Crusher's Journal

9/11 First Responders Bill Passed

2010-12-25T13:14:00.006-05:00

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was finally passed by both Houses of Congress. It required some compromise, but it's about time this got done. Many thanks should go to Jon Stewart of The Daily Show for shaming enough Republicans and the mainstream press, who were not covering this much at all, into doing the right thing. Excellent Christmas present to all the first responders and their families.

9/11 First Responders

2010-12-20T22:18:00.006-05:00

Let's hope the Republicans get on board and help pass the Zadroga Bill. For a party that invokes 9/11 so much, you'd think they would be leading the charge on passage of this. Truly shameful.

The bill is intended to provide health monitoring and financial aid to sick 9/11 workers. Seems like a good idea to me to help the many, many people who responded to this tragedy and worked tirelessly trying to save any possible survivors, and by recovering remains, provided some closure to victims families. So many of them have had horrific health issues because of the toxic environment they worked in for a long time. True heroes.

And indeed they are heroes. Not only the responders, but the ones who ran up those towers and gave their lives trying to help others. Doc and I went to NYC about 5 weeks after 9/11. Just felt like we needed to go and be tourists, spend some money to help the NYC economy and to pay respects. Couldn't get near the site, but every time a fire truck or emergency vehicle went by, whether coming to or from ground zero, every single person on the street stopped what they were doing and applauded. I've never seen anything like it. It had such an impact on me as to what it means to be heroic and how all of us should respect that. Come on Republicans!!

RIP Michael Lee

2010-04-11T20:11:00.012-04:00

I was just listening to Jimmy Page / Robert Plant's No Quarter album. First time I heard of this "reunion" was a video of them in 1994 with this incredible young drummer named Michael Lee. He was 24 years old at the time this was recorded. He was unbelievable! Especially on the song Kashmir. I had recorded it on VHS and watched it many times over the years (and of course bought the CD). If you're any kind of Zeppelin fan, and you haven't seen this, you must. And watch this amazing drummer.

While listening to the CD tonight I did a Google search on Michael to see what he's been up to. Turns out he died November 24, 2008 from an epileptic seizure. I had no idea and was heartbroken to read the news. He was only 39.

Rest In Peace Michael Lee.

Michael's Wikipedia Page
Michael's Obituary

Article from Northern Echo

UPDATE 08:55 PM: Just watched Kashmir on the DVD version (yes, I also bought the DVD quite a while ago). Plant sounded real good, Page was in fabulous form, strings, exotic instruments.... and one of the best rock and roll drum performances I have ever seen!! WOW!

Health Is Not Simply The Absence of Sickness

2009-10-30T23:15:00.003-04:00

The title of this post is a quote from Hannah Green. She is a writer I don't know, but I liked the quote.

Earlier I had mentioned a trip to the doctor. Had the tests and physical, and the news wasn't too bad. Had a bit of a high blood sugar reading and low good cholesterol. The good news is, since being on meds, the blood pressure is back to normal. To deal with the other stuff I have given up soda (mostly) and am eating a lot better. Also taking fish oil pills.

Now all that's left is to quit smoking. Oh boy.

New Job

2009-10-25T21:19:00.002-04:00

I've given notice to my current employer and am starting a new job on 11/16. My last day is Friday the 13th!! Going to work for an ex-employer and am very excited. Hopefully, I have made a good decision. It's a familiar environment with lots of people I have worked with before. There is a bit of sadness leaving, but a new challenge and adventure to look forward to. Wish me luck!!

Summer Update

2009-09-07T22:05:00.004-04:00

There are 2 posts below this one which were my first in quite a long time. I realized after posting them that there are a few other things that happened over the summer. The best was that my stepson Dan got married on July 11th. He is the son of my ex-wife, but I think of him as my son too. It was a beautiful wedding and I am very happy for him and his new wife Kiley (who I like a lot). They have been together for a long time and I think they make a great couple. I was even included in the ceremony. Had to get up and do a reading. I was nervous, but quite honored.

The next weekend in July, my buddy Doc's daughter Rhiannon got married as well. It was also a lovely wedding. Made for a busy few days for me! Not only did I go to Dan's rehearsal/rehearsal dinner and wedding, when I arrived at Rhiannon's wedding, I was asked to do the videotaping of the ceremony (and some of the reception). It may have been a busy time, but it was also wonderful! They were both outdoors and the weather was great, as were both locations.

In the beginning of August, Murphy came up from Florida to stay for a couple months for some jobs he has up here. It was so good to see him again. He really is a great friend and I have missed him since he left a couple years ago. Below is a picture of him and Manny I took at my place recently. He is indeed a character, but an awesome dude!

Also, in the beginning of August, I got sick and went to the doctor. Turned out to be a viral infection, nothing major. But the doctor said my blood pressure was way too high and prescribed medication. I was sick last winter and she said the same thing, but this time she actually wrote a prescription. She wanted me to get a physical back then and I didn’t, so she said I better do it this time, along with some blood work. I put it off for a while, but finally filled the prescription last week, got the blood work done and have an appointment Wednesday for the physical. When she took my blood pressure I didn’t even ask what it was. When I went and got the prescription filled (finally) the pharmacist asked what my blood pressure was and I didn’t know, so they checked it. 183 over 114. Needless to say, I’m taking the medication every day since. I guess I was putting all this off because the thought of getting old was starting to freak me out. Don’t want to accept it, let alone have to change my lifestyle. Oh well, reality is here and I have now started to deal with it.

That about covers the major happenings. Hope everyone has had a good summer and I’ll try to update a little more often. Finding that blogging is very easy to put off, but will work on it.

A Celebration

2009-09-07T20:47:00.007-04:00

This past Friday (September 4th) would have been Karen's 46th birthday. There was a celebration at Manny's that night in honor. He wanted everyone to bring pictures of Karen that they liked and he dedicated a wall in his house for us to hang them all. It was a great thing. Lot's of wonderful pictures and stories. Family day was the next day, but I couldn't make that because of a work obligation, so I was glad to be there on Friday.

Speaking of the monthly family day, here are the group pictures from July (at Ed & Jane's) and August (at Brian & Diana's). I'll post the group picture from Friday's celebration once I get a copy.

July Picture:

August Picture:

Fantasy Football

2009-09-07T19:54:00.013-04:00

Had my Fantasy Football draft yesterday (7th pick out of 12). I think it was better than last season, which was my first time. I made a plan this year and stuck to it. Last year I started panicking a little and made some bad choices, had never done a Fantasy draft before. Here's the lineup for this season.

