directly

2010-05-01T15:16:00.002-05:00

Twice this week I finished my day by driving home down Highway 11 also called the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. It's a nice way to finish your day.
I had quite a week. I had to change a leak detector on a pump this week that really hard to change. Thankfully the calls were light this week and I was able to get one of the other guys to help me.
I visited Mom this week. She didn't recognise me and when I pressed her to tell me who I was she offered to "Slap your face."

2010-04-18T18:59:00.002-05:00

We got our garden planted today. Looking forward to fresh veggies. We ate dinner out on the patio. When I went to unfold the chairs I found a birds nest with 4 little mouths looking up at me. I folded that one back up and left it alone. Above you can see what I face nearly every morning. Thanks for reading.

2010-04-18T11:54:00.001-05:00

What a choice, gay or strait? Nothing is sacred in politics. Anyway I'm enjoying a lazy Sunday. I went to visit Mom this morning. She rambled quite a bit and told me she and several dead relatives had planted a garden. I can only imagine what kind of garden ghost plant. I'm getting ready to plant my own garden. Tilled the soil yesterday and got it ready to plant. We are going to plant tomatoes, squash, bell peppers, jalepenos, and cucumbers. Our garden is a raised bed 8' by 8'. It's not much but we have a vegetable stand next door to our house and a generous neighbor running it. We never lack for fresh vegetables in season. Our little side by side freezer is always stuffed with frozen vegetables.

DUCK!

2010-04-07T16:27:00.003-05:00

Last year I had just passed the end of the runway at GSP when a twin engined plane hit the gaurdrails and crashed right beside the road. Now I look for airplanes every time I pass by there. It's bad enough to have to watch out for the crazy drivers out there now I have to drive defensively for aircraft.

ugly ones

2010-04-06T15:32:00.002-05:00

I bet it's more like the other way around. Home again today. Worked on the old homestead. Youngest son is moving in but wants it just so before he does so. Stripped and varnished floor today. His wife said "wow".

Wyoming

2010-04-05T18:06:00.001-05:00

Nope never been there but it looks like the people there have a sense of humor. I've been off today and worked in the yard all day. It was kind of like the Martin Mull song Normal. I spent all morning getting it going. Seems like everything I own needs to be repaired. Using my vacation days this week. I have to use em or lose em. Of course I'd much rather be at work(ha ha).

Nap time

2010-03-29T17:03:00.004-05:00

I was going to work the remodel tonite but the youngest son is out of town and this is probably a good time for a nap. When he's home he brings the kids over and naps are out of the question. The older I get the more I enjoy a good nap. I like to get rested up before I go to bed.

new stuff

2010-03-28T19:45:00.002-05:00

There's not a lot new. My youngest son and his family are remodeling our old home to live in. We're gonna have all our grandchildren living right next door. It's going to be real difficult to take a nap with 3 wild children running in and out. Oh well.

2009-09-09T19:27:00.003-05:00

Been really busy lately.Mom has been in and out of the hospital with a broken hip and a broken knee. I've also been involved in several projects at work that require 13 hour days. The fun never stops.

Long time, no sea

2009-08-24T19:08:00.003-05:00

We recently vacationed in Charleston, SC. We took our grandson along just to keep us from getting bored(and to make sure we wouldn't bring any money home). Here he is holding the Ravenel bridge up. thanks for reading.

Stone Mountain

2008-07-06T11:22:00.002-05:00

The wife and I went to Stone Mountain in Ga. for the fourth. There were about 30 gazilion people there. We were with her brother and his significant other. Wall to wall people for about 9 hrs. What a day. I think the place would be a lot of fun on any day but the fourth.

Just coming off of a ten day vacation. Really dreading going back to work. Oh well, life goes on.

New Tattoo Parlor

2008-06-21T20:26:00.002-05:00

My oldest opened his second shop last nite. I am very proud of him and wish him the very best.

I've really had a stressful couple of weeks lately and am looking forward to my vacation next week. I've got 10 days coming and might actually rest a little.

Mom is about the same and is going to be in the same place for the remainder of her days. She is on Medicaid now and we are relieved. I just wish I could afford to keep her at home but it's just not possible. She has to have 24 hr care and we can' t do that and work also. Alzheimers, the damnable desease.

Vista Sucks

2008-05-29T19:10:00.003-05:00

Wise advice, indeed. I finally got all my drivers loaded and working on my laptop. Driveragent.com was a big help and well worth the 30 bucks. Microsoft really bit a big one with Vista, it's slow, cumbersome and uses up way too much hard drive and ram. I'll stick with the XP Pro and Firefox. My Hard drive now uses about 25% less storage for basic functions and works at least 70% faster. Cool! thanks for reading.

Vacation

2008-05-27T19:59:00.002-05:00

Well, I've been enjoying a few days of R&R. Actually I worked on things around the house most of te time. I painted two doors today so I could hang them tonite. Inside white and the outside black and, you guessed it, One of them was painted backwards. I'll finish it tomorrow.
I got a new laptop several weeks ago loaded with Vista. After putting up with slow speed, interrupted internet and Vista using up hard drive I finally formatted it and loaded my old, reliable XP. Used a lot less hard drive and stays online even with sketchy signal.
Deb and I are still working on repairing our mariage. She usually eats dinner with me, visits a while and then I walk her home.
Mom is finally in a designated Medicaid bed now and will end her days there. I plan to see her in the morning. I'll write about that later. thanks for reading. Sorry, no pictures on this new computer.

More Stress

2008-02-09T04:42:00.001-05:00

The nursing home where mom is staying is giving us a fit. Medicare has quit paying because Mom is not getting any better. The nursing home wants her out of there and there is nowhere to put her. We all work and our homes are not adequate for an invalid. We cant find a nursing home anywhere in our area that will take her except for private pay at 100 to 150 a day and we simply dont have the money to do that. The Medicaid case worker is being a bitch and has turned down her claim repeatedly. When we try to talk to her she rudely cuts us off and is not helpful at all. I talked to my state senator several times this week and he is trying to help but it takes time and there is no time. I'm only getting 4 or 5 hours sleep each night. When I get exhausted enough or have a few drinks I fall asleep only to wake up and start going over it all in my head. If we could sell moms' property we could afford private pay for a while but she is not able to make those decisions and it takes a great deal of time to go through the process of a competency hearing and selling a home. I tried for years to get mom to prepare for this type of thing but her desease made her paranoid and uncooperative. I get stacks of bills in the mail every day in her name and now many of them are trying to pressure me into taking responsibility for her debts. Mom is alert mst days and usually figures out who I am after I'm with her for a while but remains confused about where she is or why she is there. She gets very confused about the family and cannot remember who is alive and who is dead. I don't try to correct her about dead family because there is no need to make her relive the grief over and over again. The Medicaid case worker told us to cash in all of moms life insurance and spend all the money on her to qualify for assistance at the assisted living facility. Now that she is back in a nursing home environment the money we had in her account for a short while makes her ineligible for assistance even though we were doing what we were instructed to do. It is so frustrating, I wish Mom would just go ahead and join Dad. She is already gone to us in her mind. her personality and her flavor as a person is gone because of this damnable desease and now her body just keeps going for no reason. I feel so guilty for thinking like this but I can't help it. I took a day off without pay this week and still turned in 62 hours at work. I was drowning my problems but working like this I don't even have time to drink. My phone rings constantly and I feel sometimes like I'm being pulled apart. My grandson cried the other night because he hadn't seen his Gramps in so long. It is now 5 am and I managed to sleep 4 hours. I look forward to going to work each day because while I'm working I'm not thing about all this other. The nursing home people have started using cell phones to call me because I knew the company numbers and wouldn't answer. I've had to start sending all unknown numbers to voicemail. Life is too short for this. The last ten years have had way too much stress in them. I'm about ready for a change. Some days I feel like putting my phone in the trash, packing a bag and hitting the road. My biggest problem is that I have always been the responsible, practical one in the family. I have never turned my back on anyone and I have seldom let anybody down. Those habits are hard to break. The seven years I worked in the nursing home I met every need of every resident and now I can't meet the needs of one person who is so dear to me. My hands are tied and I am so frustrated I feel like exploding. I am an action person and this is not an action situation. Many have told me to get a lawyer but that takes money and I don't really know who hold responsible for the situation. Ultimately Moms' illness is to blame but you can't sue God. I'll try to post more when things develop just in case there someone out there actually reading this.

STRESS

2008-01-29T12:06:00.000-05:00

I think I stayed here one night.

Well, Mom is a little better but still very frail. I think she's gonna stay in a nursing home environment for the remainder of her life. My sister is dealing with Medicaid and is in the middle of the paper work circus.

I've been working a lot of hours lately, 55 to 70 per week and haven't really had time to write anything. The spouse and I are going to the beach this wknd to try to get over some of the stress. I may drink too much. I've been remodeling moms' house in order to rent it out and discovered that the copper pipes have pinholes in them. Fortunately the house is small with minimal plumbing. I'll just have to deal with it. thanks for reading.

Working my butt off.

2008-01-20T09:29:00.000-05:00

Hey, if you got an itch you gotta scratch it! Well, here we are int the last part of January and I finally get a chance to update.

Mom had a real downturn back at the first of the year and ended up back in the hospital and back to a nursing home. I don't really think she's going back to the assisted living this time. I'm going for a visit in a little while. Each time I see her I expect it to be the last. People in her condition tend to surprize you with their staying power though. She could live for years.

I've been doing at least 60- hrs a week lately with several projects going on. This should slack off in late feb. I get really tired but enjoy the income.

I loved this when I found it. Rellay explains a lot about what is going in in the "City by the Bay".

Well, the election year is in full swing now and I couldn't be less interested. ALL the politicos are liars and government for and by the people is a myth. I think we are in the beginning of the end of the American Empire. Sound gloomy?, I still feel like we have the best thing going. I also think that there has never been anything better. History will tell if I'm right. thanks for reading.

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T17:29:00.000-05:00

Here it is, the story of the coming year. I predict that by the end of the year 2008 we will be all heatily sick of politics.

I started my new years' eve out right with several shots of Sailor Jerrys', I hav no idea how this entry will look when I finish since the Sailor has an attitude.

Mom has been eloping lately. That is the term the institutions use to describe someone who is trying to escape. I don't know why this sudden change of heart. We had her meds changed and she has quited down somewhat. I can only hope that she decides to stay put. I hope you all have a happy and prosperous new yeer. thamks for reeding.

