VTX Riders Creed

I found this on a recent visit to a VTX owners website. It is the riders creed for VTX Riders. Some of it is a bit silly, but deep down it strikes true and I would have to say that it is pretty much a good creed. (a bit long though!) (( and for those who don't know, "X" stands for the VTX bike, not "insert bike name here", although I suppose that could work too!))

From the VTX Riders website:

Rider’s Credo... (UPDATED Version)

I ride purely, and only, because it is fun and offers me the opportunity to meet others of like mind.

I ride because I enjoy the freedom I feel from being exposed to the elements, and the vulnerability to the danger that is intrinsic to riding.

I do not ride because it is fashionable to do so.

I ride my X, not wear it. My X is not a symbol of status. It exists simply for me, and my pleasure.

My X is not a toy. It is an extension of my personality.

I strive to learn what I can about the inner-workings of my X, from the most basic to the most complex, so that I may be able to help others who may not have the mechanical ability to understand the complexity of the X.

I strive to constantly better my skill of control over my X. I will learn its limits, and use my skill to become one with my X, so that we may keep each other alive. Working together in harmony, we will become a respected team.

I do not fear death. My fear is what a premature death due to unsafe riding habits would do to my family. I will ride safely in order to protect them from the negative impact.

I do not ride to gain attention, respect, or fear from those that do NOT ride, nor do I wish to intimidate or annoy them. For those that do not know me, all I wish from them is that they take the opportunity to get to know me. For those that desire to know me, I will share with them the truth of myself.

I will never be the aggressor on the highway.

I will show respect to other riders more experienced or knowledgeable than I am. I will learn from them all I can.

I will not show disrespect to other riders less experienced or knowledgeable than I am. I will teach them what I can. It will be my task to mentor new riders into the lifestyle of the rider, so that a respect for those who ride may be gained from everyone I meet. I shall instruct them, as I have been instructed by those before me.

I will not judge other riders on their choice of machine, their appearance, or their profession. I will judge them only on their conduct as riders and human beings.

I will stand ready to help any other rider that truly needs my help. I will never ask another rider to do for me what I can do for myself.

I ride because I love freedom, independence, and the movement of the ground beneath me.

But most of all, I ride to better understand myself, my machine, the lands in which I ride, and to seek out and know other riders like myself.

-Author Unknown-

A Well Regulated Militia

I am not sure why all of a sudden this topic has become more and more prevalent in my mind, but with the recent shooting of innocents by loopy brained idiots who were pretty much wastes of space, I suppose that more gun control nut jobs are gonna start screaming about stricter gun laws. And as most of you know from reading this blog, I am a big advocate of more guns for those who are allowed to have them. (NOTE: I said those allowed to have them, not EVERYONE!) Anyway, this came across my desk and I thought that this guy made alot of good sense. His name is Bruce Kauffmann and he is published in the newspapers, usually in the commentary section. His column is "History Lessons" and it is quite good. The link to the article, which I will include in it's entirety, is at http://concealed.wordpress.com/2007/12/13/%E2%80%A2-kauffmanns-history-lesson/.

I provide the link as it has a bunch of other 2nd amendment thoughts and links that you might use if you so wish to investigate the matter further.

Anyhow, I agree with what Kauffmann has to say and only wish I could have said it first, but then I am not a columnist, nor much of a writer. So I let others say if for me and then pass it along to you. Here is the column.

Bruce’s History Lessons: The oh so controversial second amendment

By Bruce Kauffmann Special to the Tribune-Star When the Bill of Rights was ratified this week (Dec. 15) in 1791, the Founders never dreamed that centuries later the Second Amendment would become so controversial. To them, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,” was fairly straightforward language.
How wrong they were, as evidenced by the Supreme Court’s recent decision to rule on whether Washington, D.C.’s strict firearms law violates the Constitution, “a decision,” The Washington Post wrote, “that will raise the politically and culturally divisive issue of gun control just in time for the 2008 elections.”
The main controversy is over the phrase “A well regulated militia,” and its relationship to the statement “the people’s right to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Gun-control advocates believe this language means that if you don’t belong to a “regulated militia” your right to own a gun can be “infringed.”
Gun-rights advocates counter by noting that the amendment does not grant a right; it recognizes a right already granted. The amendment does not say, “The people have the right to keep and bear arms.”
It says, “the (already established) right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” And they have a point. As even the Supreme Court has acknowledged, the right to own firearms precedes the Bill of Rights.
Gun advocates also note that because the amendment gives the right to bear arms to the “people,” not the states, claiming that this right is dependent on anything the states do or don’t do — including forming militias — is ludicrous. After all, the Bill of Rights mentions no specific rights that the states possess, but several the people do.
Two additional points: In 1791, most state militias did not give guns to militiamen when militias were formed. Militiamen brought their guns with them — from home. Indeed, the amendment says they can “keep” their firearms, not merely “bear” them during military service.
Finally, (my hero) James Madison’s original Second Amendment language was as follows: “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed; a well armed and well regulated militia being the best security of a free country.”
Written that way, he is saying that if the people don’t have the right to arms, there can’t be a militia. That Congress reversed the order does not change Madison’s intent.
Granted, all constitutional rights, including free speech and gun ownership, are subject to reasonable restrictions — you can’t yell “Fire” in a crowded theater, and felons can’t possess firearms. But the general right to own firearms is constitutionally protected. We will see what the Supreme Court thinks.

