Tuesday, December 23, 2008

the Christmas countdown - 3

the reason for the season

the Christmas countdown - 2

It was supposed to be a happy time, but it wasn't. Santa was really angry. It was Christmas Eve, and NOTHING was going right. Mrs. Claus had burned all the Christmas cookies. The elves were complaining about not getting paid for the overtime they had put in while making toys, and the reindeer had been drinking all afternoon and were dead drunk. They had taken the sleigh out for a spin earlier in the day and crashed it into a tree, breaking off one of the runners.

Santa was beside himself with anger. "I CAN'T believe it! I've got to deliver millions of presents all over the world just a few hours from now, and all my reindeer are drunk, my elves are on strike and I don't even have a Christmas tree! I sent that stupid little angel out HOURS ago to find a tree and he isn't even back yet! What am I going to do?"

Just then the little angel opened the front door and stepped in from the snowy night, dragging a Christmas tree behind him. "Yo, Santa," he said, "where do you want me to stick the Christmas tree this year?"

And thus the tradition of angels perched atop the Christmas trees came to pass. - Thomas Ellsworth q.gcfl

the Christmas countdown - 1

ABCDEFGHIJK MNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

on the road again - pt 6

Wednesday:

You'll be shocked, simply shocked to know that it snowed this morning. The grandkids school bus was two hours late. I have cleaned the snow and ice off my car to start getting ready for tomorrow. I also had my first session with a snow blower. An interesting device. Clogs with packed snow/slush easily.

I am sad at having to leave. This is such a peaceful place.

Took a few pictures. Went to eat. Loaded some of Brandy's pictures to my external hard drive.

Last post until I get to MD.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

on the road again - pt 5

Monday:

Dogs apparently have tender tushes. The hair there needs to be trimmed with care.

Dogs have glands in the area that need "expressing" periodically.

Dogs like to lick themselves even when they have medication on.

The weekend and now Monday and Tuesday have been interesting learning thsse facts. But the dog is not amused.

And now for something completely different.

Eventually all good restaurants disappoint. Last night it was a little Greek place called Apollo. Moussaka as a cooked dish assembled after the fact and not baked. Sigh!

Today it was an Indian place. Just having an Indian place in such a small market is amazing and a blessing. But when potatoes are used to make dishes cheaper and pakora is more batter than vegetable, it is sad.

Tonight Olive Garden proved again it is not worthy of patronage. Very over cooked tilapia to be point of being mush covered with some funky bread crumb concoction. But it is outrageous to serve undersized portions of macaroni and cheese to children. My son finds it a good restaurant and his wife mostly agrees. So it goes.

But we went to a nice little light show down by a lake (Onondoga?) in or near Syracuse. The kids liked it. As did their parents. All's well that end's well.

I just wish I had brought my songbooks. Everyone misses the traditional carols, including me. Secular Christmas is a downer. The season needs a reason.

Have a blessed Advent -- waiting!

Monday, December 15, 2008

requiescat in pacem - pt 2

If you follow the links in my prior post on the death of Avery Dulles, you will see the common sentiment on the death of a loved one or respected figure that
a light has gone out
. I must respectfully disagree.

The light of the world is Christ. We are but mirrors that reflect and prisms that spread that light into the world. As indicated by all the messages of those who knew and knew of him, he was an admirable bearer of that burden.

But by his death he has not left us. He is still alive in the record of his work - his writings. He is still alive in the memories of his presence. And if we are Christians, we believe he is still alive in the communion of the saints.

As Jesus by his death and resurrection, he is still with us and has gone before us.

requiescat in pacem are words of faith - we believe them to be true.

requiescat in pacem are words of hope - we look forward to them as true of Avery and ourselves.

requiescat in pacem are words of love - we say and pray them to create and line the manger in which to place our memories.

requiescat in pacem - pt 1

Avery Dulles SJ (-2008)

beliefnet

America

some writings

Sunday, December 14, 2008

on the road again - pt 4

Sunday morning. Took bath immediately. Back feels somewhat better. Exercise first gives better results.

The priest now at Ft Drum was ordained in the Ukraine in 1988 even though we was born and grew up here. He calls up the kids and talks to them before the homily.

At the end he blesses troops who are deploying that week. And then the children who have returned to the front.