Let's hear them sleighbells jingaling........

2007-12-19T05:39:00.000-05:00

Xmas* is upon us once again. The only thing positive about it is that I'm stil on the top side of the sod. The installation thing at work was halted until the programmer people could solve their problems and make the system work as promised.
Yesterday was one of those days when I felt like I was chasing my butt all day. I couldn't seem to get anything to work right and spent a lot of time driving. really frustrating.
Mom told me a couple of days ago that she was happy where she was and that I had done the right thing when I had her taken from her home several months ago. She said that she was confused and frightened back then and that she understood now that I was acting in her best interest. I knew that but it felt really good to hear her say it. thanks for reading.

*trademarked by the secular progressive movement USA

Dohh!

2007-12-03T17:37:00.000-05:00

I saw the most inane thing last night. I was in one of our stores and noticed a baseball hat for sale. This hat had a pirate logo on it and emblazoned across the brim was this legend "Beatings will continue until moral improves." Note that it does not say morale but rather moral. Imagine, thousands of these hats are out there and are being worn with a typo on them. This shows just how our society has dumbed down. This hat got all the way through the process of design, screen printing and marketing without ever being noticed. To make it worse, thousands of people have bought them and are proudly wearing them, not realizing that thinking people evrywhere are saying to themselves "What a Maroon!". thanks for reading.

Even More Mom

2007-12-01T09:56:00.001-05:00

Well, mom seems to be adjusting well to her new home. Sis took her to her house last night to eat dinner with her family. We ordered a new bed and a new lift chair for her to be delivered monday. She will be excited about this and these things will make her feel more at home there. We have had a real difficult time with Medicaid. Mom had three life insurance policies with total face value of 20,000. We were required to cash these in and spend the money on mom before she could qualify for assistance. We have to show proof of this, receipts and cancelled checks.
She is only allowed 1500 in life insurance, not even enough to bury her. Fortunately she has already paid all her burial expenses. Basically you have to be a pauper to qualify even though she has paid taxes and voted her entire life. They also told me that upon her death they would seek reimbursement from her estate, if any is available. I'm just happy she is in a nice place and is cared for. The stress from this has been almost more than I could take. The state and the medical establishments have required mounds of paperwork and working 55-60 hour weeks at the same time has been real stressful. The whole thing was worth it, though, to see mom acting halfway sane again. I know there will be more hard times ahead but I think I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel on this one.
We have been installing a new POS system at work in about 35-38 stores. I don't really know how many there are. I'm just a tech, I'm not in marketing. We do all the wiring and install the software and then the IT guys do the programming. We do this at night to avoid affecting sales as much as possible. Things usually go well the first few hours, we get our stuff in and then the IT guys start thier part. This is when it slows to a crawl. At first they are talkative and freindly, then they begin to huddle and talk really low. We ask "how's it going?" and they just glance at you and won't meet your eyes. Then after several hours of this suddenly everything starts to work. We show up at around 8pm and finish our part about 1am. They finish thier part about 5am. We can't leave because if something goes wrong we have to be there to correct it or to CYA. There's a lot of office politics going on and we just want this project to be finished. We're working really long hours and still handling service calls at the same time. I love it, the challenge is something I enjoy. Unlike moms' situation I can get a real handle on this and see real results. thanks for reading.

STRESS

2007-11-20T05:48:00.000-05:00

I guess everyone is ready for thanksgiving. We've bought our turkey and prepared for the big meal. We probably would go out but our children insisted that it wouldn't be the same if we didn't do the big family meal thing. I think my sister is going to have mom at her house this year. thanks for reading.

Mom again

2007-11-17T05:50:00.001-05:00

Well, we finally got a permanent home for mom. She has improved to the point that she is going into an assisted living right here in our town. She will still have her meds supervised and get her meals prepared but otherwise she is on her own. The picture shows just one of the common rooms in the place. there is also a really posh dining room and several activity areas. The residents also are taken out shopping and to other activities. Kinda like living on a cruise ship. She seems excited and is looking forward to the move. The down side is that to qualify for this we have to cash in her three small life insurance policies and spend the money on her or on her house by dec. 1 and show proof to the medicaid people. The paperwork I have gone through in the last three months is unbelievable. The picture above made it look kind of empty, actually the place is full of people. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures with the residents in them.

Christmas is just around the corner and I thought this photo would help get everyone in the right mood. With everything else to deal with I'm sure all the Santas out there are gonna be stressed to the max. thanks for reading.

Sugar High

2007-11-01T04:37:00.000-05:00

Well, Halloween is over except for the sugar rushes the kids will be getting for the next few days till the candy runs out. I'm glad mine are grown. You can always send the grandkids home when they get to be too much.

I applied for some insurance the other day and my driver record came back showing a speeding conviction I wasn't aware of. Turns out this guy in California is using my number to drive on. I ran into this person 30 years ago when I first got a Commercial license. He has the same name and birthdate as I do and that's all the CDL people used to look at. Nowadays they also use the SS number. This is a bad guy with an arrest record small children could sit on to reach the dinner table. I called the CDL help line and they said I also had a record in Oregon, pretty strange considering that I've never been further west than Arkansas. This rules out that west coast vacation I was thinking about. If I got stopped for speeding in Ca I could wind up as someones sweetheart in a California penitentiary. thanks for reading.

Cool Weather

2007-10-30T03:56:00.001-05:00

Here's a sample of an old comic I used to enjoy back in the day. The writer has had her website "under construction" forever. If she ever gets it up and running I'll buy her products.

We had a meeting this weekend and decided that mom should stay in the nursing home. She is too easily upset for us to try to care for her. Late meds or upset routine throw her into a bad mood and make her very hard to handle.

The medicaid people said that we could rent her home but they would get the money. Riiigghhht, I'm gonna put up with all the crap of being a landlord and the state gets the money. I don't think so. We'll just close the house, turn off the power and gas and let it rot. The state is gonna end up getting it anyways so why should I take care of it?

We're getting some cool weather now and I had to turn on my heat. I just installed this gaspack last summer and didn't realize the gas valve had an off and on positional switch. The spouse asked me turn the heat on. I didn't let on that I thought it was already on. I turned the switch on and sat back, nothing...then I noticed the blinking green light. I thought "green, that's good, better than a red blinking light." I noticed then that the light was blinking in a pattern. I looked on the back of the access door and found the chart. 6 blinks and then 1 blink. Timed out because of failed ignition. Then at the bottom, Reset by cycling power. I tripped the breaker and lo and behold, Heat! Troubleshooting is 90% observation and 10% perspiration.

Thought I'd include this pic for all of you who are gonna be traveling in the coming holidays. The Japanese have a way with English. They just don't get the subtleties. This poster indicates that the airline doesn't have lot of confidence. Why else would they wish you good luck? thanks for reading.

More Stuff

2007-10-27T07:35:00.001-05:00

I think Cliff is on to something. Buffalo theory would explain a lot of things. Now if you could tie in the liver is evil, it must be punished with the Buffalo Theory you would cover all arguments for a snootfull.
Well, more in the continuing saga of Mom. She still packs her things every day in the expectation of going home. The stuff she packs seem to be multiplying. Lately they have included some of the Halloween decorations from around the nursing home and perhaps some of her room mates things. She told me recently that the water pitcher in her bag was a "Steal". She claims that it keeps ice all day! She needed a Kleenex the other night and said that they wouldn't give her any. I found the Kleenex in her bags, packed up and ready to go. I'm meeting with the sibs this morning to discuss options on her future. A touchy and emotional issue. The stress level is at 9.5. Another good excuse for a snootfull. thanks for reading.

More Mom

2007-10-21T06:35:00.001-05:00

This is the feeling I get sometimes. No matter what I come up with someone else beats me to the punch.
I took my grandson to visit mom yesterday and she was thrilled. She gets everyone else mixed up but she knew who he was. She started crying when she saw him and was afraid it would upset him. I explained to him that it was tears of happiness and he was fine with it. they talked and had a good visit. He really acted mature for a 6 year old.
We have until the end of the month to get a room ready for her at my brothers' house. She is real excited to be going there. She will eat good there, my brother likes to cook and enjoys preparing meals for other people. This is so strange, Mom has been hostile to his family for 6 years and now she is going there. Mom has an entire new attitude while on the proper medicine. The trick to making this work will be getting her to take her medicine.
We helped my wifes' mother move yesterday and Friday and got really stressed. I always dread moving someone else's belongings. Something always gets broken or scratched and then the qeustion, do I offer to pay for it?.
I mean, you volunteer to help and if something goes wrong you get a guilt trip free of charge.
Oh well, we gotter done and My part of it is over. Just seeing all her crap made me want to come home and throw away some stuff. I will keep sentimental items but not to the extent that my home is cluttered. Except for furniture I like to keep personal items down to what will fit in a suitcase. I like to spend my spare time roaming the house looking for things to discard. Those pictures of traditional Japanese homes where everything is so Spartan make me envious. The Spouse mentioned decorating the house the other day and I was confused. I mean, there's paint on all the walls, what more is needed? Beige paint. I'll probably spend some time today getting rid of some clothes too. All my clothes should fit in no more than two washing machines. I've accumulated some extra clothes this summer and it's time to thin 'em out. If the men in the black Chevy Suburbans ever come for me I can pack and go out the window faster than they can sneak in the back door. thanks for reading.

Events

2007-10-19T03:03:00.001-05:00

Here it is 4 am and I'm wide awake. Mom is doing ok, by that I mean she is in good physical health but her mind is still gone. She is no longer so beligerant and is a lot easier to get along with. My brother and his wife are going to take her home in a couple of weeks and try caring for her at thier house. I wish them the best. I know it's gonna be hard.

Today I'm gonna be the only tech in the area and I've already got several calls to start the day. We got a little rain last night, I woke and heard it and thought "what is that noise?". We've so little rain recently that it sounded strange. thanks for reading.

A While.........

