twisted wires that were holding all the bulbs and wire to the branches. Not an easy task. Once I had the whole string off I examined each and every socket, twisted each bulb, checked the wire for cuts or fraying, and still no lights. At this point I gave up and went to the store and bought a string of C7 lights. We now have a tree that is prestrung with lights except for the bottom string. I fully expect that next year another string will be dead. At that time I just might take all the strings off and have it become a regular tree.

Aroma from the past

2008-11-04T11:14:00.003-05:00

"Early childhood memories can be evoked by many triggers, of which one of the most powerful is a particular smell."

I found that quote on a psychological website but when I went back to locate it to give credit I can't find it, despite looking at my browser's history. In any case, this posting is about such olfactory memory, but in this case it is in reverse. It wasn't a particular smell that evoked a memory, but rather memories that caused me to remember the smell, and thus to reproduce it. Confused? Then, dear reader, read on.

I was raking leaves, or rather blowing them and then mulching them in my mulcher, which reduces them to small particles which I can then put in my compost or spread out under bushes. So, I was doing this and began thinking about raking leaves as a young boy in our back yard which had somewhere near an estimated thirty trees. Forty five years ago there was no need to bag leaves to put out for recycling. Instead everyone burned their leaves. A fifty five gallon drum, or a galvanized garbage can was the customary container, with holes punched in the sides to allow air flow. Once the leaves were ignited, you would just keep adding more leaves as the fire reduced them to ashes. When the leaves were damp you could create great billows of smoke as the wet leaves temporarlily smothered the fire. On brisk fall days or evenings there was always the wonderful smell of burning leaves in the air. Those were the memories that came back to me as I did my leaves, and I longed for that smell.

So, what did I do? I got a terra cotta flowerpot out of the shed, filled it with leaves, and lit it. A leaf caught and went out with glowing embers remaining. I tried again. Still no luck. I got a small piece of paper, shoved it down along the inside of the pot and lit that. That caught and then the leaves. And the smoke; the wonderful smoke, and then fire. I added more leaves. This was the smell I remembered. After two or three pots full of leaves I doused it with water, ending my foray into my past via the olfactory path.

I know I will do it again next year.

Do Over

2008-11-02T08:36:00.002-05:00

I wasn't sleeping good last night so my mind was producing some random thoughts which I thought I would share with the multitudes. (multitudes would be defined as a number smaller than five) In the spring I made some observations about "springing ahead" with the clock, so it is only appropriate I make a similar observation when "falling back".

When you are awake in the middle of last night and at two o'clock you turn your clock back, it becomes one o'clock. Then an hour later when it is two o'clock again, do you turn your clock back again? And then when it is two o'clock...... You can see where this is going, right?

And what happens when someone is born at 1:30? Which 1:30 is it? How is it differentiated? And on their birthday, how can they celebrate the exact time of birth if DST isn't changed on that day that year? This question would hold true for any official event.

So, next year I am going to stay awake so I can have that one hour to do things over again. Or I will write in this blog, saying it is 1:10, and then an hour later say it is 1:10 again.

Maybe with all this off my chest now I will be able to sleep better tonite.

A Blessed Event

2008-10-30T14:59:00.013-04:00

In case anyone who knows us hasn't found out or seen a picture, here she is.

Keira Ann, born 10-28-08, 8 lbs., 20-1/4 inches.

Mother and daughter are doing fine as well as Grandma and Grandpa.

Irksome

2008-10-15T08:43:00.004-04:00

No matter what Steve Jobs and Apple's sales deptartment think, funnest is NOT a word.

New ad.

A very sad day

2008-09-28T19:21:00.012-04:00

For the second year in a row the Mets season came down to the last day and again they are not going to the post season. In the early season I hated when people would say a loss it just one loss and it is a long season. Without that thinking one could make the argument that the Mets lost the season in April in a tough loss rather than today. But no matter how you spin it, having the same thing happen two years in a row is tough to take. One more win and you get another day for a playoff, but to only score five runs in the final three games doesn't get it done. Don't blame the bullpen. The offense went to sleep. Another loss season. And once again we say, "Wait 'til next year".