The big event of the day was dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings to see the Steeler game. They won. Instead of a Hail Mary pass there was a questionable ruling by the refs on the deciding touchdown.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

on the road again - pt 3

Saturday morning. My back is killing me. I did my exercises. Feel somewhat better. Ate a grapefruit I brought from Bill in FL. Good and red and sweet. Then an orange. Not sweet enough but juicy. Gave Chloe an orange. I cut up the pineapple I brought. B and C like pineapple. Libby gave me a paper Christmas tree.

Blogging now. Off to he shower. Took bath instead. Back feels much better, almost good.

The concert was in Watertown. It was about a two hour program. A lot of kids from 4 to 17 that play the piano, some quite well. A pair of twins, girls. Two brothers of similiar ages. 20-30 children in all. And of course Libby and Chloe.

For being so young Chloe is coming along well. Libby is coming on well as well. She has an ear for music. But I think next year I will not go to the winter concert but the summer one. The trip is a challenge.

We went to Red Lobster afterward. The children were under orders not to order macaroni and cheese. But one had tweeter's favorite - popcorn shrimp - and the other had chicken - is this a grandchild of mine? Sigh!

Used a gift card. Works well.

on the road again - pt 2

Friday morning Martinsburg WV was cool but not not cold, but the wind was fierce.

The motel is a family foreign affair. Not many people there at this time of year.

After passing through MD like rotten fruit, entered PA. Found the Costco in Harrisburg. But it took a long time to get the two miles to the gas pumps. And once again like in Ireland I couldn't remember the first digit of the pin of my debit card. After two misses I went inside to purchase a cash card. After standing in line at the register, I remembered 7 the correct answer. Then back to get over 12 gallons of gas - a literal tankful @ $1.699. At least I got a good turkey wrap at food counter.

PA weather was uneventful.

Called Brandy at NY welcome station. It is now snowing. Got the good news that there would be snow up to FD. Joy. Joy.

The welcome station had copious snow in parking lot. and I had old decl shoes.

The windshield washer fluid is apparently frozen. So I had to periodically stop and throw snow under the wipers.

Got to Watertown w/no gas to spare by driving slow. Called Kirk from gas station phone because there was no pay phone. (pause for Kat to lmao)

Went to FD gate and was rejected because
  1. Their phones only call one of the post exchanges
  2. I didn't have my registration and insurance card handy
Backtracked to WalMart. Found pay phone. Called Kirk. Dinner w/Kirk at chinese buffet - sigh! Then followed him to another gate where a buddy of his was working.

Grandkids were still and we sat on the couch while the new dog (Seamus) attempted to ravage my legs. Yet another hyper dog.

Went to bed. Added my blanket to the pile.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

on the road again - pt 1

Left Kennesaw late - it was raining while I packed the car which was one of the things slowing me down. plus I got to bed late because of packing and washing clothes and dishes. plus my digestive system was acting up.

Went to Costco for gas - 1.399 - but should not have - wasn't worth it.

As usual traffic was moving ~80 but less than usual number of idiots who want to go faster. It was mostly dry until TN. Then rain until I stopped in VA to sleep.

In Knoxville, they have shut down I40 between downtown and I640 on east side - both I40 and I75 were detours, but different ones. I40 used I640. I75 went downtown as it did decades ago and then north on that spur that used to be I75.

Got gas on I81 X4. Should have waited - missed gas at 1.399 again. At VA welcome station tried to call Super8 but they have removed the pay phones!

Was going to get gas at Roanoke but didn't. A few exits north there was 1.399 again!

Most stations in nGA, TN and VA are 1.4x. WV is 1.699 across the street from motel.

Oh the motel. It has wireless, a microwave, a fridge, a TV and no elevator. I am on second floor. On the other hand I got here at 10:30.

I never stopped to eat, just had a few large plums, several 6 oz yogurt, a small container of cottage cheese, and frozen strawberries. The pineapple is for tomorrow, as is the leftover milk.

Remembered to bring small extension cord so I could plug in sleep apnea machine and computer.

And I am not in Winchester VA but 20mi to N in Martinsburg WV. I am very tired. Going to be going to bed as soon as I check mail.

p.s. at 80m/hr car only gets 25mpg

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

more of the poem without rhyme

pt 1

addendum to prior post

My father's father married the sister of his sister's husband.