2007-10-06T04:59:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I blogged. We had another all nighter this week and we've got two next week. I thought you might like these two ads I found recently. the top one makes me want to brew a whole pot and the bottom one is totally understandable. I think there have been times that my wife would have not asked questions if I had vanished for a week or two. She would have just wished for the worst and gone on with her life.
Mom was justifying her stay at the Living Center by believing that she was at work there. After her retirement party (birthday party) she had to find a new reason to be there. She now thinks she is in a TB Sanitarium. I don't think there have been any of these facilities in the US for around 50 years. I think her room mate has a cough and mom has somehow turned it into TB. We attended the Alzheimer's Association meeting the other night and heard one woman relate that her mom wants to go home even though she is already at home. She gets her into the car and rides around aimlessly looking for this mythical "home". Our nation is turning into a Lunatic ward. The Jihadist just need to be patient and when all the boomers get dementia we will be an easy conquest.
The grandson had a loose tooth with another already poking through the gum. Naturally his dad called on Gramps to come pull the tooth. I'm the only one in the family mean enough to hold a 6 year old down and pull his tooth against his will. The granddaughter is getting to be a real handful now. She likes to play rough and really enjoys pulling my beard and screaming along with me.
My tattoo artist son is staying really busy now and usually has several appointments going all the time. I'm gonna post more tatt pics soon. He did a very nice Jesus tatt the other day, very realistic. Since he started doing this full time he has really improved. Some people reach a stage of competency and stay there but some just continue to get better and better. These are the artist and I like to think he is one of these. thanks for reading

Birthday Party

2007-09-30T06:47:00.000-05:00

We all went the nursing home (Living Center) yesterday to celebrate moms' 81st. She was amazed at the cake and said no one had ever brought her a nicer one. I'm sure her memory being what it is that this statement was made in complete honesty. here she is admiring her cake. We all had a good time and mom was in an exceptionally good mood. She thinks she is working there and they refuse to let her go home. She was under the impression that this was her retirement party and she would finally get to leave. When she got tired she wheeled herself off to a secluded area to be alone. My brother and I went to check on her and found her in a depressed mood. I told her everyone was there because she was loved and she said they could all go to "hello". It was good to see her laugh and smile again even for just a short while. thanks for reading.

Back to the real world

2007-09-29T07:09:00.000-05:00

We returned home from vacation yesterday. Real bummer. Today the family is going to the nursing home to celebrate moms' birthday. She is 81 and sometimes thinks she is 60 or 50 or 40 or well, you get the picture. My sister visited her for about 30 minutes the other day, left for a few minutes and when she returned it was as if she hadn't been there all day. I dream about her nearly every night, usually strange dreams where she is hostile and trying to escape from her new residence. She does actually try this often and the maglocks on the doors are all that keep her there. She seems to think that she is at work at the hospital she worked at many years ago and is being kept there against her will to ensure an adequate work force.

My mother in law is also going thru a change right now. She sold the house she has lived in for about forty years and is moving in to her sons house. He is moving to Atlanta to be with his girlfriend. My wife is just waiting for her mom to decide she doesn't like the situation and start blaming her for it.

I'm looking forward getting back to work and plan on many long days. thanks for reading.

vacation 2

2007-09-23T11:41:00.000-05:00

This would be mom without her meds.
Well, we're on vacation at the beach. Today we spent some time at the ocean, spouse walked and I played with my metal detector. I found lots of bottle caps and one dime. At this rate in about two years I can pay for the detector. Helps to forget about stress though. Found a hot spot in the rental so thought I would take the oppurtunity to blog this. I will take some pictures later and post them. thanks for reading.

Vacation

2007-09-22T06:17:00.000-05:00

Here are some news items I thought were worth sharing. The bottom one is no surprise. We start our vacation today and I'm not sure if the place we're staying has a hot spot so this could be my last post for a week or so. I'll check my mail in a parking lot but I won't take the time to post a blog that way.

I feel guilty about going away for a week and leaving mom, even though I know she'll be fine. the way the Alzheimers has screwed up her time sense she'll never know I was gone. My sibs will visit often and the staff will care for her but that doesn't make it easier. Last night she thought that I was my brother and was shocked to find that I was taking my wife away for a week. She also claimed that the "Indians" who ran the place were going around with a notebook figuring out how much money they were making on each resident. She probably saw the dieticians or one of the doctors making rounds. She lives in a paranoid world of confusion and time distortion where events of the past 80 years may have happened just yesterday and events of today never happened at all. She gets three good meals each day but if asked will assert that she hasn't been fed at all. You cannot reason with her but she is easily distracted. When she insisted on going home the other night I reminded her that dinner was on the way and she raced me back to her room. I enjoy watching her wolf down her meals because I know the day will come when she will forget how to eat. The cruelest of deseases.

The granddaughter is walking now and has the posture of a chimp. This will straighten as her back becomes stronger and her legs strengthen. We all enjoy watching her walk and imagine her falling and hitting her head on every hard surface. She, however, sees no danger and happily toddles all over the house. She is growing so fast I know we will be attending a wedding in no time at all.

thanks for reading.

Mom Again

2007-09-20T17:47:00.001-05:00

Mom is settled in at a local Nursing center. The Dr. says the brain injury probably speeded up the dementia. He suggested 24 hr care for the rest of her life, which could be years. We've started the application process and now a lot of it is wait and see. She meets us each evening with a bag full of her things ready to go home. We ask her about her day and distract her until she forgets about leaving. Her memory is about 50% fabrication. She fills in the gaps with imaginative stories. She told me yesterday that everyone in the facility was kidnapped from local hospitals to enable the owners to fill the beds and make lots of money. She is unsteady on her feet and wears a restraint belt to keep her from falling out of the wheelchair. She has a single minded obsession with cutting the belt. She was using her butter knife on it at lunch today I am told. The terrible reality of this disease points out the very real limits of our medical knowledge. This really is "The Long Goodbye". thanks for reading.

first birthday

2007-09-16T07:53:00.001-05:00

Here's the birthday girl with her Gramps and just prior to diving into the cake. In the bottom picture about 15 people were singing to her and she wasn't sure what was next. She was probably thinking that a firing squad came after this. Lots fun for everyone and plenty of toys and clothes for Chloe. Happy Birthday, Sweetheart! thanks for reading.

On and On and On..........

2007-09-16T07:19:00.000-05:00

Well, we got mom into a rehab and therapy center for a three week stay. I'm really hopeful that this will make her more cooperative. She was not a happy camper when she found that she wasn't going home but we convinced her to stay for a "visit". These people are supposed to be pros at dealing with this condition. Thank God for sedatives. She was officially diagnosed with Dementia while in the hospital which helps me tremendously in getting her the care she needs. While there she was convinced that she was in Greenville General hospital. That particular building was demolished about 15 years ago. She was transported in an ambulance but was sure that she came there in a car and was ready to fight about it. Her catch phrase for things you ask her that she has forgotten is "It's none of your business!". She told me that she would like to think that her car would be awaiting her at home. I told her that she could think that if she wanted to. The truth is she will never drive again. She has entered a new life of dependence, something she may never accept. My siblings were very helpful during the move, something I'm really grateful for. The legal issues involved and the physical and emotional strain are something that millions go through but that doesn't make it any easier when you are the focus of it. We found mom in need of new clothing and her house in need of a good cleaning. She would never accept help before but now we can step in and give her the help she needs. While in a rage the other night she asked me what my dad was thinking about me while looking down from heaven at the way I was treating her. I smiled which made her even madder. I think dad was thinking, " Good luck, now you know what I put up with for 56 years!" thanks for reading.

More Mom

2007-09-12T20:22:00.001-05:00

This is probably what it would be like if I forgot to turn in my timesheet. The spouse would flog me figuratively.

I came home last night and went to visit mom. She was on fire because of her car. She refused to believe that the Dr. had ordered her not to drive. I tried to find her meds and discovered that she had hid them so well that even she didn't know where they were. I then called 911 and asked them to come get her. When she heard me calling them she went berserk. She threatened me and was out of control. Long story short: She is in the hospital awaiting transfer to an alzheimer ward for evaluation and rehab. I'm hoping for short term care and a return home.

We're going to the beach next week and this is what I'm hoping to catch. thanks for reading.

More Mom

2007-09-09T20:23:00.001-05:00

They always thought I was a Scout leader because I cared about the boys.

Well, Mom goes back to the Dr. tomorrow. She is supposed to have her stitches removed and have an exam to determine her progress. She looks at it as a precursor to getting her car back. I really don't expect her to ever drive again. She has already made plans to stop and pick up her car on the way home. She is obsessive/compulsive and paranoid and I don't think she should ever be under the wheel of an auto again. I have an appt. to see her Dr. torrow afternoon to discuss her care and to plan for her future.

I found our missing dog today. Her remains are in the edge of the woods surrounding our house. I can only assume that she was shot or was killed by wild animals. There are coyotes in our area, but I would think that if coyotes got her there would have been little left. I believe someone shot her. It's a relief to know she wasn't stolen. I worried that dogfighters had taken her to use as bait to teach their dogs to kill. This is common and is a little known fact. thanks for reading.

Football Saturday

2007-09-08T10:42:00.001-05:00

I hate it when this happens.
Today is a Clemson home game day. This means that if you have to go anywhere in the upstate you got to plan your route carefully to avoid the traffic. It's a great day with sunshine and a gentle breeze. The kind of day I wish I was at the beach. When you go out on a day like this you kind of forget about your troubles for a while.
I'm on call today and had to go out last night at 3:00 am. Fixed the problem and came home and went back to bed for a while. Definately a nap day.
Mom is a little calmer now but it's like sitting on a powder keg while smoking a cigar.
thanks for reading.

More Mom

2007-09-07T22:36:00.001-05:00

I gotta admit this guy's attitude closely resembles my own. Mom has really pushed me to the limit the last week. She had tantrums, called me vile names, refused her medicine till she got her way and called the police on my sister for taking her car. Then, today, she called me and asked to be taken to the grocery store. I took her and watched her buy corn, canned corn, milk, eggs, and $30.00 worth of cat food. Basically she was going for the cats and bought a few things for herself to diguise the fact. I have an appt. with her physician monday to request that she be put in a locked facility for a few weeks for evaluation. I want to know if there is a physical cause for her strange behaviour or if it is just dementia. It is like walking on eggshells talking to her. the first slipup can send her into a rage. There has GOT to be medication that can help her.

We took the 6 year old grandson to the planetarium tonight. Had a great time and actually forgot about mom for a while. thanks for reading.

Paradise

2007-09-05T08:04:00.000-05:00

Well, it's another day in paradise. I shouldn't complain. the weather is nice and I've got a good job. BUT, Sometimes things just get real complicated and you just wish for simpler times. I wonder, though, if there ever was a real simple time or if our memories are clouded by an inability to remember the bad. Maybe we just bank out the bad times and remember the good. whatever, thanks for reading.