But to add to the sadness of the day is that it was the final game at Shea Stadium. Forty five years of games. It was more than a two tissue day watching the ceremony and all the highlights and all the past players. Maybe it was the two glasses of wine I had, or the 162 games I suffered through this year, or all those years of highs and lows at the stadium, but it was very moving. So many memories of games I attended. Games with my father and brother Bob including Jim Bunning's perfect game, games with Pat, games with Pat and the kids, one opening day with Kevin, games with guys from work, and games with my brother Rick which included the greatest game of all, the sixth game of the '86 series. Such good times, such good memories. Somehow the closing ceremony cushioned the end of the year collapse a bit by deflecting some of the sadness to more of a happy memory sadness, if that makes sense.

So, as numbers 41 and 31 walked to centerfield and through the gates, then turned and closed the gates, it was very moving, and very final. The end of a year, the end of an era. Shea is gone, but the memories will remain.

A Screen Legend Passes On

2008-09-27T10:14:00.006-04:00

Usually I wouldn't make note of a celebrity's death, but this one is special. Paul Newman died today. To see that on MSNBC's page this morning was a bit shocking. It was inevitable because he suffered from lung cancer, but because of his connection to Pat and myself I was taken aback. Connection? Yes. Pat has adored him and his blue eyes for the past fifty years, always saying that he could "put his shoes under her bed anytime". Over the years we have joked about him being the one man she would be allowed to be with. And she always wanted to invite him over for spaghetti and meatballs. So his passing makes it a sad day for us.

Almonds anyone?

2008-09-26T11:32:00.002-04:00

You go through life thinking that you are good at spelling and fairly adept at recognizing how to spell things based on hearing the word, and then you find out that for years you have been mistaken. But it is comforting when you realize that most people have made or are making the same mistake you are. What am I talking about you may ask? What do you call the vegetable dish with green beans and almonds? Now you are thinking that this is probably a trick question and are trying to think outside the box to get the answer. Green beans almondine? Or maybe the alternate spelling of green beans almandine? Did you think it was either of those? Well if you did you would be wrong just as I was wrong, and just about every recipe you can find was wrong. So now I have you wondering, right? If you go to dictionary.com you will see that almondine will refer you to almandine which is "a mineral, red iron aluminum garnet". The correct spelling for the recipe would be green beans amandine. Who knew?

Baseball quiz

2008-09-25T09:04:00.002-04:00

When is the following true? Tie game - bottom of the ninth - leadoff man triples - team doesn't score - ends up losing in the tenth.

Answer: When the team is the Mets.

I can't take much more of this and am glad the season will be over soon, one way or another.

An Uneasy Evening Remembered

2008-09-12T17:23:00.004-04:00

I recall this night very well. Sitting on the couch with Pat the day before her birthday waiting to see which way my life would go. But I recall the show being live, perhaps on a different channel. By live I mean from start to finish without a reporter commenting as with this video. In the very beginning of this clip, as he is talking, if you listen very carefully you can hear April 17th being called out as number 260. As they drew the numbers and April 17th didn't come up I would get a little more relaxed, especially when it got to above 150 or so. But listening to all the numbers drawn before that was a nerve wracking experience. Not an easy evening to endure. Knowing that your fate was in the hands of someone picking a blue capsule out of that bin. And when I say I never won any lottery I will have to keep this in mind, because I did win that night. I think they only got as high as 195 in the actual call ups in that year. So I had a cushion of 65.

A little further explanation of the lottery can be found here: "lottery info"

Two Months In

2008-09-07T11:39:00.005-04:00

Two months down, and many, many, many more to go. Pat's retirement is now two months old, but it is really only beginning this month. The first two months, being July and August, were similar to previous years when she had been home for the summer. Only with the start of the new school year is retirement real. We have thus far survived being home together, but who knows what the future holds. I have considered writing a separate blog about this new chapter in our lives, but think it would have one entry after the other with the words "Please see previous day's entry". But if anything extraordinary or unusual does happen you will be able to find it here.

Too painful to endure

2008-08-27T08:49:00.001-04:00

Please refer to the previous post as I say "See, I told you so."

Groundhogless posting

2008-08-22T13:09:00.003-04:00

When the Mets were 2-1/2 games out of first I thought they were doomed and the deficit was insurmountable. Now that they are ahead by that number of games I think it is such a meager lead and there is no way they are staying in first place. Go figure.