Bruce Kauffmann’s e-mail address is bruce@historylessons.net

Snippets from Maxim

Maxim Magazine, the magazine for men is by far the coolest magazine I have seen in a long time. It is full of cool gadgets, interesting information, advice, jokes, reviews of all the latest and greatest and well, good looking women. Playboy it is not! And I know this sound so cliche, but I do read it for the articles! And to prove it, here are some really funny and cool little bit of information gleened from its December 2007 pages!

A silver lining to global warming. pg. 44
All that melted glacier has to go somewhere, and what better place that to your liver! Brewmeisters in Greenland are using H2O that's been frozen in the island's massive icecap for 2,000 years to make dark and pale ales they claim are fantastically polluntant-free. Farewell, mercury-infused hops. It was delicious while it lasted.

Bacon Porn: The sexiest sentence ever written. pg. 52
"Who, under any circumstances, is not rendered almost helpless by the tantalizing sound of bacon sizzling slowly in a skillet, by the taunting backwoods aroma that permeates the air, by the luscious textures of crisp fat and toothsome lean meat, and by the explosion of mingled salty and smoky and sweet flavors that virtually explode in the mouth?" - from The Bacon Cookbook, by James Villas.

The Great Weird of China: pg 116
Freestyle Grave Robbing: The black market for female corpses is resurgent in China. Recently deceased or "wet" women fetch up to $5,300 from parents who don't want their dead sons to be bachelors in the afterlife. Earlier this year, a grave robber confessed to murdering six women. Killing, he told police, was much easier than digging bodies out of the ground.

Lethal Injection Marathon: While America's courts wrestle with lethal in jection, China has put it on wheels. At least 40 "Death Cars" - vans that bring mobile lethal injection to remote communities - help China build on its 2006 world-record exectution tally of 1,010.

And the best, or rather, the worst snippet of them all: A reveiw of a perfume to be released on the world in December: pg 36

Can you smell the sex in the air? You can if you want to. VULVA Original is a "beguilling vaginal scent" that, according to its makers, "intensifies erotic fantasies" for men who sniff it. We took a whiff and it vividly transported us to a sexual fantasy of ours: the one where we're doing it inside a dumpster behind the Red Lobster.


There you have it. Useless info from a pretty cool magazine. And if you think Maxim is just for the guys, I can tell you that the person who introduced it to me was a girl who subscribes to it!


Later!

Do you play video games with your kid?

Some of you may have come across the study that says that 43 % of parents never play video games with there kids. (I am not one of them!) I enjoy playing video games with my kids and their friends. Hell, I am even trying to figure out what is the best buy for the new XBOX as a Christmas gift for them I am not the best player but I can hold my own. However, I do agree with one of the columnists from the Decatur Herald and Review when he states that most adults don't like playing with the kids because they are humiliating them,(see full article below) and I can understand that completely. My kids do not spend all their time playing XBOX, but far more time than I ever do and their skill at the games shows. My son can walk up to my character in Halo and kill me with one shot or hit with the butt of a gun, but I can send endless round of bullets at him and only take him down maybe 4 times out of 10. I know he is not cheating but it sure feels like something is wrong! Even my daughter is getting better than me! For a while, I felt assured that as long as she was on the other team, there was someone I could beat or at the very least, come out even with. It did not take long for her figure out it was a great deal of fun to whoop Dad's ass in a shoot'em up game! After that, I was all by myself.

Most of the reason I don't get to play the video games much is because of lack of free time, the XBOX being attached to the main TV of the house, and usually, there is little room for me when the kids all get together to play. But that is ok. I will find the time and play some video games with my kids, because I actually enjoy the experience and time with my kids is time with my kids. (Although there are times when I wish there was some time without them too!)

My fall back is that we play alot of board and card games and in those games, I can more than hold my own against them. These games require real brainwork and strategy and not just finger-eye coordination! Give me a game of Memoir '44 or RISK or something else that requires forethought and we'll see who is kicking butt and taking names!

Game On!

Later!

From the Herald and Reveiw Newspaper, 11/07

The Real Reason Adults Don't Play Video Games:

There was a time when I thought it was fun to play video games with my son, who is now 16. When Eric was five, we inherited an old Nintendo console that featured one-dimensional games. The older games had paths that led you places and you had few decisions to make outside of whether to go forward or in reverse. The games are addictive. I spent one day playing Super Mario Bros. 2 for about seven hours before finally figuring out how to kill Wart, the monster at the end.

When I played "Mike Tyson's Punch-Out," I could get through everyone until I got to Mike who flattened me with about three punches. It was then I found out yelling at games and complaining about the unfairness of hitting Iron Mike with a flurry of punches that did virtually no damage was at least therapeutic. That was the heyday of my video game playing. Eric graduated to Nintendo 64 and the end of my effective playing life was near. He easily beat me at just about every game except the driving games - years of actual behind-the-wheel experience finally paid off. I bring this up now because of a survey conducted by Associated Press-AOL Games that found 43 percent of people whose children play video or computer games never play along with them. This result means that 57 percent of them do play along.

The attitudes run the gamut. One man quoted in the AP story said he never plays video games. "It's just such a waste of time," said Jesse Lackman, 47, of Center, N.D. "I tell him, 'Do something that has some lasting value.'" Then there is stay-at-home dad Marvin Paup, 33, of Golden Valley, Ariz., who told AP he plays 30 hours a week with his son and dozens more on his own. Their current favorite is "Halo 3," a shooter game played online by thousands of players at a time.