The door part ll

2007-09-04T02:35:00.001-05:00

Well, mom won the battle of the door. She thinks. She took her home tool kit and dug the wood out from around the screw and then broke it off and opened her door. She thinks she won, actually she lost. She now has access to the back steps which she will go up and down 10 or more times each day. She will carry stuff in and out of the door and will chase her stupid cats in and out of the door and up and down the steps. She will eventually fall down the steps once again. It is inevitable. She has already started in on my sister about the car. The surgeon forbade her to drive for 6 to 8 weeks. She says she has never been to "that damn doctor" and will drive as soon as we return her car. This disease is one of the most difficult things I have ever faced. It is frustrating to see things and be unable to explain them to someone. Try as you might you cannot get through to her. She has lost the ability to reason. She can only see obstacles and work single mindedly to overcome them. Yesterday she called me some of the vilest names I have ever heard. She also threatened several times to kill me. The next time she falls she will go to a nursing facility. I worked in one for 7 years and I would rather cut off my right hand than to put her there but I cannot continue to fight her in hopes of protecting her from herself. My job requires 10 to 12 hour days and I just cannot do that and care for her also. I am not one of these people who piously put their lives aside to care for someone. I have financial responsibilities I can't ignore. It is 4 in the morning and I have to go to work in a couple of hours. I wonder what craziness she will come up with while I'm gone? thanks for reading.

Mom & Dad

2007-09-02T15:00:00.000-05:00

This probably would have been my mom and dad had dad lived.
Tomorrow is labor day, a national holiday here in the US. I don't have to work but I am on call for emergencies. We will work out in our yard and maybe lay around the pool. I'll grill something and watch a little tv. We usually take our vacation at the end of Sep.. We go to the beach and it's quite that time of year but still warm. thanks for reading.

The door

2007-09-02T08:32:00.000-05:00

Well, more on mom. The Dr sent her home Friday. To prepare for her I screwed the door shut that leads to the steps. This means that she has to use the door that has no steps. She was enraged. She told me that if dad were still alive he would "blow your brains out with a shotgun!". Several hours later she hugged me and declared her love for me. Her biggest complaint is that her cats are upset by not being able to use the other door. I had to follow her around the yard friday evening while she rounded up the cats and brought them into the house. Keep in mind that this person had brain surgery on wed.. She is obsessed with these cats. This is sunday and she was ringing the doorbell early this morning to demand that I "Open that damn door!". I followed her back down to her house and discovered that she had locked herself out. I opened the front door for her whereupon she sat down outside the back door (the one with the steps) and said she would only use it. I left her there with her coffee and her cats. A while later I noticed she had gone in. Understand this, I live only about 100 feet away and we are well off the road. She is probably as safe as she would be in a nursing facility. I have taken her meds away and give them to her daily as she had started taking them randomly. I have also taken her car. The door issue has distracted her and she hasn't given me any grief about the car or the meds yet. Hopefully I can get a contractor to install a ramp at the door soon. She has declared that she will "chop it down with an axe" if I build a ramp. Soon after it's built she will tell me how wonderful it is. For those just coming in mom is 80 and suffers from alzheimers or senile dementia. She accused me Fri. night of wanting her dead. I replied that if that were the case I would open the door and let her fall down the steps. She said that snakes were clever and knew how to twist things around. She is sick and confused with a two minute attention span but she is still an intelligent, clever person. She has requested a sign to hang in her front window. "I am the boss in this house!" I may actually make it for her. thanks for reading.

Mom

2007-08-31T04:31:00.000-05:00

Well, here goes. I haven't talked about mom for a while. She never fully recovered from the fall she had over a month ago. Last week she fell again. This time she was in her home and fell on carpet. She stayed on the floor for most of the day we think. She was so confused that we couldn't get the straight story from her. After this fall she was extremely confused and unsteady on her feet. A new CAT scan showed a blood clot putting pressure on her brain. Dr. Bucci operated two days ago and removed it. She is still in the hospital, of course. I went to ICU yesterday to check on her and found her strapped to the bed. I went off. I had the staff call the Dr. and get a sedative for her and stayed with her until other family could come. Needless to say she was not a happy camper. She used language I didn't know she was aware of. I seem to remember her describing me as an SOB and a snake for not taking her home. I think the hospital staff would have sent her home immediately if the doctor had let them. He assured me last night that she would stay until medically safe to go. The DR. put her back on her regular meds yesterday and is keeping sedatives readily available. Hopefully she'll calm down until she heals a little. Last night she was talking to her cats and they were 10 miles away. Well, more later.

I was in one of our stores yesterday and the manager was waiting on a customer and telling me about a problem at the same time. A man waiting in line began to scold her for not being fast enough. There was an open lane next us but this guy wouldn't go there, choosing instead to continue to harass the lady for her lack of speed. The guy she was helping began to ask for various items slowwwwly. First he wanted a pwerball ticket and then he took his time picking out a scratch off card and then he mused over which brand of cigarettes to buy. Finally the other man stormed out of the store. Life's too short for jerks like that to ruin your day. He'll probably call corporate and they'll give him a gift card to go away. They'll take it out of her bonus for the month. thanks for reading.

michael vick

2007-08-27T14:22:00.001-05:00

Here's the sentence we all wish for Vick. Unfortunately this would be considered inhumane for the dogs. He might accidentally cleat them. Some people never grow up and highly paid athletes seem to suffer that trait out of proportion. thanks for reading.

Open for business

2007-08-26T09:15:00.001-05:00

Well, as promised, here are some pictures from the newly opened CherrybombSC Tattoo shop in Anderson, SC. They got off to a great start with lots of visitors until a really bad thunderstorm came in and killed the traffic. We arrived to take pictures to find everyone standing around looking at each other. They did manage to make some appts before the storm hit. I think the pics manage to give you an idea of how clean and pro everything is. The first tatt they did in the new shop was on a person who cancelled an appt at another shop after seeing our place. The Artist/Owner is the handsome guy in the bottom pic. Left to right in the top pic is his wife, his brother in law and his mother. After he gets established he'll look back and wonder that is was ever that quiet at Cherrybomb. You can call them at 864-224-0554, his name is Jonathan.

Jitterbug Phone

2007-08-25T06:49:00.001-05:00

Well, another bright idea down the drain. I wrote about this concept a few weeks ago and here it is. If you'll check my previous post you'll find where I stated the need for a simple cell phone for seniors or others who can't understand the complexities of the majority of phones. Here it is. You can even get an option for three buttons, tow, 911, operator. If mom had one of these she might actually carry it around and use it. I am for anything that makes life easier.
Well the lottery has reached 300 million. I predict there will be 10 to 20 winners who split the winnings. Sure would like to be one of them.

PrePay

2007-08-25T06:16:00.000-05:00

We try to be a little more sophisticated at our stores. I must admit, though, that this sign would not be out of the question with some of our employees.

Finally! My son opened his tattoo shop yesterday! After jumping through bureaucratic hoops for two months he finally got all the approvals needed and all the papers signed and all the inspections completed. The DHEC inspector said that it was one of the nicest shops he had seen. We're going down tonite to visit. I'll take pictures and post them tomorrow. He is the first in our family to own a business. I am very proud of him and his wife. I am also proud of my other son, at 24 a home owner and father of three children. I would have gone crazy at that age with that much responsibility. I was part of the drop out, turn on generation.

Thought you might like to see a sample of CherrybombSC tattoos' work. thanks for reading.

Stumphouse Mountain

2007-08-13T04:32:00.001-05:00

Here's some pics from Stumphouse Mountain. I know it's kinda vague but directly behind us is the entrance to the tunnel. The tunnel was bored into the granite mountain in the 1850's for a train route from upstate SC to Ohio. It's about 15 ft wide by 15 ft tall and extends 1600 feet into the mountain. There are no lights inside so you have to use a flashlight. Near the end there is a perpetual fog in the air. You can make some really spooky sounds inside and It took constant encouragement to get the Grandson to go all the way to the end. the builders ran out of money before they ran out of mountain. The War of Southern Secession stopped the tunnel permanently.

Here's a pic of Isaqueena falls. It's named for Creek maiden who helped the early settlers in their struggle with the Cherokee. This picture shows me enjoying teaching the grandson to catch Crawdads. He caught on right away and had to be drug away from the water. There are just some things only a Granddad can do. Some days stick in your memory. This will be one. thanks for reading.

New Comic

2007-08-11T08:11:00.000-05:00

We're taking the Grandson to Stumphouse Mountain today. Gonna do the picnic, park thing. Be sure to check out the link to FMinus. This is a really funny comic strip. Even people with no sense of humor( you know who you are) will find something there to laugh about. I'll post pictures later from the activities today.

Gettin Fired

2007-08-07T04:40:00.000-05:00

I used to worry about this years ago. Now, at this time in my life, I'm not so concerned about it. In the past three decades I've actually only been "terminated" once. I deserved it. I had grown complacent in my job and was not being productive. I was in sales and had gotten tired of the daily grind. Since then I have been a commercial plumber, a store manager, a cabinet builder, a maintenance director and now a fuel system technician. I've got too much experience to worry about employment. Fact is, I love what I do and actually look forward to work each day(usually).
Mom isn't giving me many problems currently. She is healing well from her fall and is back into a routine with her cats.
Our little dog dissappeared last week. She was a chihuahua, jack russell mix and had been with us for about 7 years. We let her out to walk and she never returned. We live well off the road and she would usually do her thing in the field outside the back door and then return to the door. When she didn't return I figured she was down at moms' chasing the cats, her only recreation. I think she wandered up to the road and someone picked her up. We will pursue the regular channels, ads, etc to try to get her back but I suspect she is gone forever. I hope she vomited in the persons car when they nabbed her. thanks for reading.

Lotto

2007-08-05T07:22:00.000-05:00

Twice a week I buy a couple of Lotto tickets. I usually pick out numbers that are birthdays or ages of people I know. No real logic there, it's just that picking out random numbers is not really easy to do unless you think like a computer. I happen to think like a man. That is, I try not to think unless it's needed. After 30 some odd years of marriage I've learned to disengage my mind and my hearing. Anyway, like most people I always have some grand plan for how I'll spend my winnings. First, of course, I'll provide for my loved ones. Second, I'll invest anything left after First. Third, I'd like to help people. In my work I know a lot of single parents who are working themselves to death. I'd like to be able to maybe hand one of them a key to a new car and say " Hey, here's one thing you don't gotta worry about." Oh well, chances are really good that this will never happen. But, as they say, you can't win if you don't play! thanks for reading.