Victory! Hopefully.

2008-08-20T15:18:00.007-04:00

I made the last entry at 2:18. Just an hour later and things have surely changed. After making the posting I was sitting in the den reading and out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw something run across the backyard. At first I thought it was a cat that has been running loose around here. I got up, went into the backyard, around the side of the house, and as I turned the corner I heard something in the trap trying to get out. I thought it was the cat. Nope, it was Mr. Groundhog. He was chewing on the side trying to get out. Whoopeee!! I got him!! I almost did a victory dance. I took a couple pics, then loaded him into the truck and drove a little more than a mile, over a bridge and a river, so it is more difficult for him to make an attempt to get back here. I stopped on the side of the road, put the trap on the ground and popped open one end. Out he went. He stopped, looked back, and then kept going. It is finally over. Or is it?

I get back home, go around the house where I was going to take down the stuff I used for the "channel" to guide him into the trap, and I noticed that the hole was open again. In my joy in seeing him in the trap I didn't take notice as to whether it was there before. What I don't understand is how he could have made it through the trap to dig it out, then back through the trap into the yard, and then back into the trap where I finally caught him. Is it possible that there is another groundhog that dug it out while I was relocating the first one? Oh boy. I filled in the hole again and will again do the monitoring routine. Maybe I should have tagged the relocated one in case he does make it back here.

Just when I thought it was over

2008-08-20T14:18:00.002-04:00

Well after yeterday's post you wouldn't have thought there would be another one so soon. But here it is. Yesterday I wrote the entry just past four thirty, which was about ten minutes after I had checked to see if Mr. Groundhog had redug his entryway. After writing it I was secure in the knowledge that he was probably gone for good, having not made an appearance in four days. Two hours later I took some parings to the compost, glanced over to the corner of the shed and was flabbergasted to see his hole open again. Did I assume he was in there? Do I wait til dusk to make sure he is home? Without a clue I simply set up the trap. If he was there he would encounter it when he came out, if he wasn't there and wanted to get back in he would have to go through the trap. This morning the trap wasn't tripped. I did notice that there was some dirt over the trap's base, which wasn't there when I set it up, so he did encounter it, but didn't set it off. The trip mechanism did appear to be slightly stuck, but it isn't a mouse or even a squirrel. A groundhog is a larger animal and I can't see how he could walk over the trip mechanism without setting it off. So, I reset the trap, left it in place, filled in his hole again, and will wait to see what happens this evening. Based on previous tries I expect this to be fruitless because it is obviously not his home and he is only there on occasion. I have no idea why he keeps coming back. Is it just to use as a safe haven when he is far from his home? Someplace he can run to if a predator is after him? Don't know, don't care. I just want him relocated.

Which way did he go George?

2008-08-19T16:37:00.003-04:00

It seems that more than a few people want to know what happened after my last posting. Well, maybe only a few. Actually only two. But still that is more interest than I expected. If you are reading this and have no idea what I am talking about I am not going to take the time to recap everything. Simply go back and begin reading at my posting on July 30th.

Apparently he lives somewhere else and only uses our shed as a stopover on his daily excursions. I say this because in my last posting I observed that he had dug out his tunnel again, leading me to the assumption that he would be there overnight and I would catch him in the morning. I was wrong. In the morning, after setting the trap so there was no where for him to go except into it when he came out, I waited and waited and waited, but he never came out. Reasonable deductive powers lead to the conclusion that he wasn't there overnight. So, I filled in the hole again, and waited for his return. That was on Saturday. Today is Tuesday and the hole is still filled in. Where is he? I have no clue. Is he gone for good? I certainly hope so, but am not too optimistic.

If anything changes you will be the first to know.

Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night

2008-08-15T18:25:00.003-04:00

I looked for him yesterday but he was nowhere to be seen. Still no evidence that he had returned to his burrow under the shed. But today around noon I saw him in the neighbor's yard enjoying his lunch under the sun. But still there was nothing near the shed. I assumed he had found other lodging in the area. Then, after dinner, I took some stuff left from dinner preparation to the compost pile and checked. His hole had been uncovered to prove he had indeed come home. In the next five minutes I had the trap set. Now I wait.