STARTERS:
Ryan, Matt QB ATL
Brown, Ronnie RB MIA
Jackson, Steven RB STL
Johnson, Calvin WR DET
Ochocinco, Chad WR CIN
Olsen, Greg TE CHI
Bironas, Rob K TEN
San Diego Chargers D/ST

RESERVES:
Favre, Brett QB MIN
Jones, Julius RB SEA
Evans, Lee WR BUF
Miller, Zach TE OAK
Brown, Kris K HOU
Washington Redskins D/ST

There were some players I wanted that were picked before me, but overall I'm pretty satisfied. Only time will tell.

Another Triple Crown is Over

2009-06-07T18:31:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was the Belmont Stakes. Spent the day with Karen's family and my buddy Manny. They get together the first Saturday of each month and invite Doc and me. I feel very honored to be included. Last month the gathering happened to be Kentucky Derby day, and this time was the Belmont Stakes.

Had a decent day betting and made a little bit of money. Started with Scottish racing in the morning. Won the first race I bet and it paid 84.00, the long shot system at work! Used that money to make a lot of other bets through the day and had 2 more semi-long shots and a cheap exacta. Overall, I was pleased.

The gathering was at Ed and Jane's yesterday and was a really wonderful time. Great barbecue and great people. Here's a picture of the gang.

The Good, The Bad & The Preakness

2009-05-17T20:16:00.002-04:00

First the good. A week ago this past Saturday I logged into my youbet.com account in the morning to watch some English hurdle racing. Bet 3 horses to win in the first race and lost. Bet 3 more horses to win in the next race and one of them won and paid 87.80. I logged off and called it a day! Love this long shot system.

Now the bad. Logged in early on Preakness day yesterday and bet 3 or 4 races and didn't cash a ticket. I then had a lot to do and was out the next 4 hours. In that time my long shot system hit 2 races paying around 28.00 and 40.00. Unfortunately, I wasn't home to bet them.

Finally, the Preakness Stakes. Being that the favorite won, I didn't win this race either. Tried the long shot system and a couple exacta combinations but no luck. Gave back some of my Derby weekend winnings on this one. On a good note, a few close friends came by and it was a fun race to watch.

On to the Belmont Stakes June 6th!!

Derby Day

2009-05-02T23:55:00.005-04:00

It's all about the odds.

Yesterday there were a lot of stakes races at Churchill Downs and I took the day off to watch them. I have a long shot system I have used for quite a while. Well, I hit a horse that paid 93.20 in one of the races!

Then today I hit the 50-1 Derby winner, Mine That Bird! He paid 103.20. Also had him in a 4 horse exacta, but the other 3 were out of the money. If that had hit it would have paid many thousands of dollars. Close, but no cigar. I'm happy with my 103.20 (and 93.20 yesterday) and will try again next year for the exacta.

Watched the race today with Manny and his late wife's family. They really are special people. All in all, a very good Derby weekend.

Seven Weeks and a Day

2009-03-29T19:41:00.001-04:00

It's been that long since Karen left us. I won't go into details, but it's been a struggle for some to get through this. There have been some really bad times. Fortunately, there are those who are now heading in a better direction, though others are not. It will take a long time for things to even attempt to approach some normalcy. I so wish I could do more for these people that mean so much in my life. It has been very frustrating and painful to go through, but that's nothing compared to what they are dealing with. A day at a time almost seems like too much to contemplate, but it's what must be done. Each day leads to the next, and it will get better.

Verizon FiOS

2009-03-28T23:46:00.008-04:00

Switched from Comcast TV and Internet to Verizon FiOS this past Monday. I really, really love it! The Internet speeds I had with Comcast were pretty much the same as FiOS, but FiOS works a lot better. I actually paid Comcast an extra $10.00 per month to get the 16MB download and was getting close to 20MB. FiOS is 20MB, but it is much faster and seems to have less glitchy performance. And the TV service is awesome! The hi-def is much better quality, noticeably so. Also, I get a lot more channels, both HD and regular. After watching NCAA tournament basketball tonight I switched to ESPNU HD and watched some NCAA tournament hockey (and the game I watched was hi-def!). I didn't even get that channel (HD or standard) with Comcast. Can you tell I'm pleased? All this for about $55.00 cheaper per month for 2 years guaranteed. No brainer!! Highly recommended.

UPDATE: The basketball tournament game I referenced above was the Villanova - Pitt game. Manny came over to watch it with me and it was the best college basketball game we've seen in a long, long time. Go 'Cats!

Very Sad

2009-02-09T22:53:00.009-05:00

My buddy Manny lost his wife this past Saturday. Karen was 45 years old and passed away at home suddenly and unexpectedly. It is a terribly sad time. I cannot imagine what Manny is going through or what Karen's parents and siblings are feeling. I'm moved by how strong they are for each other during these disheartening days. I hope you can all keep them in your thoughts.

Hail to the (New) Chief

2009-01-20T22:01:00.002-05:00

President Obama, Ex-President Bush. I like the sound of both!!

GWB's Legacy

2008-12-29T20:24:00.005-05:00

Don't know if everyone has noticed but the press is on to make George W. Bush look good. Condoleezza Rice, Laura Bush, Dick Cheney have all been out saying that GWB was a fine president. I'd like to know what they are drinking, smoking, popping or shooting, because it must be some awesome shit.

Here's a good one: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that despite President Bush's low approval ratings, people will soon "start to thank this president for what he's done." Maybe Haliburton, Blackwater and the like will thank him, but I don't think most of the citizens of the US will or that history will look kindly on the 8 years of this administration.

Found this quote in an article dated May 2004 from George Mason University's History News Network website: "Of 415 historians who expressed a view of President Bush’s administration to this point as a success or failure, 338 classified it as a failure and 77 as a success." My guess is the 77 who thought it was a success in 2004 have probably changed their minds in the 4 plus years since. What do you think?

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T08:50:00.002-05:00

MNF

2008-11-24T21:16:00.003-05:00

Am I the only one that thinks Tony Kornheiser has to go as an announcer on Monday Night Football? I actually don't mind him at all on the ESPN show Pardon The Interruption, but he drives me crazy on MNF. The cringe factor when he speaks is almost as bad as when Dennis Miller was one of the announcers. Just a thought.