Day in the Life

2007-08-01T18:14:00.001-05:00

This is how it's supposed to be. I'm sitting on the porch drinking a beer while the spouse is pushing the lawn mower. Do I think it's fair? Look, I gassed it up and cranked it and adjusted the wheel height. That's as fair as it gets. All she has to do is walk around behind it. I did all the dirty work.

Man, it is muggy in the South this week. I think the humidity is about 110%. I love it, makes the beer go down really good. On days like this I think about all those days standing at a troublesome pump when it's 30F and the wind is blowing about 40 knots. I seldom ever complain about the weather. You take what you get. It could usually get worse. thanks for reading.

Here's proof

2007-07-30T03:42:00.000-05:00

Well, here's all the proof I need. I've always felt that when I'm out with a bunch of guys drinking that they began to act like a bunch of women.
The only difference is that the next day the guys are still talking to each other and laugh it all off.
My mom is driving me crazy. Yesterday she asked me to take her to the doctor on monday. At first she wanted to be there when they opened and wait until they could see her. I talked her into calling first and trying to get an appointment. Then I arranged for my son to take her. I called my sister but she couldn't get free. Later mom called and said that my sister was taking her after all. Then mom called and asked who was taking her. Then I called my sister who assured me that she wasn't available. Right now I don't know when she is going or who is going to take her. It's 5 in the morning and I gave up on sleep. Mom also assured me that her memory is as good as ever. riiggghhhtttt. thanks for reading.

So What!

2007-07-29T08:58:00.000-05:00

This so much reminds me of my mothers' cat. I watched this frail old lady stand there for several minutes the other night holding the door for her cat. He was half in and half out. He was also obviously enjoying his power trip until I smacked him on the butt and made him go all the way out. She says she wants the cats put to sleep and buried with her when she dies. This is one cat I would be pleased to comply with.

I only worked 1/2 day Friday. Sinus infection got the best of me. Woke up with vertigo. I was puzzled at first, knew I didn't drink that much the night before. Lay around the house until my ears popped and the vertigo let up. Worked four hours, felt like crap warmed over, returned to house and went back to bed. Stayed there until this morning. Think I'll live.

This is so true. thanks for reading.

Meds

2007-07-24T05:17:00.001-05:00

Well, mom did something really strange yesterday. On my way home I got a call from my sister "Mom is frantic because someone has taken her meds." I got home and went immediately to moms' house. She said that her meds were missing and that she dreamed someone had been in her house and taken them. I began to look for them while whistling absint mindedly. I thought the whistling would help her calm down. Only later did I realize I was using the Scarecrow song from the Wizard of Oz. You know "...if I only had a brain." I checked the canister set first because that's where I found the cell phone charger last week. It's kept in with the corn meal. I finally found them in her dresser with her purse. She was mystified. We talked for a while and when I told her I was going to hold the meds to give to my sister for the doctor visit on tuesday she suggested that I should put them in her dresser with her purse so she wouldn't forget to take them with her. Ten minutes after I got home she called my sister frantically saying she couldn't find her meds. I had beat her to the punch by calling my sister and telling her the story beforehand.

She insist now that we embalm her two cats and bury them with her when she dies. Riiiiiigghhhttt.

Well, all for now, I've got to go to the shop and rebuild Cash Acceptors today. Our Cash at Pump opton is real popular but it requires constant attention. People will put anything in those machines. I've found debit cards and coins, chewing gum and paper clips, etc.. thanks for reading.

On the road again

2007-07-22T08:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I got called out again today. Someone made a programming error at one of the stores and when they had a shift change it locked up the computer. I called one of the other techs and he walked me through correcting the error. He's been doing this a lot longer than I have and has seen most all that could go wrong.

Mom told me this morning that her memory wasn't bad and accused me of lying to her about doctors' orders. She seems to accept the situation for the most part but has flashes of rebelliousness. She seems to think that I enjoy being in charge of her life. Nothing could be further from the truth. What I would really enjoy would be for her to have a sudden reversal and be totally independent once again. She enjoys talking about the past but makes up a lot of it as she goes. Days seem to morph into weeks for her and time has slowed to a crawl. When she had been out of the hospital for two days she insisted that 10 days had passed. She has a routine about taking her meds and I have to constantly remind her to take the ones that have been added since her fall. They are not part of the routine. She has been caring for herself really well and covering her condition for a long time. I've found that she did this by keeping a calender and med diary. Her routine had allowed her to appear to be in better condition than she was. Everyone was convinced that she only had slight memory loss. She actually was in Moderate alzheimers instead of Mild. She is a clever and intelligent person but close observation has revealed the real extent of the desease. If you have more than a casual conversation with her she will begin to say things that reveal her real condition. I had coffee with her this morning and thought that something was amiss. When I went to clean the coffee maker I found that she hadn't used a filter but had put the coffee straight into the filter holder. I admit that there have been times when I forgot to put water in or even forgot to put coffee in but this was really bad. This is part of her routine. Two days ago she forgot to take some of her meds. These are indicating that her routines are breaking down. I'll just have to take it a day at a time. thanks for reading.

Why two?

2007-07-21T13:33:00.000-05:00

Here's a question for you. If your razor last forever why do you need two of them?? I guess you could give one to a friend. This just seemed kind of ridiculous though. I was watching this commercial on TV and said "I bet they give you a free one when you buy one." Lo and behold they do give you a free one.

Mom has now decided that she would have gotten better care after her fall if she could have driven herself to the hospital. Interesting to note that after the fall she had to crawl back into the house to call for help. She refuses to keep the cell phone on her person and rarely uses it even though her long distance bill on her land line was over $90.00 last month. Long distance on the cell is free. A good idea for a cell phone would be one that is modeled on a regular land line phone. This would be more acceptable to seniors and easier for them to use. Thanks for reading.

And they'll stay dead too!

2007-07-20T03:49:00.000-05:00

Here's a novel way to release your frustrations. Go to the morgue and shoot everybody there. Shooting only the dead will lessen the charges against you. Take that you ugly dead person! I didn't know you but I bet that if I did I wouldn't like you. Probably a mexican, all the local criminals nowadays seem to be hispanic.

Got to start early today. One of the dealer stores accidentally shut down their pumps last night right before they closed for the night. They couldn't understand how to reset the breaker when we called them. Cultural and language problems. Therefore I've got to leave early to go by the store and reset a breaker. We've got a lot of stores operated by Middle and Near East immigrants. They have maintenance contracts with our company and often call us for the most mundane things. They are shrewd in business but often know very little technical stuff.

Here's a picture I found on the net of two guys putting a sealer on the sidewalk. Notice where the truck is parked.

Find Yourself

2007-07-19T19:47:00.001-05:00

Used to be, when I was younger, that everybody talked about traveling or camping or doing something totally nonproductive for months at a time in order to "find themselves". Well, I discovered rather late in life that you are always there. You may deny your existence or put on a front to conceal yourself but you are always there. Actually some people would do the world a favor by concealing their true "Self". The spouse recently looked at my sleeveless tshirt and cutoff bluejeans and said " You're just a redneck!". I agreed but added "I'm an educated redneck.". She then opined that she would prefer a cultured redneck.

Well, mom finally did it. She took a tumble out the back door. I knew it was just a matter of time. After a couple of days in the hospital she came home and picked a fight with me on the way. That was yesterday. Today when I apologized for speaking ugly to her she said she didn't hear me or didn't remember our argument. One of the few benefits of Alzheimers. Whatever you do or say is forgotten in just a short while. Tonite she was very sweet and cooperative. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Paris Hilton

2007-07-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

I've often wondered if I was a shaken baby. It would explain a lot of things.

I've had an 87 VW Rabbit convertible for several years and never get to drive it a lot. There is always something wrong with it. Yesterday I had to remove the water pump. The car has been running hot for about a year now and I couldn't pinpoint the problem. I finally found fluid seeping out the weep hole on the water pump. be nice to be able to drive it withour wondering if I'm going to make it home.

Here's a picture of my VW in a typical pose. I'm trying to figure out how to attach the ramps to the wheels in portable fashion so I don't have to get it home to work on it. I've spared no expense in the restore job. So far I've got more money in tools than in the car. The first thing the spouse says when we attempt a trip in the car is "Have you got your phone?" I recently mentioned the possibility of selling it and had several people tell me it was a collectors car. The only justification for that title would be its' value as the worlds' largest paperweight. thanks for reading.

Paris Hilton

2007-07-13T16:41:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had days like this? I swear I've had whole years like this. Like the year my dog died. I had this mutt that was about 6 months old. I was working under my house and unbeknowest to me the dog followed me under there. I crawled out and shut the crawlspace door and locked it. The mutt got cold and clawed his way into the flexible duct pipe. He then followed it back to source of the heat. That heat source was 10 KW's of electric heat strip. When he stuck his nose into the electric strips he was immediately fried. His nose exploded and sprayed blood 6 or 7 feet down the duct. the he proceeded to cook. Too bad we're not Vietnamese. 3 days later when I came home from work I could tell there was something bad wrong in the ranch. Can you say disgusting? I thought you could. I had to literally shovel his bloated stinking carcass out of our ductwork. Compared to raising teens it was an easy task.

Well mom hasn't done anything weird lately except that she thinks my sister is out to steal her property. Absolutely no basis in fact but no amount of argument would convince her otherwise. Three weeks ago she was convinced I was calling her a liar. That is her big thing right now. "Are you calling me a liar?" Imagine Marty Macflie being called a coward. Same emotion and same rationality or lack thereof. Thanks for reading.

Paris Hilton

2007-07-09T18:15:00.001-05:00

This is why you should be tech savvy.

The continuuing saga of mom. Tonite she announced that she was going to the pharmacy. I had my truck parked in her yard repairing the corner of the carport she knocked off a couple of weeks ago. She eyed my truck, and then said "If I hit something as big as that I shouldn't be driving." I returned to my painting and BLAM! she hit my truck. Fortunately all she did was scratched the bumper a little. She then leaned out of the window and said "Did I knock off much paint?" I responded in the negative, she rolled the window up and roared out the drive. Later she came to the house and instead of apologizing for slamming my truck she was all agog over how wonderful her medicine was. It's like living in a bad novel. thanks for reading.

Paris Hilton

2007-07-08T11:12:00.001-05:00

Actually, Paris Hilton has nothing to do with this blog but it might get me noticed by the search engines.