He's going to be grounded

2008-08-14T11:18:00.002-04:00

He didn't come home last night. He didn't call either. Maybe he went to visit relatives, or stayed over his girlfriend's house. Maybe he has a second home somewhere. I waited until it got dark before I gave up on him. He did this once before so I really do expect him to be back in a day or two. I still put his breakfast (see yesterday's post) out for him, but with no sign of his return I knew it would still be there this morning, which it was. So, now I have to wait for his return before I proceed.

Ray's Next Move

2008-08-13T16:09:00.003-04:00

I borrowed a trap from a neighbor. Research says to put it at the entrance of his burrow after he has retired for the night, and to provide a makeshift channel for him to have nowhere to go but into the trap where there is also food to entice him. So, when Mr. Groundhog awakens, exits his hole, he will be guided to his breakfast and WHAMMO, I finally have victory. (I hope) Setting it up tonight.

Error and another defeat

2008-08-11T10:07:00.002-04:00

First let me say that I think I have been incorrect in referring to the rodent as gopher. In a previous post I had said that the terms gopher, groundhog and woodchuck were interchangeable. Well further research says that is not the case. A gopher burrows under lawns, gardens and golf courses through tunnels, is very difficult to get rid of, and will dance to a Kenny Loggins tune. A groundhog is less destructive being satisfied to simply burrow into the ground for his home, not needing to create a system of tunnels. You can see the obvious confusion since they both look alike and Bill Murray was in movies with both of them. I am convinced we have a groundhog.

With all that said, the groundhog won another round. My seemingly impenetrable barricade has failed. He simply burrowed under it to get between the shed and house and then through his hole under the shed. It seems to be a losing battle. I guess I will now get a trap and try to trap him and remove him to a distant land. But I have one more thing to try. I am going to drill a one inch hole in the floor of the shed and pour ammonia down into his habitat, hopefully making it an uninhabitable place. If that fails then the trap. A nice big trap, something with springs, and spikes to inflict the most pain and agony as possible. Just kidding.

Obviously more to come.

The Battle Wages

2008-08-10T12:24:00.002-04:00

And so it continues. Apparently Mr. Gopher wasn't satisfied with the neighboring housing accommodations because he is back under our shed. Or at least the hole was reexcavated this morning. How did he get through my barricades you might ask? Well, underneath the cinderblocks at one end there was a small space between the corner of the shed, the ground, and the cinderblocks. I had plugged this space with some pieces of concrete but it wasn't enough to stop him. As determined as he was he dug out the concrete pieces and burrowed his way under and then back under the shed. So, this morning I did my stamping routine to make sure he wasn't under the shed, and went about plugging up the new entryway. I replaced the pieces of concrete and then laid a large paving stone over it, wedging it in tightly. The final step was to distribute more of my questionable repellant. Now I wait.

Your move Mr. Gopher.

Repellent failure

2008-08-09T13:35:00.003-04:00

Well I guess my rodent repellent is not working. Or perhaps I am not eating or drinking the correct things to make it effective. I hadn't been putting it down for a couple days but was still checking for evidence of Mr. Gopher's return. For days there was no sign of him. I thought he had moved on to greener pastures such as the neighbor's house, which has been vacant for months, and would be perfect for him. But no, he decides to return and annoy me. Yesterday my brother Rick stopped by, asked about the gopher, and I said he apparently was gone. An hour after he left I go out and look between the house and the shed, and sure enough, there is a whole in the same spot. The concrete pieces I had placed in the hole were moved revealing a nice hole going under the shed. I opened the shed, stamped on the floor, to scare him out if he was there, and when there was no sign that he was, I once again took a cup, filled it with repellent and splashed it in the hole and replaced some of the concrete pieces and covered it all with leaves. A little while later I splashed more repellent over the area. Not easy to produce the repellent on demand. This morning I went out to check, and to my dismay, I find that the repellent didn't work, as the hole was there again. Again, I did my stamping routine, filled in the hole, assuming he was out, and then cut two pieces of a metal fence to place on top of the existing wall/fence at both ends of the space between the shed and house. Before this I had only a couple of cinderblocks stacked at one end and the other was blocked by the aforementioned fence which is only eighteen inches high. Now both ends are blocked by a three foot high barricade.