Vacation ended in what seems like eons ago. It was an excellent week. Pretty much the usual since then, except of course we elected a new President. I was very happy with the result. One other special occurrence happened, my niece Britt had a baby girl named Molly Grace the day after my birthday! I'm a great uncle for the second time. My nephew Randy had a son Shaun Randall a while back. Wow, I'm getting old.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Vacation Week

2008-10-30T22:50:00.006-04:00

I’ve been on vacation this week and have been enjoying it. Getting a lot of things done and having a lot of fun. It started Saturday with one hell of a Breeders’ Cup party at Doc’s place. Only about 7 people there but it was one of the best times I’ve had in a while. Numerous times throughout the day I laughed so hard there were tears coming out of my eyes, and I wasn’t the only one. Greg was on a mission to get drunk, and boy did he! By the next to last race (the Breeders’ Cup Turf) he was puking in a trash can. Mission accomplished! I said to Ed that I’ve never watched a Breeders’ Cup race while someone was getting sick. Sounds terrible, but it was actually damn funny. You could see it coming as he mixed a batch of Kamikazes around 12:45 in the afternoon and enjoyed many of them (and other drinks) during the afternoon.

And how about the new World Series champs, the Philadelphia Phillies! I’ve been a NY Mets fan for a long time, but really got on the Phillies side this year as they were an extremely exciting team to watch during the season. You could never count them out of any game. I couldn’t help but root for them. Maybe I’m just a fair weather fan, but this team was great to watch all year and made me like baseball more than ever. Congratulations to them.

On a more personal note, this was the first Breeders' Cup for me without my oldest friend in the world, Manny. He chose to stay home and watch it. We’ve had a falling out and it was a bit strange. I had kind of distanced myself from him lately as I feel he has changed a lot and a couple weeks ago we talked about it. He decided not to be my friend anymore. It got a bit ugly and he also said some things about other friends. I’m really sorry it has come to this. I listened to the song “How Many Friends” by The Who tonight remembering how many times we listened to it over the years. “How many friends have I really got, count ‘em on one hand.” In my heart and mind he’ll always be a friend. I hope he’s OK.

This Sunday is my 50th birthday. Where did the time go? Joanne is taking me out Saturday for a steak dinner to celebrate and is also coming over to make me lunch on Sunday. Can’t wait!!

Went over to Doc's on Tuesday and Ed and Jane brought a cake for my birthday. It was an angel food cake with chocolate whipped cream. My mother always made the same thing on birthdays for me and my brothers. Very nice. Also a couple of wonderful cards from everyone. Ed does homemade cards with pictures and interesting editing of us all and this year's was great. THANKS!!

Too Funny

2008-10-23T21:45:00.016-04:00

Remember Terry Tate (Office Linebacker) from the commercials where he tackles office workers? This is a new spin.

Colin Powell On Meet The Press

2008-10-19T10:59:00.005-04:00

Colin Powell gave his endorsement to Barack Obama for President of the United States this morning on Meet The Press. Check out the video from this link on The Washington Monthly. Mr. Powell's endorsement is exactly on point and tells it like it is. This should be mandatory viewing for every American. Forget partisanship, let's all look at reality. Mr. Powell does just that.

Go Phils!

2008-10-06T23:37:00.003-04:00

Anna Quindlen

2008-10-04T13:12:00.008-04:00

Anna Quindlen does a column every other week in Newsweek called The Last Word. I really, really enjoy reading it. George Will does it the weeks Anna doesn't. I don't enjoy his.

In the September 29th edition Anna's piece was titled "This Is Important". Please check it out. I have quoted the end of it below in italics.

"Who cares if you like Sarah Palin, if your kid plays hockey and so do hers? Here is the only thing about anyone's kids that matters now: every time you vote you make your kids a promise. It's a promise that you will look past cheap slogans and lazy alliances to try to find a way to make America worthy of a new generation. And if we keep that promise in November, we not only keep faith with our children, we keep faith with the country."

Maybe you don't have kids. Maybe your brothers or sisters do. Maybe your cousins or nephews or nieces do. Maybe your friends or their friends do. Maybe your co-workers do. Make them a promise!

VP Debate

2008-10-02T22:38:00.009-04:00

My first impression is that Palin says "also" a lot.

I made up my mind a long time ago to vote for Obama and Biden, but Palin did better than I expected. Though there was nothing to change my belief that she should not be our next VP (or that McCain should not be our next President). Palin did avoid answering some of the questions. At one point she even said she isn't going to answer and started talking about another subject all together. To me she came across as somewhat well prepared for the debate but not ready for the VP job.

Biden "also" did well and I am certainly on board with him and Obama.

Final opinion, Biden won this debate hands down. More substance and knowledge. Less BS talking points. And no repetition of untruths.

Not Really Politically Correct...

2008-10-01T23:01:00.004-04:00

...but I couldn't say it better myself.

This Week.........

2008-09-28T11:25:00.002-04:00

I think this will be a weekly link here at Crusher's Journal. Check out Daily Kos This Week in Conservatism.

Translator Wanted

2008-09-27T13:37:00.002-04:00

Can someone help to translate this portion of the Katie Couric interview with Sarah Palin so it makes even a little bit of sense? There is a transcript, but you must watch the video. Palin is scaring me more and more. What an irresponsible VP pick for McCain.

McCain To The Rescue

2008-09-24T23:32:00.004-04:00

So, John McCain is suspending his campaign to help solve the economic crisis. Is this our knight in shining armour? Hmmmm, seems like NOT!! Check this out.

This Week.........

2008-09-20T22:44:00.006-04:00

Nice feature from the Daily Kos website: This Week In Conservatism
Everyone should check this out! Be afraid, be very afraid.

Economic Trouble

2008-09-15T19:57:00.003-04:00

More bad news after Lehman Brothers filed for the biggest bankruptcy in history, Bank of America said it would buy Merrill Lynch and AIG slumped on fears that it can't raise cash.

I know some of you may not be Howard Stern fans, but I do enjoy the show when I can hear it. He reminded us today that he predicted George W. Bush would bankrupt this country (and I remember him saying it years ago). He may be correct. The funny part was when he called GWB a "bankrupter". I laughed at that one even though the situation isn't humorous at all. Stocks slid a ton today as well. Hopefully it doesn't get too much worse, but I am worried.

Dirty Politics

2008-09-13T12:34:00.007-04:00

It's unfortunately true that political campaigns can get real down and dirty. In my opinion, none more than John McCain's. If you want to know the truth amidst so many lies, I suggest visiting FactCheck.org. Both the McCain and Obama campaigns are "fact checked".

Here is their mission statement from the website:

About FactCheck.org
Our Mission

We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.

The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.

The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by the Annenberg Foundation.

Brooks Jackson
Director, Annenberg Political Fact Check

2008-09-05T23:53:00.012-04:00

I really like what was posted last night prior to McCain's speech here
on iReports (whatever that is?). Apparently it's some kind of blogging site connected with CNN. It doesn't really matter, the text hits home and I couldn't express my feelings any better.