This photo is a lot like my mother and my siblings and me. She called us the three stooges last night when we tried to discuss her alzheimers with her. Can you say "Extreme Denial?" She actually called the sheriffs' dept. The officer who came out was very understanding. Says he sees this all the time. She is just aware enough to continue to care for herself but on the edge of being a danger to herself. I guess we just have to wait until she gets so hopelessly lost that she has to admit there is a problem. She keeps trying to justify our behaviour by accusing us of trying to steal her property. If I was trying to steal her property I would be sucking up to her instead of antagonizing her. If I had my choice I would just hit the road instead of facing this. Thanks for reading.

4rth

2007-07-07T08:22:00.000-05:00

Had the family over for the 4th. Everyone didn't make it so there were only about 20 here. One of brother in laws drove his baby over and parked it in a showplace position in the front yard. After a swim with her dad my grand daughter had to catch a snooze. Typical American 4th of July. Lots of food, drink, sun and talk.

Brother and Sister are coming over today to help me deal with mother. She missed a doctors appt yesterday because she got lost. We are going to insist that we carry her to future appts on pain of losing auto. Doctor said he would agree to taking away her driving privileges if needed. She can still drive safely. We followed her and observed. She just forgets where she's going. Got to be extremely traumatic. She has always been VERY independent. We would like to stall taking away the car until she gets so lost that she has to call for help. This is how we dealt with dad when he went through the same thing. The ability to reason goes first so you cannot argue them into submission. You have to wait until they have an example to convince them. When you talk to her she is often so lucid and reasonable that you can't believe anything is wrong and then suddenly she will come out with something totally off the wall. Well, more later. Thanks for reading.

Nature trail

2007-07-03T21:59:00.000-05:00

Here's a pic I tookrecently at Lake Keowee. the redhead is my grandson and the other one is his step-brother. You can probably see that it's a double handfull of trouble. This was the first time my spouse ever used a porta toilet. She was astounded at the fact that there was no way to flush it. She was also amazed at the smell. the grandson is staying with us tonite. Tomorrow his parents will be here for the fourth. We expect about 30-35 family here for the celebration. The other day my brother called to see if I had the buns and wieners for the hotdogs. I thought he said Buds and Liters. I understood 48 Buds but I thought 48 Liters was kind of over the top. If you're reading this and you are American then Happy 4th. If you're reading and you're not then TFB. thanks for reading.

Nuttin

2007-07-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

Actually all you have to do is have in-laws.

We've been getting ready for the 4th. We've also been getting ready to have the house appraised for a re-finance. The list were endless but we are beginning to see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Just visited with the neighbors. Seems that many of the same problems we have also afflict them. Small world. They also have an elderly parent that is difficult to deal with and they also have problems with rain washing the yard away and they also have problems with taxes and paying bills and ............... you get the idea. I'm reminded of the words of a very wise man, Red Green, "We're all in this together, I'm pulling for you!"

Got a call this morning. One of the stores has Air Conditioning problems. The clerk said she was going to start taking her clothes off. I took care of it promptly by calling the AC guy. Sales at that store are bad enough without driving any customers off. Thanks for reading.

Nature Trail

2007-06-30T19:35:00.000-05:00

We travelled today to visit the Nuclear plant at Keowee. While on the nature trail there I saw this tree. I thought it amusing that the tree was so strange so close to the reactors. My spouse is seen here with our two grandsons. One childs father married the other ones mother. They are very much alike and yet so very different.
The boys really enjoyed the trip. We enjoyed visiting Pickens Courthouse. This is the first settlement in this area. The only surviving building is the church built in 1840. There are lots of really old graves there. The old timers put some strange stuff on tombstones. The most popular phrase was "Gone but not Forgotten". My question is this , If the people who wrote that are all dead then isn't that untrue? Thanks for reading.

Get it?

2007-06-26T18:24:00.001-05:00

What's wrong with this picture? If you don't get it leave a comment.

Another Wreck

2007-06-26T18:09:00.000-05:00

I came along just in time to miss this one. Seems that the young guy was coming down the hill when someone cut him off. He swerved and ended up on his side in the parking lot of our store on Haywood road in Greenville, SC. The cop car in the second picture was already there when the wreck happened. If the truck had rolled it would have gotten the cop. I bet he choked on his doughnut when he saw the truck coming at him.

Visited mom tonite. She was cordial and made small talk . She then called my sister and told her to call off the dogs. She accused my sister of sending me to check on her. This desease is really strange. Makes people act absolutely crazy. Makes us crazy dealing with it. She can act so totally normal one minute and then come out with something so off the wall that you feel like looking around to see where it came from. The really sad thing is that she doesn't see what's happening. In her mind she is completely normal.

A day in the life

2007-06-25T20:34:00.000-05:00

Just another day in the life. USA today is running a series of articles this week about caring for the elderly. A subject close to me. My 80 year old mother has Alzheimers and is getting really difficult to deal with. "I don't need anybody and I'll do whatever I want to do." Tonite she directed her wrath at my sister because she was seen talking to the enemy(me). Sis refused to be browbeaten and made her calm down before she would leave. She also told mom to go ahead and call the police if that's what she wantd to do. I'm not sure if modern medicine is all that great if we keep people alive into their 80's and 90's just to have them lose their personality and forget all the things that make them who they are. Thanks for reading.

Who's in charge here?

2007-06-24T18:40:00.000-05:00

This is an older pic of my grandson. I think it's pretty obvious he thinks he's in charge. His 8 month old sister is actually in charge.
They came over today and she made it clear that everything was fine as long as she got what she wanted. Her dad sounds like a broken record "No Mam, No Mam, No MaM..........." Makes it easier for all the trouble he got into to fade away.
A new subject I haven't got into before. My mother has alzheimers. She's ok most of the time but then does or says totally irrational things. She has cut off relationships that she enjoyed for a lifetime including my brother and me. We just ignore her protest and continue to do things for her. She cut off a close personal freind that she had talked to and shared with for a lifetime. I call it the "Damnable Desease" because it doesn't just affect your health but destroys who you are. I worked in a Nursing Home for 7 years and saw the effects of this desease daily. I'm looking forward to the day when mom forgets who I am and doesn't think that I'm the enemy anymore.
We can only pray for a swift end before the desease takes her personality away entirely. thanks for reading.

Virgins in Heaven

2007-06-21T17:49:00.000-05:00

I found this the other day and could hardly wait to post it for your viewing enjoyment. I mean, really, how lame do you have to be to believe that G-d is gonna reward you sexually for killing innocent men, women, and children to please Him? Not only are you destroying yourself but you are passing judgement on others of His creation. thanks for reading.

Funny you should mention it.

2007-06-20T18:37:00.000-05:00

I decided tonite to share a little humor with you. The top one is almost not funny. I'm constantly admonished to do something about the prices. Just for the record, I have no control over that, I just fix things, I don't run the company or set the prices. So, if you see me working on a pump somewhere, ask me anything you like but don't ask me to do something about the prices.

Saw a great site tonite http://OLIVERBENJAMIN.NET check it out.

I was talking to a man yesterday about having a tree cut at my house. While I was talking to this person I was removing a fuel meter from a pump. I was down on my knees with the meter in my hands and gas running down my arm. I told the guy " What you do seems like pretty dangerous work." He looked at the gas dripping off my arm and said " No, what you're doing looks like dangerous work." I said " As long as it don't catch fire I'm OK." thanks for reading.

Laws of the universe

2007-06-19T17:48:00.000-05:00

The guys in the top photo are discussing one of the laws of the universe. The one that says two objects having mass cannot occupy the same space at the same time. I looked up just in time to see the guy in the pickup try to drive thru the tail of the tractor-trailor. I gotta believe it ruined his day.

On a lighter note this little guy builds a nest on my light fixture every year. I clean it up after he leaves but he comes back every year. I looked him up one year but I've forgotten what kind he is. You can look out the living room window and watch him up close. I didn't use any zoom at all to take these pictures.

I saw it at least three times in the last two days. My pet peeve. People leaving their cars running, unlocked, while they "run" into the store to get something. When they're stolen we all get to enjoy higher insurance premiums. You can fix machines, traffic tickets, typos, and many, many other things but you just can't fix stupid. Thanks for reading.

Summertime!

2007-06-09T07:12:00.000-05:00

Well, it's finally here. the crazy, hazy, lazy days of summer. This is always my favorite time of year. I never complain about the heat. I work outside and I'm always aware of the days when it's 28 degrees and sleeting and I'm out in it. That helps keep things in perspective. The only downside to this time of year is the thunderstorms. The lightning plays havoc with our electronics and some nights are really busy trying to get the stores back online.

Above you see where we spend a lot of time in the summer. A couple of years ago I had to replace the liner and used the occasion to fill in the deep end and get rid of the diving board. My insurance company was pleased. Most teens don't have any brains when they get on a diving board. Now we have a SWIMMING pool. Less water, less chemicals.

Gotta go, thanks for reading.

Gross Stupidity

2007-05-26T06:31:00.000-05:00

I took this picture on I85 in greenville, sc the other day. That's an unrestrained dog in the back of the small truck. the dog weighed app. 80 lbs. Every so often he would get up and wander over to the side of the truck and lean over to see where they were going. the owner would then turn his head and shout at the dog to sit down. Whilst performing this the truck would weave across the line in one direction or the other and the dog would come close to falling over the side. All this while travelling 70 mph. The picture was made in a rare moment of light traffic. Usually there were trucks and cars on both sides. The oncoming traffic seen to the left was more characteristic of the traffic that morning. After taking the shot I passed them and got as far away as I could. If that dog had fallen out.............

On a lighter note, here's the spouse and our youngest grandchild. I don't know who's happier here. The smell was really strong. That baby is one really spoiled child. Of course, the father and I had nothing to do with it!

Your govt at work

2007-05-18T20:53:00.001-05:00

I don't know if this is for real but considering the fact that a crazed paranoid can buy a gun and kill 30 classmates and 12 million illegals can cross our borders at will I tend to believe it is.
We were discussing tonite whether to vote in the next election. It would be real easy to give up on our govt.. Unless you are a minority or a wacko the government doesn't seem to be on your side. But still..........It still seems to be the best thing going. Every other English speaking country I looked at has problems at least as serious and not nearly the same freedoms. I guess you have to keep on plugging along and try to save what you can for your children and grandchildren. thanks for reading.