Place me closer to Mr. Lackman than Mr. Paup. While I don't believe video games are a total waste of time, I can't fathom doing anything more than 30 hours a week other than work and sleep. Plus, I don't play video games much now because I am a poor loser. Eric and a couple of friends coerced me into playing some sort of James Bond 007 game a couple of years ago. It didn't take me long to figure out I wasn't playing the game, I was the object of the game. They used me as bait. I would peek around the corner and my character would get shot in the leg or arm - nothing fatal, just enough to drain some of my energy. Finally, I just said, "Kill me and put me out of my misery. Quit toying with me."

Now, I will occasionally play "Guitar Hero" with Eric, partly because I know many of the songs. While I am musically inept, I am not so inept that I can't at least play along in an easier mode. Inspired by a recent episode of "South Park," I found I'm quite good playing "Guitar Hero" acoustically.But don't let the survey fool you. Adults quit playing video games with their kids because they are tired of being humiliated by a kid. And if an adult tells you they don't play for a different reason, don't believe them. They're lying.

Managing Editor Dave Dawson's video game skills have eroded to the point he would have trouble defeating Bald Bull in "Punch-Out." He can be reached at ddawson@herald-review.com or 421-7980.

Finally, A role playing game that makes you shoot milk out of your nose!

I recently discovered a new Role Playing Game (taken pretty much tongue in cheek) called "Kobolds ate my Baby!" I have included the review from RPG. Net so that you can check it ouf for yourself if you are inclined to such sorts of games. I for one, would like to chekc this out. Maybe at a convention or if I get an extra $20 or so, I might just buy it and try it myself!

Check out the review at http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/13/13459.phtml

Game on!

Later!

Gimme a break... well said!

OK, I thought Australia was a pretty level headed country and then I go and read this...(see the Yahoo News Story below) Since when has the jolly "HO HO HO" of Santa ever sugested that he is being offensive to women. It is not like he is standing around pointing at women in the mall and screaming "HO!" "HO!" "HO!" "And there's another one! HO!"

Only in this day and age of knee jerk liberals and people who want to regulate us into politically correct hell can something like this happen. Rather instead, blame the idiots who cannot speak correctly enough to say a proper word like "whore" but instead say "ho". Blame it on poor education, lack of culture, or shear stupidity.

The gal in the news article said it best... "Gimme a break!"

Later!

SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday. Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.
One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.
"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.
"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she told the Telegraph.
"Leave Santa alone."
A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.

Burning down the house... movie house that is.

Yesterday afternoon, at around 10 am, one of the main historical landmarks in my hometown of Paxton, burnt to the ground. While the theater was not in operation at the time, there were three families living in apartments upstairs and a bookstore located directly next to the theater, all of which were lost. In addition, the Senior Center, located next door took heavy water and smoke damage and some fire damage. While not a complete loss, it will probably be enough to kill off the Senior Center which had trouble staying afloat. A hit like this most likely will put it under. All that remains now is a charred mess in the middle of town. The Majestic Theater, our most recognizable landmark, next to the water tower (seen in photos #2 and #5) and the clock tower, (photos #2 and #3) is now gone, most likely to never be replaced, and if replaced, it will be with a nuch different structure, most likely lacking that style and appeal found only in turn of the century theaters. It will not be the same anymore, walking in downtown Paxton. Our view will be so different from what we have come to expect and enjoy. In many ways, yet on a smaller scale of course, it was like the feelings we had when we saw that the Twin Towers were no longer part of our mental images. You come to expect to see certain things on a regular basis, and when they are gone, you realize just how much a part they are of your mental map of your town or city. At least no one was hurt and insurance will cover everything and it could have be so much worse that it was, but something very special was lost in Paxton, and I doubt if it will ever return. Later.

Only in Germany!

While bratwursts are certainly not one of the most perfect foods in the world, it is one of the more tasty in my opinion! Found this on the Yahoo new services. Now if only they would release the recipe!


Historian finds oldest recipe for bratwurst:

Thu Nov 1, 12:06 PM ET

A hobby historian has discovered the oldest known recipe for German sausage, a list of ingredients for Thuringian bratwurst nearly 600 years old.
According to the 1432 guidelines, Thuringian sausage makers had to use only the purest, unspoiled meat and were threatened with a fine of 24 pfennigs -- a day's wages -- if they did not, a spokesman for the German Bratwurst Museum said Wednesday.
Medieval town markets in Germany had committees charged with monitoring the quality of produce. Thuringian bratwursts, which are made of beef and pork, are symbols of Germany's cultural heritage and ubiquitous snacks at football matches.
Historian Hubert Erzmann, 75, found the ancient recipe, inscribed with pen and ink in a heavy tome of parchment, earlier this year while doing research in an archive in the eastern town of Weimar, museum spokesman Thomas Maeuer said.
"The discovery shows that there were already consumer protection laws in the Middle Ages," he said.
The instructions go on display Thursday in the Bratwurst Museum near the eastern city of Erfurt, Thuringia's capital.

Halloween in a Small Town

Happy Halloween... okay.. it is a bit late. Anyway, I wanted to share with you a really cool experience that many in the bigger towns never get to have. A full on, military style assault, led by lots of tiny costumed soldiers on the candy forts of

my hometown. Seriously though, it really is like a military operation. Trucks and vans, loaded with costumed kids stop at the corners, the kids pour out of vehicles, blanket both sides of the street and hit every house with a porch light on in search of candy goodies. The assault vehicles then drive down a bit and pick up their soldiers and set off for a new conquest in town.