Here's the quoted text:

"John McCain will take the stage tonight to accept the Republican nomination, but after listening to the sturm and drang the last couple of days, let me throw in my two cents about his VP pick, Sarah Palin.

Some would argue she was a dynamic choice. She was certainly unexpected- as unexpected as revelations about her 17 year old daughter's pregnancy, which has, due to scrutiny (heaven forbid), led to charges of sexism and allowed Republican males to jump on their noble steeds to protect her honor.

The odd thing is, it really didn't matter to John McCain that she was a woman, only insomuch as her sex was another check box on his parts list. Maybe tap disgruntled Hillary voters. Check. Conservative Evangelicals. Check. Creationists. Check. Right-to-Lifers. Check. NRA. Check. Oil Lobby. Check. As McCain ran out of time and the convention loomed, desperate to appease these special interest groups, seems like he fed the parameters into a search engine and out popped her name. 'Who?', said John.

So here we have a gun-toting, pit bull in lipstick (her words), who'd love to see Federal control over womens' reproductive organs, a potential heartbeat away from the Presidency. Nice call Johnny.

And here's my peeve regarding Bristol Palin's pregnancy. It's deserving of privacy absolutely, but not avoided, due to its policy ramifications. Sarah Palin, Governor, and now VP of USA candidate, believes strongly in abstinence-only teaching and not any form of comprehensive sex-ed dealing with, among other things, contraception (and she's worked to quash those type of programs). Guess what? Abstinence-only doesn't work. Proof? It didn't work with Palin's very own daughter, who became pregnant having unprotected, premarital sex. So if she'll stick by one failed policy, what other flawed policies might she adhere to ideologically that could be detrimental to the nation should she she attain a top spot?

Last, I find it shocking that supposedly Palin's daughter 'made the choice' to keep her unborn child (to the hallelujahs of the the radical Christian right), but in Palin's perfect world, even pregnancies that are the product of rape and incest would be illegal to terminate. No choice for other mothers' daughters there."

The Next VP?

2008-09-02T23:20:00.003-04:00

CBS Report on Palin Vetting

Enough Politics, Life is Funny

2008-08-31T21:09:00.020-04:00

Well, maybe not always. I’m going through some not so funny things lately, but I guess it’s not really that big a deal compared to what a lot of people have to live through. Without giving too many details here's some of it. Hopefully, not too many people read this anyway and it may help me to get it out.

The main thing is there has been a change in what I do for a living. There are other people at work also going through this. It's not going well at all and it is certainly affecting me. I haven’t been this unhappy in a long time. I mean REALLY unhappy! I actually know someone who blogged about work in the past (at a different company) and got called on it, but won’t go into my anger as far as he did. If my employer has an issue with what gets posted here, oh well. Let’s just say it’s fucked up on many levels.

Went to a party for a little while this evening with some people and families I have known for a long time. They’re really good people but it always kind of depresses me somehow. One of my best friends is a member of one of these families, and he was there along with a couple other friends. Years ago I dated someone in the other family and really felt right with her. It’s a long, complicated thing (at least in my mind), but the end result is that this particular Labor Day weekend party does depress me. I guess it’s because so many years ago I thought I'd be part of her family, and still feel in my heart that’s what should have been. I'm sorry it didn’t happen. There was a time I stopped going to the party, but now live within walking distance the last 2 summers and have attended. As KN would say, tragic!

Sorry for all the negativity, but it feels good to get it out. On hindsight I’ll probably regret posting this, but here it is.

Joe Biden's DNC Speech

2008-08-27T22:56:00.005-04:00

My first reaction to Biden's speech is quite positive. I truly believe he is a good person and he has done many good things in his tenure of public service. Keep in mind I live in Delaware and have voted for him every time. Don't regret any of those votes. He did have a couple misspoken moments, but pretty much everyone on the campaign trail does that, John McCain and Barack Obama included. I do feel he believes in what he says and does, and he says and does good things. And he mentioned Wilmington, DE where I live!

By the way, the Phillies lost to the Mets 6-3.

DNC

2008-08-27T22:05:00.006-04:00

I've been checking out the Democratic Convention in between innings of the Phillies vs. Mets game tonight. Also been looking at news sites and catching up on anything I missed that I wanted to see or hear at the convention.

MSNBC.com had a headline right after Bill Clinton spoke about Barack Obama being ready to lead this country. The headline read as follows: Clinton says 'Obama is ready to be lead'. Certainly it meant to say Clinton says 'Obama is ready to lead'. Of course TO BE LEAD doesn't make sense, you either LEAD or BE LED. It was corrected relatively quickly, but could this 'mistake' have meant people to think 'Obama ready to be led'? I wonder. And they say the media is liberally biased.

Politically Concerned

2008-08-20T22:44:00.002-04:00

I've been posting lots of political stuff lately. It's my journal and I'll post if I want to!!

Here's a good one from Talking Points Memo about my least favorite candidate.

Who Makes More Sense?

2008-08-18T22:51:00.002-04:00

From the Daily Show:

Social Security

2008-08-14T19:13:00.002-04:00

As we get older I think more and more about this. Nice post here from Daily KOS with a video from FDR's grandson on the 73rd Birthday of Social Security.

Being Christian

2008-08-13T21:09:00.017-04:00

Though not very religious, I don't think the following is very Christian. Even though it's from Stuart Shepard, the Director of Digital Media for the political arm of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, Focus Action. Please check out the video in the article. I find it actually quite sad.

From ABC News Blogs, "POLITICAL PUNCH: Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior National Correspondent Jake Tapper"

*UPDATED* I like the comments "Posted by: sesna | Aug 13, 2008 9:23:16 PM" and "Posted by: mikebg | Aug 13, 2008 1:34:21 PM" in the User Comments section after the article.

Hail To The.... Hail

2008-08-10T19:44:00.006-04:00

Had some severe storms this evening around 6:15 or so. The hail started shortly after the storm began. I live on the top floor of a flat roofed building and it sounded like we were under attack for a few minutes. I actually put on my shoes, grabbed my keys and wallet and got ready to leave thinking it may start coming through into my place. It was a bit stressful, but all is OK now. Here are a couple pictures taken around 6:30 tonight as the storm was letting up.

John McCain?

2008-08-09T16:07:00.008-04:00

Please don't tell me this man is going to be the next President of the United States.

Dazed and Most Definitely Confused

Stern Show

2008-07-31T21:35:00.002-04:00

Funny quote from Hulk Hogan on the Howard Stern show today. When Ralph suggested it's a good idea for Hulk's daughter to pose for Playboy, Hulk said "RalphMania running wild!!"