Unbalanced

2007-05-11T04:25:00.000-05:00

So very true. I worked in a nursing home for 7 years and found that many elderly act absolutely crazy. I believe that this is a latent tendency that only comes out when they no longer have the constraints of family or job to make them practice restraint. Small frustrations daily cause tiny slip ups, for example when a normally nice person goes off on the clerk because they're out of a particular brand of cigarettes. by the way, have you noticed how many different brands and varieties there are now? I think the tobacco companies are heading for a big crash. You don't make that many different items, maintain the stock and distribution, and keep all your customers happy. Sooner or later it's all gonna come crashing down. Either the distribution will fail or the distributors will rebel. Right now it's a nightmare for distributors, finding shelf space for everything and keeping up with inventory. Many of the customers are incredibly picky. "I want the ultra slim, crush proof box, menthol 100s, with the flavor tip and red writing, brown wrap, with the gold seal on the box." I mean, really, these are cigarettes we're talking about here. You burn them and throw them away. Your taste buds are so fried by the smoke already that you couldn't possibly discern the difference between a brown paper wrap and a white paper wrapper. As I see it there is really a need for just four different packs. Menthol, with and without filter, and Regular, with and without filter. thanks for reading

Sunoco having a Lexus

2007-05-08T18:32:00.000-05:00

And I bet you thought they were made on assembly lines! I would hate to be this guys insurance agent. I bet he's looking for a new insurance company after this stunt. How crazy do you have to be to drive your car into a building because you're ticked at your significant other. The way I look at it is like this. If You and Them don't get along this bad you need to walk away and start over. Life is too short to waste it on someone who only causes you grief and pain. There's too many people out there looking for someone who will treat them decent for you to stay with a jerk.
We went to see the youngest and his brood tonite. They are finally getting settled into thier new home. I am really proud of him.
The oldest is getting very close to having all his stuff done to get certified to open his new shop. Proud of him too. thanks for reading.

Signs of the times

2007-05-07T05:20:00.000-05:00

Well, we raised the sign in front of the eldest new tattoo shop. (above)

I took a picture of the front of the shop but it didn't come out. Here's the desk and a couple of the employees. Now if we can just get thru the liscencing procedure the ink can flow.

I was watching Miami Ink last night, they always make it look like the people just walk in. Actually you have to apply way ahead of time and then get screened before you appear on the show. Oh well, it makes for entertainment.

Back to the grindstone, never know what the day will bring. Thanks for reading.

Look Out!

2007-05-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I was taking calls Friday so the dispatcher/manager could take a day off. I got this call early. Seems that some guy was really upset with his wife and decided to drive inside to get her. See the story here.http://www.greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070505/NEWS01/705050334 guy must have some money cause his insurance company had repair crew there really quick.
Last week we had to go to our Columbia, SC store to repair damage by a drunk driver. She came thru the parking lot going over 70 mph. took out a light pole and then jumped the curb, went thru the shrubbery and back out into the street. She would have kept going but her car decided it had had enough and quit on her. She had two small chidren in the car with her so Child Endangerment is added the DWI. The safety guy is supposed to be getting me video of this. When I get the video I'll post it so check back with me.
The oldest son is coming right along with his Tattoo shop. You can see his blog here.http://myspace.com/cherrybombtattoosc He needs an artist to help him get the shop opened up. He's really picky about this and wants someone to live up to his standards of hygiene and quality of art. He is really getting tired of all the red tape. SC and the locals make you jump thru increasingly smaller hoops to open a tattoo shop. You can open a home for sexual predators easier than a tattoo shop, seriously. It's like you are some kinda pariah come to prey on the innocents. He's opening in another county because our home county made thier rules so outrageous. Example: You must be 1000 feet from any single family dwelling. You must be 1000 feet from any School, Church, Playground, Liqour store, or Daycare. Try to find a commercial property in your area that meets these criteria. That's over 3 football fields in length. Almost all the commercial property we looked at back up to residential areas. Why build a strip mall anywhere else? You got to build near the customers. Oh well, If the locals don't want the tax money. All the shops that have managed to get open in this area since they legalized it in SC last year are appointment only and many are really doing some terrible work. I believe that in a few years it will settle down and only the best will remain. I also think Oldest will be one of them. thanks for reading.

On and on and on and on...........

2007-04-17T18:35:00.000-05:00

One of the funniest things I've seen today(above). Youngest and his family came over tonite. Wow! Two 6 year old sons and a 6 month old daughter. No wonder he's got high blood pressure.
I spent the entire day working on one machine and still it refused to cooperate. I finally buttoned it back up and left it for another day. Sometimes machines are like life, you just gotta walk away and think about it.
The media is going crazy over the VT shootings but no one seems to realize that this is happening daily in Iraq. I'm a conservative but I don't blindly support anyone or any party. The people in that part of the world have been murdering each other for hundreds of years and I don't really see us stopping it. I wish there were an easy answer but I know there isn't. The children are trained to hate and they raise their children to hate. how can you stop the violence when you're dealing with that kind of culture?
thanks for reading.

Tattoos, Car Theft, Etc.

2007-04-11T17:53:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been saying it for months and it finally happened. A woman in in Travellers Rest, SC left her small child in the car with the keys in the ignition and someone took off with it. Fortunately for the child the thief saw the child, got scared and abondoned the vehicle just down the road. The woman and a friend found the car with the child still asleep inside. the police are looking for the thief. I don't understand why they haven't charged the woman with child endangerment. Wake up, people! The world is not safe. Do Not Leave Your Car Running or Leave The Keys In It while you run in the store for a pack of smokes. It is stupid and reckless behaviour.

The Tattoo artist in the family finally found a place to open his business. He will be loacated on the 28 Bypass in Anderson, SC. CherryBomb Tattoo will open sometime in June. The surrounding counties made their ordinances so tough that it was almost impossible to find a suitable location. Pickens County requires 1000 feet between the business and a single family dwelling, school, playground, church, or daycare. Try to find a business loacation that is 1000 feet from a single family dwelling. These rules are tougher than those for a sex offender. I look for court challenges in the next few years. Tattoos, horrible! We don't want those people in our community! They just don't know my son. He is a gentle, sweet, caring vegetarian. An artist who happens to use skin for a canvas. He and his wife would do anything for you.

Enough for now. Thanks for reading.

More Mayberry Pictures

2007-04-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

As promised here are more Mayberry pictures. The TV Land statue outside the playhouse is probably the most photographed statue in North Carolina. Floyds Barbershop and The Snappy Lunch, home of the porkchop sandwich, are also well known. I couldn't resist checking out the cannon ( I didn't realize I was that bald). In the background you can see the wrecker next to Wallys Filling Station.

I got back to work just in time to fill in for another one of the guys who took a few days off. Kinda like going 0 to 60 in 5 seconds flat. I'm on call all weekend and so far I've been able to use contractors for all the calls. Got my fingers crossed. We just installed laminated wood flooring in three bedrooms and a hall. The first two rooms were rough but then I got the hang of it and the rest went really smooth. Don't believe the hype, It is not that easy. The prep work is extremely important and patience is a real plus. Thanks for reading.

A visit to Mayberry

2007-04-06T20:04:00.000-05:00

We recently had our first vacation in ages. We travelled to Fancy Gap, Virginia and stayed at the Volunteer Gap Cabins on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The tiny cabin was just the right size for two people who care for each other a great deal. If you don't like each other look for a bigger place. We visited Mt.Airy, NC. This is the real life Mayberry. We saw all the sights including the Courthouse and Jail. I'll share some more pictures later. I got a good taste of what Otis must have felt. the good folks at Volunteer Gap found my lost ring, a keepsake from my Dad, and returned it promptly! Thanks! I would recommend their Cabins to anyone. This was the most peaceful vacation we have had in years. The frogs in the pond out front lulled us to sleep each night. We were 154 miles from Asheville, NC on the Parkway and intended to return that way. the morning we were to leave, however, was foggy and when you've seen fog on the Parkway you've really seen fog. We chose to come down the mountain and return on the Interstate. I named the road down the mountain the YEEHAAA road. You lose several hundred feet in just 14 miles. Well, that's all for now, thanks for reading.

2007-01-27T08:57:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe Calvin can do this but most of the rest of us can't. The trouble is this, so often we care too much. We have to find a happy medium. A place where we have enough concern to fuel ambition but enough apathy to prevent a nervous breakdown.

Greenville is a decidedly more dangerous place to drive since BMW built their plant here. I travel the Interstate in this area many hours each day and I constantly see people take incredible chances. Changing lanes recklessly and cutting off other drivers. I've noticed that fully 60% of these drivers are driving BMW's. This isn't a scientific study or anything like that but just a rough estimate. I get the impression that these drivers think that because of the make of their vehicle they have special priveledges.

I try not to get too involved in politics ( see first sentence of this entry) but I'm really beginning to believe that we need to find a way out of Iraq. Everyone said that pulling out of VietNam was a big mistake but we're still here. If Iraq is going to be that much of a threat to us with a bunch of radical Islamist in charge then we need to nuke Iran and Syria and kill all the Palestinians. What we really need to do is say Screw the tree huggers and develop our own oil fields. Quit buying any oil in the middle east and these fruitcakes wouldn't have US dollars to buy weapons with. Go to a Manhattan Project level to develop alternative energies and become energy independent.

Enough for now. Thanks for reading.

2007-01-19T20:11:00.000-05:00

I traveled to Columbia, SC today to repair some cash acceptors in 5 of our gas pumps. We have to make this trip about once a month. People are constantly trying to cheat the machines and subsequently we have to repair them regularly. Our company is very customer oriented and the pay at pump is one our big sell features.

When I returned to Greenville I had to trouble shoot a pump that was pumping slow on Prem only on both sides. Turned out to be a control board issue. I popped in the software and powered up the pump. Shazam! I put the software in backwards and fried it. Had to wait around about 30 minutes while another tech brought me a replacement.

Lady called me over while I was working on this pump and demanded to know why her pump wasn't working. Turns out she hadn't paid yet, our pumps are all prepay. We used to trust people but even the little old ladies will drive off nowadays.

Thanks for reading.

Strange Things

2007-01-17T19:55:00.000-05:00

Here's a couple of plane pics I found that I thought were really funny. The bottom one is a good reason to avoid flying.

I had a really frustrating day today. I spent 5 hours troubleshooting one gas pump and still didn't fix it. When I headed home tonite one of the other men called and said he had been there a couple of hours and wasn't having a lot of luck either. This guy has been doing this 20 years so it made me feel better to know even experiece doesn't always make a difference.