This year was a bit different from years past, but no less fun or hectic! With the extension of the daylight saving time, trick or treaters were (for better or worse) going from house to house with about an extra hour of daylight. In addtion, the weather was very comfortable at a cool 60 degrees and no rain. These things, and the fact that my neighborhood and accompanying streets, are a known quanitity in town for giving out full sized candy bars and cans of soda, made for a very busy night! Starting at 5pm promptly, we were beset with dozens of trick or treaters and it did not stop until 7:30pm, which was when we were out of candy, out of breath, and simply too tired to go on! At one time, I estimated there were closed to 35 kids lined up on our sidewalk waiting to get a bit scared at our decorated porch and to get a good handout! Seriously!

Our neighbor has a fool proof system for counting the number of kids who come to our doors. She has a certain number of cans of pop and when it is gone, the night is over for her. This year she bought.... wait for it.... 436 individual cans of pop! And she ran out! At 7:15pm! She sent word that she was out and we had about 10-15 more kids come by our house after that so we are setting the number at an even 450 kids visiting our house for trick or treating!

It was a blast! I dress up to scare some of the kids as the sun sets and I usually go around chasing some of the older kids that I know, just to scare them a bit. I truly love Halloween for what it is. A chance to play and have fun and just be a kid. For some it is a "evil" day, or promotes greed or something like that. Come on, get a life. It is based on a real pagan holiday, but I don't think that candy and costumes is what that was all about. It is about having fun, dressing up, and letting loose for a bit. (And if you happen to be a producer of Halloween decorations or candy, then it is all about the money.)

I must say though, that the extra hour of daylight kind of ticked me off. I think Halloween should be done in the dark. Trick or treating in the daylight is kind of wimpy and reminds me of those times I visited family relation in big cities where they could only trick or treat during the day and sometimes, not even on the actual holiday! How lame is that!? I think that I might wait a bit longer before opening up my treasure trove next year and letting the sun go down a bit.

Oh, and one more thing. If you are a parent and read this, and your kid is going out to trick or treat, for Pete's sake, make them wear a costume! Being too cool to dress up with get you nothing at my house!

Photos: Just a small smattering of some of the crowds of costumed candy crunchers, a photo of me in my costume, and a real photo of a ghost! You can see right through her! These photos were taken by my neighbor at her home and passed on to me.

Later!

Where I have been

A friend of mine over at www.mirisdad.blogspot.com turned me on to this map thing. You can generate a map of those place you have been and link it to your blog. The site for it is http://www.world66.com/myworld66/visitedStatesI think it is kind of neat. I filled in only those states that I have at least spent a full day in. Traveling through does not really count as far as I am concerned. As a kid we traveled alot as a family and it instilled in me a real love to travel and visit places I have never been before. And as for my own family, we try to take a travel vacation every year, and hopefully this will stick with my kids too!

My dream is to travel in Europe but there are still so many places to visit here in the good old USA!

Later!

Where the heck are we?

Hey Everyone! Look what we have been up to last weekend! Another Boy Scout camping adventure! It has been a while since I have been to a Scout campout and this was a great weekend for it. The weather was great and the nights just perfect for sleeping outside. The theme of the camput out was the River Ridge Geo Quest. We were to use GPS units and compass' to find hidden waypoints in and amongst the trails of the Forest Glen Nature Preserve near Westville, IL. I found out about this about a month before hand and thought it might be a good excuse to get a GPS unit. I have been wanting one for a number of years and with gift money I recieved for my birthday, I went out and got a state of the art unit. I must say, these things are alot of fun! I played with it for about 2 weeks straight, trying to figure out how to use it, track my progress and find locations from afar. By the time I got to the camp, I felt ready to teach the boys how to use it and find where we needed to be.

Our goal was to participate in a number of GPS trail tests to find waypoints previously set by another GPS unit. The first was a timed event which had us running all over the place looking for markers with a set of numbers that we needed to write down and then add up later for accuracy. We came in 3rd place in this event. The big event had us walking about 7 miles all around the forst preserve looking for caches that held codes and other stuff (candy, swap items, etc..) that we needed to locate. There were 18 locations in all. We had only 5 hours to do this in so we needed to talk food and drink along with us. We started off, kind of slow, somewhat untrusting of the GPS unit, but after the third successful find we realized that it was working well for us and that if we followed the directions of the GPS rather than the trails, we could knock some time off by going off trail and moving directly in the direction of the waypoint. And boy did we go off trail. We blazed new trails that did not exist before and did a fair amount of climbing and jumping to get over obstacles and large hills and ravines. In the end we found 17 of the locations which was enough to get us 1st place in the competition and some nice prizes for our efforts! It was an exhausting hike and the chili we had back at camp was a welcome reward and we had no trouble getting to sleep that night! Over all, a great weekend and it has really sparked an interest in me for Geo-Cacheing. Check out http://www.geocache.com/ or google geo-cache to find out more about it!

As to the photos, (top to bottom, left to right...) The boys checking out one of the cache boxes that we found. This one had nothing in it, but you get the idea of what we were looking for.Veiw from the 150 foot fire watch tower at Forest Glen. The veiw was really spectacular! Julian and Dustin playing a game. (I always bring a game to camp... it is kind of expected now) and finally, the boys and I stopped off at the Pioneer Homestead cabin for a bit of a rest.

Go get a GPS unit! They are really cool and a lot of fun! And go outside and hike in the woods with it and have a blast! It is really worth it!

Later!

Capt. Kirk has been found!

This most recent news from the entertainment world about the upcoming Star Trek Movie. (From Yahoo News) I have never seen this guy and don't remember him from Smokin' Aces but word is out that people are liking him for the part. And after reading this, and you want more info or just wants to see that Star Trek is still alive and well, go to www.trekmovie.com.