I'm Back

2008-03-02T20:40:00.002-05:00

We’re a couple months into 2008 and this is my first post since New Years’ Day. So far the year has been relatively uneventful. The bad news is I’ve been sick off and on through most of February. Three weeks ago I wasn’t feeling too good and could tell a cold or flu was coming on. Boy, did it! Was real sick (and missed work) for two days and felt bad for days afterwards. Then I felt it coming back again this past Tuesday afternoon. Got so sick I missed the following three days of work. Finally went to the doctor Friday morning. Turns out I have what the doctor calls Mycoplasma Bronchitis. Got three prescriptions; antibiotic, steroid inhaler and codeine cough syrup. I am now getting better, still not 100% yet. Will be following doctor’s orders so I do get well this time, just kept thinking it would pass. Only 17 more days of the antibiotic! I know a lot of people who have been hit hard with this. If you get it, go to your doctor and get meds.

Otherwise, not too much else going on. I have become a member of the board of directors of my coop apartment board (like a condo association). I did miss the February meeting but will be back in March. The one thing we have gotten done is approve Verizon to install FIOS on the property so we can choose that over Comcast if we want. Not sure which way to go on that yet as Comcast did increase my internet speed to the same as FIOS. Will wait and see. Haven’t seen too much of the gang but hope to make up for lost time with spring rapidly approaching. Don’t forget about March Madness. Check out http://www.cbbt.info/ and have some fun. Stay well.

Happy 2008!!

2008-01-01T10:06:00.001-05:00

Ho Ho Ho

2007-12-24T23:17:00.000-05:00

Room With A View

2007-11-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

Though the last couple days have been a bit chillier, they have also been gorgeously clear. Here's the view outside my bedroom window yesterday. Beautiful!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T09:03:00.000-05:00

First, a Happy Thanksgiving to all. Enjoy the family, friends, food and football!!

Almost two weeks ago, Murphy's brother Billy came into town on Friday to visit. He went right up to New York with Manny so the rest of us didn't get to see him until Sunday when we went to Philadelphia Park for some racing. Had a real good time. Saw him briefly Monday before he flew home. He's quite the character. Then Manny, Doc and I went to Harrahs Chester harness track. Manny hit a $200.00 plus trifecta. The next race I hit a $200.00 plus exacta. We did good. It was a fun long weekend.

The living room furniture arrived on schedule and now the place looks great. I did a thorough spot cleaning of the carpet and it looks a thousand percent better. Got a new lamp and throw rug and I now love the room. Didn't like it at all before, my old stuff just didn't work with the carpeting. Doc's daughter got the old couch and my brother Jon got the oriental throw rug. The rest I reused in other rooms. Now the place is just the way I want it.

On this day I realize how thankful I am for everything, especially being back home. Got a great place to live, a good job and awesome family and friends. I feel very, very lucky. Am going to my brother Jeff's place for dinner tonight. Lots of family will be there. Couldn't be better!!

I’m Still Here

2007-10-31T12:59:00.000-04:00

It’s been a month and a half since the last post. Boy, time flies. I’m off this week and decided it’s time to catch you all up a bit. Not that life has been that exciting. Work has still been crazy with lots of traveling and long days. I am really enjoying my time off right now!! Enjoyed Breeders’ Cup this past Friday and Saturday. It was a small party at Doc’s on Saturday (he and Manny came to my place for Friday’s 3 races). Didn’t have too much success betting, but a couple good prices kept me close to even. Just been catching up on chores and errands since. Got some much needed work done to the truck. Only need new tires now, will look into that soon. Been doing some clothes shopping this week as I finally decided to get some that actually fit. All my other clothes had gotten way too big. Guess the weight loss is sticking! Recently bought a new Sony 40” LCD TV for the living room. AWESOME! I love Hi-Def. Having a new couch and chair delivered tomorrow that I purchased Monday. A total revamp of the living room, though the carpets still need cleaning. My brother and I are going to split a Hoover steam vac when we see a good sale, so it will have to wait until then. Also, I'm turning 49 on Friday, 1 year left before the big Five-Oh. There you go, nothing too exciting, just working hard, enjoying my week off and spending lots of money.

Murph Update: He finally left for FL 2 days after he planned. He had trouble finding work at first but that has now improved and he seems quite happy. I sure do miss him though.

Finally, Happy Halloween to all.

Bon Voyage Murph

2007-09-18T17:28:00.000-04:00

Murph is now leaving tomorrow morning. There is a final farewell barbecue this evening, which I'll be heading over to in just a bit to say the last goodbyes. I'm really kind of sad. It's reminiscent of my leaving for Texas. Very difficult to leave behind people you love. Since then, it is even harder for me to say goodbye to someone. I do hope it works out well for him down in Florida. We love you Murph!!

Travel Weary

2007-09-15T22:35:00.000-04:00

The last few weeks at work have been interesting. Just got back from Minneapolis an hour and a half ago. Was there last week as well, along with Milwaukee the week before. In that time I have also made numerous trips to NYC and North Jersey branches for the company. There is a lot going on. Lots of people getting let go, lots of branches consolidating, but also some expanding. I am indeed "travel weary"!

Speaking of travel, Murph is back to work and is moving to Florida. He's scheduled to leave Tuesday. I sure will miss him. He's an awesome friend. Best of luck to him and his son Josh in the Sunshine State!

Friends?

2007-08-08T21:00:00.000-04:00

Interesting fact, the US just made a 20 billion dollar arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Following are the nationalities of the known suicide bombers so far in Iraq (from this MSNBC article):

Saudi Arabia: 53, 37.32%
Iraq: 18, 12.68%
Italy: 8, 5.63%
Syria: 8, 5.63%
Kuwait: 7, 4.93%
Jordan: 4, 2.82%
Libya: 3, 2.11%
Egypt: 3, 2.11%
Tunisia: 3, 2.11%
Turkey: 3, 2.11%
Belgium: 2, 1.41%
France: 2, 1.41%
Spain: 2, 1.41%
Yemen: 3, 2.11%
Lebanon: 1, 0.70%
Morocco: 1, 0.70%
Britain: 1, 0.70%
Bengal: 1, 0.70%
Sudan: 1, 0.70%
Unknown: 18, 12.68%

Stepping On The Scale

2007-07-28T12:38:00.000-04:00

Since coming back to DE from TX over 13 months ago I have lost more than 40 pounds. I began noticing that I was losing weight a few months back and my clothes grew increasingly looser since then. Finally, a few weeks ago, I weighed myself over at Manny's (I don't own a scale). I was 265 pounds. Weighed in again last night and I'm down to 257. Last time I checked the poundage in TX it was 295 and I surely gained at least a few more pounds after that. So I'm working with a starting figure of around 300 pounds. I was FAT!! The last year in TX my job was to sit in front of a computer all day. Back here in DE I was returned to my field tech position and have been working very hard, which is the major reason for all the weight loss. I still drink too much beer and eat too much junk, but I have been noticing lately that I'm not as hungry and don't eat as much at each meal. I guess it proves that hard work is good for you!

