Nature trail

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

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

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?

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

Another Wreck

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

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?

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

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.

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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...........

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.