My question as to whether I barricaded him or out was just answered. As I sit on the patio writing this entry I heard a rustling sound in the other neighbor's yard, at the back corner behind their shed. Sure enough, there he was, moving along between the fence and the shed. Then he apparently went under the shed. So, unless there are two gophers in the neighborhood, he is possibly now living under a shed, but it isn't mine. We shall see.

Updates to follow.

Gopher update

2008-07-31T17:49:00.002-04:00

Two days later and with daily doses of "gopher repellent" there have been no new tunnels or any sightings of the varmint. I am thinking of bottling the repellent and selling it on the internet, but it will require drinking a lot of water.

"In the immortal words of Jean Paul Sartre, 'Au revoir, gopher'."

2008-07-30T09:11:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I am in the computer room putting something up for sale on eBay when Pat calls to me to "quick come look at this". I think she is watching TV and as I make my way through the house think "why doesn't she just pause it?" But when I get to the den she is looking out the patio door and I take her lead and look too. There in the back corner of the yard is a gopher or groundhog or woodchuck. (all terms are acceptable) We watch him disappear into the forsythia hedge then pop back out again. Then he runs up along the fence looking for a way through it. Finally he turns toward the patio and comes up to the screen claws at it as if to try to get in. At this point I holler and he runs off along the back of the house. I quickly come back into the house, get my glasses and sandals and go out looking for him. He is not in sight but I look between the house and the shed and it appears that there is a slight hole under the shed. It doesn't appear large enough for him to get in, but I think I should take precautions. I put some leaves over it to see if they are moved when I check later in the day. Later I am sitting on the patio reading and out of the corner of my eye I spot him again. He comes right up to the screen again, about three feet from me, and again tries to get in. I stamp my feet and again he runs. This time I follow immediately. I again check between the house and shed and this time the hole is bigger and he is sticking his head out. Oh boy. Time to take action. I go in the house get a large plastic cup, fill it "in the bathroom", and then go out to the shed. As I approach the shed I see him run off in the neighbor yard. Knowing he isn't under the shed I splash some of the contents of the cup into the hole, then put some small pieces of concrete over it and splash the remaining contents of the cup. I check later in the evening and no sign of him. This morning I go out checking for signs of his return but find none. Today I will again pour some "gopher repellent" between the shed and house. If this fails and he returns I will next get a gun and shoot him. Actually a trap will be the next step.

Invisible man on third

2008-07-11T14:24:00.005-04:00

I recently finished reading a book about the origins of baseball which detailed the first games as "town ball" which didn't have the rules that the present day game has. It was more fluid and flexible restricted by the number of players, the equipment and the availability of space to play. It made me think about the game of ball we played as kids. But then something in another book I read really jarred my memory which prompted me to write this post. As kids we too were fluid and flexible, never having enough kids for a real game of baseball, and never having a field to play in. We were lucky to have empty lots, a definite thing of the past, gloves and some questionable bats and balls. It is a good thing black electrical tape was available. We would use that to cover the ball when the cover came off, and to hold a cracked back from splitting apart. Our diamond was really a diamond because we didn't have the area to have a true square infield. But what I mainly remember is the number of different games we played. Without going into detail, I will list what I remember... "Three flies, six grounders", "Rollies at the bat", "One up", "Stick Ball", "Wiffle Ball" and "Running bases". This is all I can recall right now. Granted they weren't the traditional game of baseball, but were played with a bat, a ball and a glove. Usually these games were played because of only two or three kids being available to play. Of course there was always a simple game of catch, or what I guess would be called stoop ball where you would bounce a tennis ball or spaldeen against a stair or curb.

Is it worth it?