Back To Work

2007-07-11T20:16:00.000-04:00

I need another vacation! The first 2 days back at work have been a bit tough. All the catching up has been a chore, let alone the new work. But I'm glad to be back at it because the mortgage needs to be paid. Welcome to reality!!

Almost Over

2007-07-09T12:54:00.000-04:00

Today is the last day of some vacation I took from work. Glad I took this extra day! Got a lot done at the co-op and am pretty much settled in now. Also caught up with some friends during the time off and checked on Murph a few times. He's doing well. My brother Jon was also off last week and helped Murph out a lot.

Doing some laundry now and am off to run some errands after that in the blazing heat. Stay cool everyone!!

Murph Is Home

2007-06-25T20:28:00.000-04:00

Went to see Murph tonight, his nephew and son brought him home last evening. He gets around pretty good, but is definitely hurting and will need months to heal wearing his custom body brace while spending most of his time laying down. He checked himself out of the hospital a day early so he could get back. It was so good to see him. Keep thinking good thoughts for his recuperation!

Happy 50th Sean

2007-06-22T08:35:00.000-04:00

We'll be doing a bit of celebrating tonight for Sean's 50th birthday. Have a great one!

Get Well Murph

2007-06-20T21:06:00.000-04:00

My buddy Murph had a pretty bad accident on Father's Day. He was working with his son at his brother's mountain cabin in northern Pennsylvania and took a nasty fall of the roof. I hear he has numerous broken ribs, a punctured lung and a cracked vertebrae. His prognosis is good, but he's still in ICU in a hospital in Elmira, NY (somewhere around 5 hours from Wilmington) and can't yet take phone calls. It's expected to take months for him to recover fully. Keep him in your thoughts!!

New Home

2007-06-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

I moved into the new co-op yesterday. LOVE IT!! Still have a lot of work to do unpacking and all, but couldn't be more thrilled. Wanted to hire Murph to paint the place, he does that for a living. He wouldn't hear of it. Doc works with him sometimes and also joined in on this job, as did Murph's son Josh. They worked long and hard and the paint job is great!! They won't take any payment for it, but they definitely deserve it. What good friends. My brother Jon did spectacular drywall work prior to painting, also for no charge. Manny stripped a wall of it's wallpaper for me with his steamer (free of charge as well). We now call him Manley Steamer. It felt like home here the minute the movers were done. I am one lucky human being. That's why I moved back to DE, family and friends mean everything!

UPDATE 10:30pm: The webcam is now working. It shows some of the mess that needs unpacking.

The Deal Is Done

2007-05-31T21:27:00.001-04:00

I now own a co-op! Settlement went well and the movers are scheduled for June 12th. My brother Jon and a couple good friends are doing the painting before moving day. Jon is also doing a little drywall work first. They are awesome guys.

Big Day

2007-05-30T19:22:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow is a big day for me. Actually a big evening. Settlement on a new place at 7:00pm!! Buying a 2 bedroom co-op (similar to a condo). Keep your fingers crossed that nothing goes wrong!

Check This Out

2007-04-30T19:55:00.000-04:00

You must watch this commentary from Keith Olbermann on his MSNBC show the other day about Rudy Giuliani and the Republicans. It hits hard!! Just over 8 minutes, but worth every second. I normally have to click the center arrow twice to get it to play.

Hi Everybody!!

2007-04-20T23:02:00.000-04:00

I'm still here, though there have been no postings for a long time. Things have kept me real busy lately. Been a couple more small snows, lots of rain and big increases in gas since I last wrote.

Did you all get the Dr. Nick reference (from The Simpsons) in the title of this entry? He always said Hi Everybody! when showing up. Great character on a great show. The best "adult" cartoon ever made.

Mmmmmm, beer.

The Last Snow??

2007-03-07T19:03:00.000-05:00

I hope so. It turned out to be an inch or two today, not too big of a deal. It's been quite a while since I last posted, here's a bit of a catch-up.

I did finally get a picture of gas prices while out to lunch today, 2.45 9/10. The last update on January 29th had it at 1.99 9/10. Up 46 cents since then.

The company I work for was sold to a Canadian based Security / Cash Logistics / Armored Car company called Garda. Here's the press release about it from their website. No changes yet. Got my fingers crossed I don't get eliminated.

A couple of Friday's ago Andre Gardner from WMGK in Philly (classic rock radio station) did a live show from a local bar, Stanley's. I met a few of the gang there in the afternoon and we had a blast! I didn't expect it to be anything special, other than hanging with the crew, but it was really a great time. They did drawings for prizes and Jane won a nice BBQ tool set and I won a ski jacket and lift tickets. Probably won't use the lift tickets and I gave the jacket to my brother because it was too small for me (shocked, aren't you all). I guess you can tell by the picture that we all had fun.

February 13, 1950

2007-02-13T17:33:00.000-05:00

The birthdate of the great Peter Gabriel. Happy Birthday!!

The Last Five

2007-02-08T23:01:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd post the last 5 songs I just listened to on Sirius satellite radio.
1. The Cars - Candy-O
2. Humble Pie - Stone Cold Fever
3. The Kinks - Celluloid Heroes
4. Sting - Fields of Gold
5. Rush - The Trees

Beatles For Christmas

2007-01-31T17:56:00.000-05:00

Look at my cool Christmas present from Dan and his girlfriend! It's the Beatles from their cartoon of many years ago. Dan asked me "you still like the Beatles, right?" Silly question!! I don't think anyone stops liking the Beatles. I actually love this present. Awfully nice of him to think of me. We had a great lunch on Saturday, always good to see him and catch up.

It's Monday!

2007-01-29T19:18:00.000-05:00

Down to 1.99 9/10 today. I drove by Saturday and it was 1.97 9/10. In the end that makes it a total of 8 cents lower than a week ago.

Sad news today, Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro finally had to be euthanized today after his terrible accident back in the Preakness Stakes. They tried hard to save him. Unfortunately to no avail. He looked so awesome in all his races, who knows what could have been.