We had a pump at one store give problems for a couple of months once. Finally I opened it up and spent a couple of hours poking at it. I found a 16 gauge wire melted in a wire harness. It was hidden behind the other wires and was just making enough contact to work until it got heated up.

Sometimes the obvious is hidden by false perceptions. We thought this pump had control board problems and all along it was a fried wire.

People are like that too. Someone gives you grief over a small issue and you think maybe they are mad at you. Later you find that this person has a personal problem that is really eating at them and they didn't realize how strongly they reacted to the small issue.

Cherish your relationships and make the most of each one. Life is too short to miss out on any good experiences. Thanks for reading.

Interesting Journey

2007-01-11T18:11:00.000-05:00

Hi, glad you could join us. We will be cruising at an altitude of 1500 feet above sea level at a speed of approximately 1000 miles per hour. Our journey will take 24 hours and we will end up right where we started. Have a safe and eventful trip!
I may have mentioned this before but here goes again. Don't leave your car running with the doors unlocked while you run into the store for a pack of smokes. The insurance company will not, I promise, be understanding about this. I also promise that the crackhead who takes off in your car is not going to treat it with the same loving care that you do. I see this every day and I have yet to figure out what universe these people have been living in while Mayberry disappeared.

I though you might enjoy this tattoo my son did for a customer. Thanks for reading.

Been a while

2007-01-10T18:54:00.000-05:00

It's been several months since I last posted. I made it through the holidays and into the new year. this is quite an accomplishment for me each year. Like so many others the holiday season leaves me feeling depressed and sad. I guess I expect something more than how it always plays out.the truth is I could do without all the hoopla.
I read an interesting book last week. Titled "The purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren it starts out ok and then turns into another "Go to church and pay your tithes" apologist.There are good parts however. For example the writer gives a good explanation for why so many marriages end when the empty nest occurs. It's worth reading.
I'll try to post more tomorrow. Thanks for reading.

Fresh Start

2006-10-25T17:28:00.000-05:00

I saw an old and dear friend today. This person has always been his own boss and recently had to close his business and work for someone else. Glad to report that he is adjusting well and is happy in his new position as employee instead of employer.
I never really wanted the responsibility of employer. I am relied upon by quite a few people but I don't have the onus of providing payroll for others. The responsibility I shoulder is more than enough thank you.
I visited my dad today. He is resting on a hillside overlooking a peaceful lake in the country. He shares the hillside with a lot of other veterans. That particular section is reserved for veterans and their families. I may try to buy myself a place there. I had a long talk with dad about recent events in the family and even though I really bungled some things I think he would approve of the way I've tried to correct it. Dad was always a lot more understanding than almost anyone I know. He would have a bemused look and then come out with advice that reflected a wisdom far beyond his limited formal education. Shows that observation is often far superior to education. I like to think that I can judge events with both experience and education. I just wish I had the wisdom he had. thanks for reading.

Sunrise after the storm

2006-10-22T10:49:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted recently. I was going thru some tuff personal stuff. I have to give you all some advice. Hold on to the ones you love as tightly as you can. Money and material things are nice but when it all gets boiled down personal relationships are the only things that matter. We, as humans, need someone to care about us and show affection towards us. Without that we come to see life as pretty useless. If you have someone who loves you hold onto them with all your might. Don't let them go. Do anything you have to do to keep them and cherish them with all your heart. Life is pretty hopeless without someone to share it with. Be true to them and as a result you will be true to yourself. When your time on this earth ends have something to pass on, someone to remember you. Have an epitaph that shows you were a caring, loving person. Something like "Devoted Husband" or "Good Freind" or "True Companion". Be real and G-d Bless. thanks for reading.

It Aint Funny

2006-10-14T08:42:00.000-05:00

One of the Southern Phrases that really puzzles me is It aint funny. Example, "He slapped his wife so hard it aint funny." Just how hard can you slap your wife and it be funny? When he ran that red light that transfer truck hit him so hard it aint funny. Somehow humor is missing in this incident not matter how hard he was hit. I'm not sure where this phrase started but I am sure that it harkens back to a time when people were somewhat less concerned with political correctness. That gun made a hole so big in him it aint funny. That milk I drank was so sour it aint funny. That fire got out of hand so fast it aint funny. They got married and had six kids so fast it aint funny. When his parachute didn't open he got to the ground so fast it aint funny. After that mule kicked him in the head he acted so peculiar it aint funny. It just aint funny.
Fall is definately here. The trees are changing colors and leaves are falling. I usually wait until Thanksgiving to pick up leaves and then repeat after Christmas. This way I only have to do it twice. I used to try to keep up with the leaves and ended up working like a madman the entire season. Puts me in mind of the Groundskeepers at Clemson. I saw three of these guys chasing a small pile of leaves with their leafblowers one day. It was like they had a fanatic fixation on these leaves. They worked together to push this pile 100 yards across the lawn into a bigger pile. After they left the wind began to blow the leaves back over the lawn. It would have been quicker and cheaper to have one guy with a rake pick them up and put them in a bag.
thanks for reading.

2006-10-05T19:07:00.000-05:00

I haven't talked about cars in a while so here goes. I remember that old flathead Fords had a peculiar way to mount the water pump to the engine. Two of the mounting bolts were hidden inside the inlet and outlet. It was not uncommon for rookie mechanics to literally demolish a water pump trying to get it off the motor. Older, seasoned mechanics would stand back and grin remembering the frustration they experienced the first time they were faced with the hidden bolts. My experience with this situation years ago helped me many times over the years as I learned to expect the unexpected when working on unfamiliar machines.
I heard today that the Euro Auto Show in Greenville is going to feature Triumphs this year. This brought to mind my 65 Triumph Spitfire. The car had a wooden dash and a positive ground. Real leather seats and a removable steel hardtop lined with real leather were standard. The top was heavy and awkward to remove but really kept out the weather. The Spit featured an 1147cc engine with dual sidedraft carbs. I watched tornadic winds literally lift it off the ground once during a storm and it was light enough that my freinds would amuse themselves by raising the back off the ground and let me go through the gears to see how fast I could get while sitting still. One of the few I wish I still had.

2006-10-05T05:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was in a fast food place and looked out the front window. I noticed that across from this place was a line of Crepe Myrtles, beyond these was a line of Oak trees. The early morning fog had settled between them and created a wonderful still life. I noticed that the employees were going about their business as if they hadn't noticed this beautiful scene directly in front of them. I wonder how many cubicle workers there are out there who would take a pay cut to be able to see this instead of a cubicle wall every day? My point is this, take time to look at the beautiful things of this world. Life is too short to miss it.
I'll be hosting a trainee today. "New Guy" is going to ride with me all day today and tomorrow. I guess I'll have to stop for lunch and quit at a decent hour. I usually eat on the run if I eat at all and work 11-12 hours. I don't want to scare the guy on his first day so I''l take it easy on him. Thanks for reading.

Heavy Thoughts

2006-10-04T04:57:00.000-05:00

Some days seem to sail by with hardly a ripple on your life and others are like storms stirring everything up and changing your life forever. If you've lived over 5 years you know what I'm talking about. Most days you go about your routine and it seems like no sooner have you gotten out of bed than you are lying down again. Then comes a day when you are in a wreck or the doctor tells you "The News" or someone says something that changes the way you perceive reality and BOOM!, it's one of "Those" days. Those days are not always bad, like the days my chidren were born or the days my sons got married. They are not always recognized either. I have had those days and only later understood that they were one of those days. Like the day I had High Speed Internet installed. Sometimes you are painfully aware of the significance, like the day my Dad died. I was walking down our drive one Fall day several years ago and the wind began to blow leaves all around me as they fell from the trees. I stopped in my tracks and experienced the moment. At that exact moment I understood the passage of time in our lives and really realized for the first time how short our lives really are. I resolved right then to live my life and not let it just pass by. Now every day I look at the sky and I observe the stars and the moon. I look at the world around me and notice the way it changes each day as the light of the sun shifts. I talk to the people I meet and really look at them. They are each the same but remarkably different. I try to keep my sense of humor, there are amusing things happening all the time. You just have to LOOK. The world is a terrible, frightful, overwhelming place. The world is also a wonderful, lovely, delightful place. Finding the balance and enjoying each day is my goal. G-d, whatever you beleive Him to be, made us capable of great things, I wish that for you. Thanks for reading.

Atalaya Castle

2006-10-01T08:21:00.000-05:00

Whilst at the beach we visited Huntington Beach State Park. One of the attractions is a 1930's mansion built of concrete and brick. The owners called it Atalaya (watch tower). It is interesting and is a diversion from the beach but is not a place you could call home. The owner designed the building in his head and no formal drawings seem to have been made. You can tell. The rooms ramble around a central courtyard trying to get the feel of a Spanish hacienda. The feel I got was gloomy. There is a ghost tour there in October and I couldn't think of a more natural location. I made a sketch of the place and even that is depressing. There seems to be an organization called Freinds of Atalaya, I don't see how anyone could be a freind to this melancholy pile of brick.
The park itself is a real treasure featuring nature trails and a great beach. The causeway entrance is home to alligators who like to show off. The park is a Birders haven featuring over 300 species. Bird watchers come from all over to enjoy the show. A jetty there protects the inlet and is a special spot for fishermen.
The beach is THE spot in this area for shelling. Check it out if you're in the area.http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1020.aspx

Beach Trip

2006-10-01T07:35:00.000-05:00

Well, we're back from vacation. We usually go in late September or October to avoid the crowds. One of the benefits of the Empty Nest. Of course I have pictures for you.

I got up every morning at 6 and walked on the beach and watched the sun rise. My first morning there as I stood and looked at the stars over the ocean I saw a small meteor shower. A Hollywood moment. I started laughing, It seemed so unreal as if it were staged for my benefit. Maybe it was. I know it really relieved a lot of tension when the stars fell into the ocean. I don't know about you but it's hard for me to stay inwardly focused when watching a cosmic event.

My brother has a place in Myrtle Beach and we usually go down this time of year and repair things. If you're going that way and need advice leave a comment. He knows all the best dining and attractions.

While there I met a guy fishing on the beach. Turns out he's a retired Assembly line worker from Detroit. He was singing the praises of UAW. Well, just the other day I read where their membership was down 75% in the last 10 years and Ford is buying out as many as will cooperate. Seems that the Union that brought so much good to the workers over the years is dying from it's own bureaucratic weight. Something I believe will eventually happen to the USA if it's not already happening.