2008-07-04T14:12:00.003-04:00

This is another petrol posting. (I was going to say gas, but I prefer alliteration.) Yes, another posting about the high cost of fuel for your internal combustion vehicle. Yesterday I needed to get gas in my truck even though it was at half a tank. I usually fill it back up when it gets to half because of the fear that the price will rise and because of the shock that I would have to endure in looking at the total after a fill up. The gas station out on the highway, about a quarter mile from the house, is selling regular for $3.91. It is 3n gas. No, that is not the type of gas, it is the name of the station. I know there are some who say that these stations are more likely to water down the gas or cheat the customer in other ways, but I haven't seen any problems yet. But, that is not what I am writing about. Down the highway about a mile and a quarter there is a BP (a name brand) which is selling gas for $3.89, although it is the cash price, with credit being $3.93. Now we get to the crux of this posting and today's observation. The obvious dilemma is whether to drive the extra two miles (one each way) to save two cents on a gallon. A little simple math now. Half a tank in my truck is about eight gallons. Eight gallons at two cents per gallon is a grand total of sixteen cents. When you are spending nearly $4.00 for one gallon, and over thirty dollars for half a tank, a mere sixteen cents doesn't really seem worth it. Does it?

Another passing

2008-07-02T10:37:00.004-04:00

I could write a lot more postings if I noted every famous person who passed on, the last one being George Carlin. But this blog would then be nothing more than a list of deaths. With that said I will use this posting to note another passing. Madame Marie is no longer among the living. I wonder if she knew when she was going to die. Who is Madame Marie you ask? "Did you hear the cops finally busted Madam Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do?"

For more read the Full story.

Just a lot of hot air

2008-06-15T09:41:00.005-04:00

I happened to find a website which offered seasoned toppings for popcorn. In itself, not a unique website. But I found it after reading an article on the health aspects of popcorn and the debate over air vs. oil vs. microwave. According to the many sites and articles, and also common sense, air is better than oil. I won't even consider microwave because I don't like the taste, no matter the brand or variety. I have always made popcorn in oil, made on the stove in a regular pot, but hated the clean up, and in getting older thought about the healthier air method. So, I looked further, found some reviews of air versus oil, and found many stated that air was as good as or better than oil. So, I looked further, which brought me to the seasoned topping site. They offered an air popper for purchase and also an oil mister to spray on the popcorn so their seasoned toppings would stick. It seemed that the oil mist would make up for any lack of taste from the lack of oil in cooking. I was intrigued. So, on a whim when I was in Kohl's I saw the recommended air popper and bought it. I figured I wouldn't need the mister because we use a no fat, no calorie butter spray. Which brings me to Saturday night. Movie time. I set up the popper, got the bowls ready, got out the butter spray and some salt and was ready to go. I will say the convenience of the air popper and the clean up put it way above my oil/pot method. But, even with the butter spray, the taste in no way measured up to the old way. Pat didn't finish her portion. I drowned mine in butter spray which made it palatable. My final conclusion after this experiment?

Anyone want an air popper?

A Sad Day

2008-06-13T16:25:00.002-04:00

It isn't because I only watched NBC for my news. It isn't that he was such a well known newsperson. I think my shock at Tim Russert's death at 58 comes from a different viewpoint. Sure I have seen him during the elections with his grease board tracking the electoral votes, and an occasional viewing of Meet the Press, but it was reading his two books (Wisdom of Our Fathers and Big Russ and Me) and seeing him in interviews when the books came out that caused me to admire him and the relationship he had with his father and with his son as well as his love of baseball and life itself. So, it truly is a sad day.

New Flashdrive

2008-06-06T18:31:00.002-04:00

Late in May, around the twentieth I was in the library parking lot on a rainy day, about to get in my truck when I saw what appeared to be a flashdrive laying on the ground against the curb. It was raining so I got in the truck but then thought better of it and got out to retrieve the drive. It was indeed a SanDisk 4 GB flashdrive. A couple days later I plugged it into my computer and saw that there were a lot of files on the drive, but I couldn't open them because they were all PC oriented. I did manage to open one file and translate it into a Mac program. It was a resume which gave the name and address of the what I assumed was the owner of the drive. I emailed him and he replied that he was very grateful because it was the only backup he had. I emailed him again saying that if his address was correct i would drop it off at his house. No reply. I emailed again. No reply. I emailed again and gave him my address saying I would leave it outside in a plastic bag. No reply. Finally at the beginning of this week I emailed once more saying that if I didn't hear from him by Friday I would assume he didn't want it and I would reformat and keep it for myself. No reply.

Is he dead? Is he in the hospital? Why doesn't he want it? Who knows? So much for being a good Samaratin. I could send it to him but I am not paying to ship something that he doesn't want. So, I have a new flashdrive.