Checking In

2007-01-22T17:56:00.000-05:00

It’s been a couple weeks since my last post. Not a whole lot going on. Busy as usual at work. I’ve also been trying to hook up with Dan to give him his Christmas present. We’re now supposed to get together on Saturday for lunch. That’ll be cool. Otherwise things are relatively quiet. Just been enjoying the playoff football season and plugging away at everyday life.

Gas is down to 2.07 9/10 per gallon today. That’s a drop of 24 cents since 12/31/2006 (22 days). More than a cent a day. Not what I anticipated, but I'm happy to be wrong!

January Grilling

2007-01-07T09:11:00.000-05:00

Since the weather was so nice yesterday for the start of the NFL playoffs, Doc had a small barbecue. In the end only Mike and I showed up, a couple others didn't make it. It was still awesome. Now we've had a December and a January cookout! Hooray for global warming (just kidding). Here's Mike cooking up the burgers and dogs.

2 Cent Drop

2006-12-31T06:24:00.000-05:00

The price of gasoline on Saturday was 2.31 9/10 per gallon, which is a 2 cent drop in the last 10 days. Here's hoping it drops more, though I have my doubts.

Also, I would like to wish everyone a happy and wonderful New Year in 2007!! May all your resolutions come true.

Christmas Feast

2006-12-27T17:50:00.000-05:00

This delicious spiral ham was part of a wonderful holiday meal a few of us enjoyed at Murphy's on Christmas night. There was also turkey breast from the rotisserie, sweet potatoes, rice, veggies, stuffing and gravy. Great job Murph!!

My brother Jon was there, along with Doc, Chris (Murph's nephew), Josh (Murph's son) and one of his buddies. Family, friends, football and food, a very good Christmas!

12-25-2006

2006-12-25T07:08:00.000-05:00

Two More Increases

2006-12-21T17:54:00.000-05:00

The price of gas today is 2.33 9/10. It was 2.29 9/10 last night and has gone up 10 cents per gallon in the last 8 days (4 cents in 1 day). Gas cost 2.09 9/10 on election day. That makes a 24 cent increase in the last 6 weeks and 2 days.

Happy Birthday Jon

2006-12-20T18:59:00.000-05:00

Today is my brother Jon's 52nd birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! The picture was taken on 12/8 at our buddy Murphy's place.

Jon is back to work recently after neck surgery and got more good news from the doctor today. His restrictions on lifting, etc. are geting less and less. Now that is a good birthday present.

Gas Price Update

2006-12-13T20:36:00.000-05:00

Here's the update for today, no change ($2.23 9/10).

Happy Birthday Ed & Jane

2006-12-11T21:34:00.000-05:00

Last night we had a barbeque at Sean’s to celebrate Ed and Jane’s 50th birthday. Yes, they were born on the same day in the same year. And they are husband and wife, pretty cool. They’re good people and good friends. The cake looks tasty, doesn’t it?

Manny did the grilling, nothing like a December cookout. It was actually quite pleasant weather-wise and the company was fabulous, so were the burgers! BTW: Happy 12/12 to Jal and the MD gang!!

My Plan May Be Working

2006-12-08T18:15:00.000-05:00

Here's my first post with a picture from the new camera. I'm doing laundry!! Exciting Friday evening, huh? This may work, I was actually looking forward to posting this. Not so sure the blog is any less boring yet, but I'll work on it.

There may be some fun activities this weekend that will hopefully produce a decent picture or two. Stay tuned.

Do Blogs Get Boring?

2006-12-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

Only if it's mine. I recently realized that all I ever post lately is the price of gasoline. Quick and easy to do. I like the idea of blogging, even though I can't get used to the name "blogging". But I am an IT guy and have grown weary of using my computer at home. I spend all day fixing, setting up, installing and generally being around computers. Right now in my work area there are 9 PC's/laptops I'm working on. Deployed a couple others and worked on a few more today. It never ends! I actually do like the work. Some of it is quite mundane, but there are new challenges each day.

So.... I've come up with a possible solution. Got myself a new small profile digital camera. I have one I like already, but it's kind of big. The new one can be taken everywhere. I love taking pictures. Used to develop my own film back in the day. We had a darkroom and did the film and print work. Even rolled our own film (nod to Lewis Spencer in NY who taught me all). Hope to get inspired to blog more with the help of the pictures yet to be taken. My fellow blogger Jal does a great job with all her pictures, though I'll never write as well as she does. Anyway, keep checking back and we'll see what happens. And by the way, gas was still 2.23 9/10 today!!

Upward

2006-12-05T17:33:00.000-05:00

Today at the Wawa, gas was 2.23 9/10. Yet another 4 cents. Anyone else get the feeling there are a lot more increases coming?

Friday - 2.19 9/10

2006-12-05T08:20:00.000-05:00

This past Friday the gas price was 2.19 9/10, up 4 more cents per gallon.

Good Morning

2006-11-28T07:31:00.000-05:00

This is a rare morning post for me. Yesterday's gas price was 2.15 9/10, up 2 cents since the 20th.

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I spent mine with family and it was really good. I missed the last 2 Thanksgivings being in Texas, so this one was especially enjoyable!

Temperatures Drop, Gas Goes Up

2006-11-20T21:08:00.000-05:00

2.13 9/10 today. Up 2 more cents.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2006-11-17T17:23:00.000-05:00

I'm behind in my gas price updates. On Monday 11/13 it was 2.11 9/10. That was a 2 cent rise since a little before the election. So, gas prices dropped a ton leading up to the election, then went up one time (2 cents per gallon) just before. Now they have gone up another 2 cents since the election (as of this past Monday). I'll keep checking!

Gas Price Update

2006-10-31T17:22:00.000-05:00

Today it was 2.09 9/10 after being at 2.07 9/10 on Friday. That is the first raise in quite a while. One week until elections, not sure if my theory is right. It's not too far off base though. Lots of drops in price until right before the election. I'll keep watching to see if it continues to rise now.

Friday Fun....

2006-10-20T18:54:00.000-04:00

Not really, just got home from an all day travel excursion. Returned from Louisville, KY and it took most of the day. I was there for business and we got to the airport around 9:30ish in the morning which was about 3 hours early. I didn't get home til 6:20. Plane was delayed 45 minutes, then we boarded, taxied and sat on the runway for more than 2 hours. Weather issues in Philly, the wind I guess. Once I arrived I had to wait a while for my bag. At least I made it safely! Isn't flying fun. Went out Monday to Lexington and worked there a couple days. That went well. Then we drove to Louisville for 2 days and busted our tails. It's good to be back and I am now enjoying a cool beverage with my buddy Manny who has stopped over.

NOTE: 2 weeks and 1 day until Breeders' Cup!!