Later!

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Does Hollywood have a new It Boy? Over sandwiches at Barney's Greengrass and over beer at Barney's Beanery, the talk is about Chris Pine, who might be the hottest new actor in town. He is in discussions to star as Captain Kirk in Paramount's "Star Trek" and in negotiations to star opposite George Clooney in Joe Carnahan's adaptation of the James Ellroy crime novel "White Jazz."
If Pine joins "Trek," which J.J. Abrams is directing, he would face off against Australian actor Eric Bana, who was cast Tuesday as the film's villain, Nero. It is unknown whether Bana would play a human or a member of the alien race, like a Klingon; as per the veil of secrecy that surrounds "Trek," parts are being solicited and offered without scripts.
Although not a complete unknown, Pine's biggest gig to date has been the male lead in the 2006 Lindsay Lohan movie "Just My Luck," which flopped. The 27-year-old Los Angeles native also caught some eyeballs with a scene-stealing role as a neo-Nazi assassin in "Smokin' Aces," also directed by Carnahan.
The biggest stumbling block to getting both roles at this point might be scheduling. Sources said "Trek" will shoot from November through March, while "Jazz" has a mid-January start. Although both sides are trying to sort out the date puzzle, it is possible that Pine and his camp could be forced to choose which role to take.
Paramount is not sitting idle while negotiations are under way, with sources saying that the studio is looking for backup actors to have on deck.
Already on the Starship Enterprise crew for Paramount are Anton Yelchin as the young Chekov, the Russian-born navigator; Zachary Quinto as the young Spock; and Zoe Saldana as the young Uhura, the communications officer.

Selling a Memory...

Today I sold a memory for $50. And I only had the slightest of guilty pangs about it. The item I sold was an early 1980's video game console called the Magnavox Odyssey 2 gaming console. It was the direct competitor to the Atari game console and in many ways, the Beta Max to the Atari's VHS. It was never a big seller, nor very popular, but like Beta tapes and the players, was better in quality and durability than VHS. I remember getting our Odyssey game as a Christmas gift from my parents. My uncle Bob was a Magnavox salesman and he got a good deal for them, but I shiver when I think how much they had to pay for it at the time. (More proof that either my parents really loved my younger brother and I or that we were really spoiled)
Anyway, we played the crap out of that game and obtained all kinds of game cartridges for it. The cartridges were these huge 4x3 inch cases that looked more like a Sci-Fi component than anything else, and it plugged into this large, sleek, silver and black keyboard that looked like something off of Star Trek. I loved it! It was so much cooler looking than the simple Atari box with it's single red button. I knew of only one other kid who had the Odyssey game so trading games was kind of tough. Everyone else had Atari!
This game console provided us with countless hours of fun at our house. Our friends would come over and we would spend hours in my room playing it. (I had a 13" color TV that I bought!) We especially loved playing it when the snow was so deep we had no school and it was so cold no amount of clothing was going to keep us warm....
That sparks another memory if I might be allowed to digress a bit... During those cold winter days of gaming on the Odyssey, I remember how often my friends would come over but they always had to keep their winter coats on while in the upstairs of my parents house. You see, there was no direct heat upstairs other than a really, really inefficient space heater. Temps during the winter rarely got above 55 degrees in the 2nd floor of the house, so a coat was a neccesity. Maybe that is the reason I like to have my own home so cool in the winter. I can attribute it to my formative years. My wife would attribute it to me being cheap and unwilling to pay for a heating bill! But anyway, on with the sale of a memory....
We would play the games, laughing, yelling, cursing, and hitting each other for hours at time. (Yes, I said hitting. It was a primitive form of affection where I came from, much like calling each other *only* by their last names.) These games, looking back at them now, are so simplistic compared to the games on XBOX or Playstation. But you know what, they were fun. And at times, very challenging! Alot of great memories were hooked up to that game.
I broke the old Odyssey game out a few years ago and hooked it up and decided to play it for a while. It still worked as it always did and the familiar and endearing "buulureep!" noise it made when you pressed start was like hearing from an old friend again. I showed my XBOX partner, (my son) the game and at first he was skeptical that an 8 bit video image game could be fun, but he was surprised at how fun it really was. He played a number of the games and liked them, but in the end, XBOX graphics and challenges had spoiled him for more modern fare. But at least he tried it!
The Odyssey game is gone now, sitting in a store in Champaign that specializes in retro audio/visual stuff. I hope he enjoys it, or that someone else buys it and get some good use out of it. It was collecting dust at my house and I guess I would rather have the cash than the item. I guess I still have the memories,(and now, so do you...) but sometimes, possessing the thing that made the memories can make those memories more tangible. Oh well. If need be, I can always buy it back or get on one Ebay. But I doubt it. Right now I am happy with the memory and the cash, and besides, I've got to save up for an XBOX 360!

Game on!

Later!

Ain't he just the most handsome dog ever?!?!

Just posting a nice pic of Gunnar. Damn he is handsome! Takes after his owner!

Later

Firepower Weekend!