The other side:

My mother's (Vera) parents were named Catherine and Joseph. He died in the decade before I was born. He was a shoemaker. Although Bill did not mention it, I think he was an organizer for a union.

They also lived in Covington, on Hermes avenue, which is below the "big bend" on 25-42. House probably gone now.

While I always thought they had a house to themselves, Bill said Monday night that the had the second and third floors of a house. Grandma and Grandpa had a bedroom on the lower floor. There were two bedrooms on the upper floor - one for girls and one for boys.

The oldest child was Gertrude - Trudie. She never married but had suitors into the 1950's. I remember one called "Mr B". Wore a suit and had a hat.

She was a successful business person in job placement. Her last job before she had cancer was with "Kelly Girl". She got me my first three jobs, including my first IT job. She was good enough that they continued to pay her something after she quit working - the story was she was paid for not using her contacts to work from home.

She owned the house in Ft Mitchell in which she, her sister Emma, her mother and her uncle Henry - Hank - lived. When she died in the 1960s, my father was the executor of her estate. She left $500 to each niece and nephew (8) and an extra $500 to her godchildren (my brother Tom and Bill's daughter Eileen). She also had listed all assets of hers and a beneficiary for each, down to some small items that people had asked for. She left the house and her monetary assets in trust. Hank stayed in the house until he died. I remember seeing her name on the tax bill and in the phone book well after her death.

I visited her house a few years a go. The current owner said he had been offered middle 5 figures for the fireplace, a Rookwood Pottery original.

to be continued

FL the neighbors

There is a couple across the street. She came running over on Saturday to see who had arrived from Cobb Cty. They used to live down the road a piece in Acworth. He was not chatty. She was.

Next door to Bill is a couple. Only saw her through the front storm door. He came over because Several people use his wireless router to connect to the i-net. It is password protected. He had to give me the code while I keyed it into a setup screen.

He worked in IT at various times. Worked for IBM for a few years. Very smart guy who seemed young relative to retirement. We talked for about a half hour.

Next to him is a woman - a widow - from New England. Emotionally needy who appears to others as a busybody. We chatted for a bit. She has difficulty accepting the loss of the companionship of her husband.

But the place seems like a beautiful prison. People wave. But it seems like a gesture of distancing not inclusion. The complex cares for the yard and the outside of the house. But there appear to be rules that prevent individuation.

The citrus is free. But people leave refuse from it on the golf course.

The creek is like a moat because of alligators and snakes.

It was very peaceful to be there. But I think if I lived there, I would want to be out and about doing something. Golf is just not my game. Nor is smoozing. Perhaps I am not a people person. But then cannibals are people persons.

This part really should have been posted to pupwhines.blogspot.com.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

American Anti-Catholicism

http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4977&Itemid=48

FL pt 3

Saturday, I went to the clubhouse one day because my lower back was hurting. There is a minimal gym -- an upscale but minimalist device for doing ab exercise, a treadmill, a sort of a rowing machine, and three multiple purpose machines. I did my back stretching exercises, some of my ab reps, then most of the upper body exercises.

Monday I went for two walks to try to deal with the back. Later I tried to use the Kat's camera (she took mine to Peru). Her camera would not operate -- memory stick error. So I went to WalMart (I will have to confess that) and bought a cheap camera, a memory stick and some batteries.

I went to the beach (~20 minutes) and took pictures. I am told the sunsets are gorgeous. We went to a buffet restaurant that night. Mediocre. Where is Golden Corral when you need them.

This morning (Tuesday) got away about 10 after warm goodbyes.

On the way out I saw what I now know are sand cranes -- monsters. Well the new camera wouldn't work -- it wouldn't power up. So I went to WM and waited in line. The salesperson had warned me the batteries would fail rather quickly but less than 24 hours is ridiculous. And of course it powered up for the very young lady in customer service.

I left without out going back for a picture of the cranes.

Again the traffic was very quick. My car may need work as I was getting less than 24 mpg at 80 mph.

around I75 GA exit 16 I went to a buffet (Old Country?) -- horrible place -- I got nauseous. Never again. I was pressured because it was already 2 pm.