Today's Price

2006-10-11T19:27:00.000-04:00

2.10 9/10. Down 1 cent in 5 days. The drop is slowing. Gonna stick with this until after the election out of curiosity.

Not much out of the ordinary going on. My brother and my buddies Manny and Sean have been having some medical issues/tests lately. Nothing too serious, but it does show we're all getting older. Hopefully this all leads to them getting healthier real soon! Been helping my buddy Murphy with his computer, doing some upgrades. It's in good shape now. He's a newcomer to computing, but is very enthusiastic. Work has been quite busy. And with some travel thrown in I'm staying out of trouble for the most part. Breeders' Cup is coming in 3 weeks and 3 days, hoping for a fun time as I'm throwing a small party for it.

Yesterday

2006-10-07T21:12:00.000-04:00

The price of gas at the Wawa yesterday was 2.11 9/10. That's only a 3 cent drop in 7 days. Still going down though!!

Update

2006-09-29T17:07:00.000-04:00

2.14 9/10 today, down 3 cents in 2 days.

Today's Price

2006-09-27T21:13:00.000-04:00

Gas was priced at 2.17 9/10 today. Let's see if it keeps going down until election day. Then we'll watch the price afterwards. I'll only quote the price from the same Wawa on Philadelphia Pike. Down 18 cents per gallon in 9 days. Don't forget how much it had gone down prior to 9 days ago. Certainly more than 18 cents in a relatively short time.

Got Gas?

2006-09-18T22:23:00.000-04:00

I paid $2.35 9/10 for gas today. Are there elections in a few weeks?

Fall Weather Is Here

2006-09-12T17:21:00.000-04:00

It's been quite a while since my last post. Feels like fall out there the last couple days. As you see, I did arrive back from Georgia and did make it a day early! Just been working and playing since my return. Work has been real busy so the days fly by. Didn't do too much this past weekend as I was sick. Feeling a lot better today. I did get to see Audrey while she was in town for the Brandywine Arts Festival. She is my late uncle's widow. I never really think of her as my aunt as I am older. She's a great person and it was real nice to see her. She had a very successful weekend at the show. She does quiltings for wall hangings, place mats, etc. and goes to lots of these art shows.

Football season has begun and I am playing 2 different pools and 1 fantasy league this year. Off to a so-so start after week one. Not much else going on out of the ordinary. Getting ready to head over to my buddy Murph's place for a beer or two. That's always a good time. Catch you all later!!

On The Road Again In Georgia

2006-08-21T19:56:00.000-04:00

Sitting in a hotel in Augusta, GA. Landed Friday in Atlanta and worked at our Norcross site. Then Smyrna on Saturday (brutal day and night of work). There were 4 of us on Saturday. Now it's just me and my southeast counterpart, Forrest. He's a lot of fun to work with. Macon tomorrow, then Columbus Wednesday. Scheduled to fly home Friday, but if everything goes well I hope to get a Thursday flight. We'll see.

Missed a couple birthdays while I was away. My best buddy Manny on Saturday and my honey Joanne today. Did speak to both of them so at least I got to wish them a happy one! Will celebrate in person once I get back.

Time Marches On (Quickly)

2006-08-08T21:57:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since my last entry, over two weeks. I've been pretty busy in that time. Barbecues, Blue Rocks game, reunion with some ex co-workers (including my favorite ex boss JK) and assorted other gatherings and events. Work is also busy. Back in TX I had a lot of time on my hands. Not so back here in DE. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. As a matter of fact, I still have a smile on my face almost all the time. So happy to be home!

Hell's Kitchen

2006-07-24T22:03:00.000-04:00

Just finished watching Hell's Kitchen. I posted about this show last season in my old journal (which Comcast lost). Here I am posting about it again, even though I try not to like the show. Not much of a fan of reality shows or cooking, but I love this. Not sure why. I wouldn't last a minute working for Chef Ramsay or with most of the contestants. But I can't stop watching!! I think I need help.

Another Week Done

2006-07-14T17:28:00.000-04:00

Just got home from another work week. It went pretty well. There were a couple people in town I hadn't seen in a while, including fellow blogger Jodi B. It was good to spend a little time with them. My pay has been messed up the last couple pay periods, but they do straighten it out. Hopefully today's issue will be fixed Monday. The joys of relocating to a new office on a different payroll cycle!

I haven't blogged in almost 2 weeks, not too much happened in that time. Went up to Doc's on Tuesday and Mike P. stopped by on his new motorcycle. Always a pleasure to see him. Manny stopped by my place Wednesday evening and we had a few beers. I knew I was feeling them when I broke out a concert DVD. It was The Concert for Bangladesh from August, 1971. George Harrison and many of his friends, Clapton, Dylan, Ringo, Billy Preston and Leon Russell to name a few. It is an excellent DVD. The audio sounds great! Went to dinner with Joanne last night. Fun and delicious! Don't know what the weekend holds yet. Hope you all enjoy it.

Settling In

2006-07-02T13:56:00.000-04:00

I got a lot done this weekend as far as unpacking, etc. around the new apartment. Even hung pictures today. Feels like home now. Not too much left to do, just go through a few boxes and tweak things a little. No rush on that. I was able to also help Manny hook up his Vonage internet phone service at his house yesterday. We then went up to Doc's for a barbecue. His place is definitely barbecue central for the gang. Another one happening tomorrow. Hope everyone enjoys the July 4th holiday!!

Weekend Update

2006-06-25T22:55:00.000-04:00

The weekend draws to a close. I had a good one. Got a lot more boxes unpacked and am slowly getting organized. My honey Joanne stopped by Saturday afternoon and brought lunch. It was yummy. Manny and Karen came over Saturday night and we watched a good Cyndi Lauper special. I liked it more than I thought I would. Did lots of errands on Sunday and then went over to Doc's place to watch the car race. Came back home afterwards and unpacked some more boxes. Off to Reading and Wilkes-Barre for work tomorrow. Oh boy.

Home Sweet Home

2006-06-22T21:17:00.000-04:00

The movers came with my stuff yesterday and the unpacking has begun. The place is kind of a mess, but it's good to have my furniture. Work has been brutal this week so the rest of the unpacking will get done whenever. I'm exhausted and sore from work and the unpacking. Still glad to be home!! The webcam is now in a new spot. You can see some of the 83 boxes of my belongings that the movers brought. Where does it all come from?

Webcam Back Online

2006-06-17T22:48:00.000-04:00

The webcam is back in my new apartment in Wilmington. Currently it sits in what is going to be my home office area. So far there are just a couple boxes there acting as a temporary table until the movers get here with all my stuff. Can't wait to get all settled. Love it already!