Over the Labor Day weekend, my family and I, along with a number of family friends set out for a little out of the way place in Iroquois County to spend the weekend camping under the stars. This is a great place. It is about 5 miles from anything... no electricity, no running water other than the creek, and no people living nearby. Only about 80 acres of woods, grassland and fresh air. (The only drawback that anyone can talk about is that we have to dig our own latrine! Fortunately we have a old hosptial commode chair that we place over the stew hole and throw some canvas up over the branches of a downed hickory tree. It provides not only privacy, but a sense of normality when doing your business. ) We have been coming here now for about 4 years or so and each year we bring out all our guns, paintball gear, cooking accessories, and games and enjoy a few days of doing nothing in particular. One of my good friends nicknamed the weekend, "Firepower Weekend," and I think that moniker suits it quite well. And it sounds better than "Labor Day Weekend Campout." This year we had some new attendees to Firepower Weekend. One of my son's Boy Scout troop members came out and got to shoot the crap out of my 8mm Mauser! (I doubt it has been shot that much since 1944!) He also got to see how much food we can make in an evening, and even got to try my family's homemade ice cream for the first time. And our pastor, a big shooting and hunting fan, came out and almost immediately found himself involved in an airsoft BB gun fight with myself, my son and a couple of other kids! He also brough out a number of weapons and we enjoyed shooting them at targets or just plinking. (Plinking, for those who do not know, is just picking a safe target, where ever it might be and trying to hit it with your gun, or more accurately, bullet fired from the gun!!! It is quite fun and very theraputic!) As and aside, it was reassuring to later find out that he keeps a loaded .45 cal. 1911 Colt with hollow point bullets in his home.... just in case! In any case, we spent most of the afternoon shooting ammo at all kinds of things.

After cleaning up a bit from shooting, the kids found the foam swords and weapons I brought and managed to smack the crap out of each other for about an hour or so. It is funny to watch my dog Gunnar. He always seems to go after anyone who is attacking (in order of importance) Me, my son or daughter, my friend's kids, and lastly, anyone who looks vunerable.

Later that afternoon, after playing a game or two, we got the fire going well and cooked a number of pork loins, potatoes and onions, sweet potatoes and homemade ice cream with chocolate chip cookie bars. Man oh man was it good eating. The meal is always eagerly anticipated and this year proved to be a feast! Everything, and I mean everything, tasted wonderfull!

After supper, a bit of cleaning up, the homemade ice cream came out and the campfire talking began. I even got to make fry pies with my cast iron pie maker. If you have never had one, I feel sorry for you.

All In all, it was a great way to spend the weekend. Here is to next year!

Later!

Photos descriptions! The first two are of my son and one of his best buds doing what best buds do best! Shooting at each other with Airsoft BB guns! How I have great memories of BB gun fights as a kid. I hope they cherish their fights too! The next one is of my daughter getting ready to shoot her brother and friends with her BB gun pistol. The mask is a bit big but the outfit she was wearing is hilarious! Nothing like princess clothing for a gun fight! The next one is of my wife shooting my M1 .30 carbine. This is a WWII vintage gun that shoots really smoothly! It is a blast to shoot! The second to last is of the foam sword fight that broke out just before supper! The kids were really wearing themselves out but having a great time doing it! And finally, the last one is of me making the most delicious of desserts, homemade ice cream! The recipe we use is close to 150 years old and we don't change a thing. I could eat a ton of it. The only thing missing this weekend, was my Mom's homemade chocolate sauce to go on it!

More cooking with Fire

Here are the two last images of the fish boil. You can see the last part of the mushroom cloud from the kerosene fuel buring and the final extinguishing of the fire after the boil over. Again, this is quite a bit of fun to see and take part in, and the food is quite tasty!

later!

Now that's cooking with FIRE!!!

Hey Now! That is what I call a fire! Recently, at a meeting of the very small sportsman's club I belong to, we had a traditional Door County (Wisconsin) fish boil. What this is, is basically a simple proceedure of boiling onions for 10 minutes, adding red potatoes for 10 minutes, then adding Lake Michigan White Fish for another 10 minutes and at the end of the 30 minute cooking time, throwing on about 12 oz of kerosene or diesel fuel (as seem in the first photo) onto the fire which super heats the fire and the water, causing a great fireball and the water to boil over. This boiling over is essential as whitefish is very fatty, and the boiling over of the water removes all the nasty fat residue and also extinguishes the huge fire you now have under your kettle! ( I have more photos of the fire and boil over and will try to post them.) Once you can get to the kettle, you can lift out the baskets that hold the fish, onions, and red potatoes and set them out on the table and it is a feeding frenzy! It tastes delicious! Also it is traditionally served with cherry pie. I am not sure about the history of this cooking recipe, but most of the people in the Wisconsin area are Northern European, either Norwegian, Swedish, or North German and I suspect that this tradition comes from the early settlers to the are of Door County, Wisconsin. I could be totally wrong, but either way, it is alot of fun and tastes great!

You can find all kinds of similar recipes by googling Door County Fish Boil, but few mention the super heating process at the end.

Enjoy!

later!

Best 4,,, ok, 2 days of Gaming...

Lots Of Pics!

Scroll down for descriptions!

Let's see.. where to start. Okay, Gen Con #40 was this last weekend, and as it says, it is the best 4 days of gaming. I headed out on Friday morning with the family and a friend in caravan mode. We got to Indy that afternoon, shortly after lunch and immediately discovered that parking is much harder to find than planned. But we persevered and found a nice cheap spot only a mile or so from the convention center. A funny thing happened on the way to the center. No sooner than we were about a block from the Mecca of gaming, we over hear a conversation that goes something like this... "The cloak was used for as a protection cloak instead of invisibility...." We knew we were in the right place. Anyway, we got in, got registered, got the incredibly heavy swag bag and were off to get a lay of the land. I have been once before, but the rest of my family and my buddy Dave had not. So we went exploring and I think they were a bit stunned by the sheer size of the convention. We did not have a game scheduled until 5pm that afternoon, but we needed to get some food and get checked into the hotel. We wandered around the exhibit hall and gawked at all the stuff on display. Not just games and gaming material but, flesh and blood. As Dave said, I was prepared for the high gamer geek level at the convention, but not prepared for the costume party and potential babe fest at Gen Con. (You can see some of the Conan Babes posing with my daughter) He was right after all. Gaming is geared toward males, aged 14-20 and most of the displays, if appropriate, took full advantage of using the babe factor to get people into the booth, or some of the female costumed characters dressed as a gamers fantasy come true. Heck, while hanging out at the True Dungeon Tavern and playing a game of Three Dragon Ante, a chain mail bikini wearing gal comes right up to us and asks us what we are playing. I don't really know what her real purpose was, but she certainly was not shy. I am kind of glad my son was gone at the time, but he got eye fulls later on throughout the weekend.

But we did not come to gawk. We came to game and game we did. We got involved in a big game of Epic Battlelore with the game designer and had a great time. (My team won!) My son was the only one to score points on the other team, so at least losing for him was not totally a loss. Then later, everyone on the family got to join a Settlers of Catan game and I think my daughter really impressed some of the strangers in the game at how good she really is at the game. It was a blast and maybe on of the best times at the convention. We were also invovled in some other games, including the huge Memoir '44 game (seen in photo #6) with none other than the CEO of the game company that makes the game! (Very cool from a gamers point of view) we did not win but we came awful danged close. The time at Gen Con was a blast and I really hope to make it again next year. My son said he definately wants to go again and so that is a good thing and makes it more likely. We will see.

Now to the photos.

Photo #1 This is the D&D room sponsored by Wizards of the Coast. Everyone there is playing a Role-Playing Game... and what you see is only about a third of the room!

Photo #2 This is the kid gaming room, normally filled with a bunch of really good games, but lo and behold, Dave and I found Rock 'em, Sock 'em Robots! We had to relive the childhood of the 70's once again! (I seem to recall them being bigger when I had them.)

Photos 3&4 Julian in the Role Playing game room with some of the gaming mock ups! Nice atmosphere for gaming, and the floor, much like a dungeon tile door, I think could double as a dance floor!

Photo 5 The kids with Lord Vader.... There was another Darth Vader at the con, but he was not any taller than I am so, he had to be an impostor.... We also think that George Lucas was spotted at convention too.

Photo 6 The big "Overlord" version of Memoir '44. It was an 8 player game with myself, Dave, Julian and the overall commander, Henry on one side.

Photo 7 This is Julian and I with E. Gary Gygax, the creater of Dungeons & Dragons, the game the created all other role playing games and started Gen Con 40 years ago. Meeting him was a bigger thrill than I expected it to be. After all, he is responsible for some of my best memories as a kid. It was actually an honor to get to meet him. I did have him sign my DM guide... okay... call me a geek now!

Photo 8 The Conan Babes in front of the Conan video game booth. These girls were here all day long and had probably been asked by thousands of guys to take pictures, but this was the first time I actually saw them looked excited to take a photo! They really glammed on to Cora taking a photo with them. And speaking of Conan, I got to talk with the Secretary and Treasurer of the Robert E. Howard foundation and got some really good info on some stuff for a new blog posting... but that is for another time.

As of right now, I have to stop typing. So, if you can, go to Gen Con next time! You will not be disappointed!

Later!

Game On!

Update on things...

Okay! So what has happened since we last met? Quite a bit actually! My son returned from his trip to England, Wales and Ireland. We are still getting stories from him and it seems to have been a really great experience for him. He had a great time and made some really good, new friends. It took him a while to get back into the swing of things at home, but after finding him a job walking beans for a week or so, that helped put him back on track.

Both of the kids had birthdays. My daughter turned 9 and my son turned into an official teenager. I think we had good days for them. Each of them had friends over and we got them some nice, but not out of world gifts. It is nice that they are not be more discerning about their gifts and that one or two, rather than more is enough for them. We also planned a large party for them with some other family that has a birthday in August. We rented out the local sportsman's club and had a family day of fishing, shooting, cookout and just hanging out. Later that evening, the invited friends showed up for a DJ that came to play tunes for them. All in all, it was a great evening. Things learned from this party though... Glow stick liquid can irritate some peoples skin, and glow sticks float on the lake and they certainly can't stay in the lake, so loading a canoe on a van at 10pm is not much fun and physically holding it to the top of a van is quite a workout...

Other things...
on a down side, a family in town, very good friends of ours, are facing the decision of having to move in the near future to follow a job. This pretty much sucks for them because of all the reasons it would. Packing, selling, leaving school, etc. But it sucks for us too, as they are probably some of our best friends in town. It would really be a downer to have them leave. We, and they, are holding out hope that something will keep them in the area. But right now, I don't have much hope. It would also mean that I will have to look for a new gamer buddy, as he is my main gaming friend.

Speaking of games, I am heading out, with the family, to Gen Con over the upcoming weekend. It was a great time last year, which was my initial year. I convinced the family to go and I hope that we all have a great time. I have some apprehension that there may be some logistical problems, but I hope we all have a good time. (If you don't know what Gen Con is, think of it as the Mecca of gaming conventions with 30,000 other people who share the same love of gaming as you might.)

And school starts up in one week, and think that maybe, just maybe, my kids are looking forward to it. I think that three months of travel, heat, and just hanging out at home has killed their enthusiasm for summer vacation. We will see. I personally am looking forward to having them back in a routine.

So, that is it for now!

Talk at you later!

Star Trek Movie News!

I am not getting too excited about this yet, as filming has not even started but.... here is some news taken directly from E! News online.. Something to look forward to in 2008! (especially since the HALO movie is in financial limbo)


Four Vulcan ears are always better than two.
J.J. Abrams, creator of Lost and Alias and the auteur who will be reviving the Star Trek franchise next year, said Thursday that his take on the sci-fi classic will feature dual Mr. Spocks, the younger of the two to be played by Heroes villain Zachary Quinto, as reported earlier this week by E! Online's TV blog.
And serving as young Spock's older and wiser incarnation will be none other than Leonard Nimoy, who was on hand when the good news was announced during Paramount Pictures' panel at Comic-Con, aka fanboy heaven, in San Diego.
"People have been asking me why I'm doing this movie, and I think the answer is obvious—we have a great director, a wonderful script, and a wonderful young actor playing Spock, so…it was logical," said the 76-year-old Nimoy, to everybody's proudly dorky delight.
Per the closely guarded script penned by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, Quinto will star as Spock in his pre-Wrath of Khan days. Nimoy, meanwhile, will have a meaty cameo.
When asked how much of his take on the half-Vulcan Enterprise veteran will be inspired by Nimoy, Quinto, was last seen opening skulls and getting skewered as the power-hungry Sylar on Heroes, said: "Well, as much as he'd like it to be, since he's working on the film, which is an honor."
But, "I certainly intend to bring my own spin to it, and working with these guys, I'm sure I'll find it," he added.
Abrams' addition to the canon, which is slated for a Christmas Day 2008 release, couldn't be coming at a better time, at least for Trekkers, considering there hasn't been a new addition to the cinematic series in more than five years, and because, for the first time in what seems like forever, there is no first-run Star Trek spinoff series on the air right now.
While the last cinematic permutation of the series was 2002's Star Trek: Nemesis, Nimoy hasn't played big-screen Spock since 1991's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Shooting on the new film—which, taking a cue from Casino Royale and Batman Begins, will bring us back to where it all began for Spock and pal James T. Kirk—is expected to kick off in November.
Abrams, who promised that he'd return to Comic-Con next year with more scoop, said that the role of young Kirk has not yet been cast and that they're trying to find a way to get William Shatner involved.


Check the full story at http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=3a6f8f14-fb89-4eeebc462598412ea62a&entry=index&sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories


LIVE LONG AND PROSPER!

A list for parents...

I am skimming a book that a friend loaned me, called, "Shut up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life." by Larry Winget. Winget is a motivational speaker and for the most part is a pretty practical and reasonable person and most of what he says in the book is pretty straight forward and most of us would call it common sense advise, but most of us would rather whine about our problems, rather than do something about them. One of the best chapters is on Marriage and Relationships. It really is actually pretty good and I advise reading it. But in another chapter, called "Kids are a Pain in the Butt." he has a list of advise for raising good kids. It too is common sense, but sometimes we need to be reminded of them. I am going to put them in the blog to help those who read this and are parents, to help you remember some of the stuff that we sometimes forget of think that they already know, or worse, think that it is someone else's job to teach them.

Short list for raising good kids:

• If you have little bitty kids, sit on the floor a lot. Communicate at their level.
• Teach them about money. How to earn it, save it, invest it, spend it, and give it away.
• Listen to them.
• Ask more, tell less.
• Hug more, nag less.
• Show your kids affection even after they think they are too big for it.
• Teach them the really important things: Kindness, charity, love, forgiveness, compassion, respect, honest, responsibility, and how to have fun.
• Never lie to them. Never tolerate any lie from them.
• Encourage your children to develop their own uniqueness. Do not try to mold their personalities. Let them be who they are and let them become what they want to become, not what you want them to be.
• Do not make a jackass out of yourself at their sporting events.
• Do not protect them too much. Let them make their own mistakes and suffer the consequences. The lesson is in the consequences.
• They need love more than stuff.

That's it. Pretty sensible stuff and something I think every parent should take to heart. Especially the 3rd, 4th, 5th and last one. No one is a perfect parent, even if we think we are. If we try to be, then we are not being good parents. Spoiling your kids, letting them get off easy, or giving them too much freedom is not being a good parent. If your kids get pissed at you because of a decision that you have made, then most likely, you have made the right decision, and hopefully in time, they will understand.

Okay... off my soapbox.

Pick up the book I mentioned and got this from. Not a bad read. Certainly is easy to read. You just might find something useful!

later!

Name five books...

I was just reading something that I thought would be fun to try... Apparently 43.6 percent of all Americans read at below the seventh grade level. And if that is true, then many, many more are not reading books. So here is what I am going to ask you to try and do. Ask someone, anyone, what are the names of the last five books you have read. Hopefully they will be able to answer, but more likely, they probably not be able to. And then if they do, ask them how long ago was the last time they read those books.

For those who are wondering, these are the last five books I have read:
1. Killing Time ( a Star Trek Novel)
2. 3 issues of Miltary History or Military Heritage magazine (that's something like over 100 pages)
3. Conan of Cimmeria by Robert E. Howard
4. Conan by Robert E. Howard
5. Knights of the Air (biographies of WWI pilots)
...and I am currently reading Medieval Swordsmanship: Illustrated methods and techniques. by John Clements

All of these have been read in at least the last three months or so.

Go ahead and ask someone, or even ask yourself! You might be really surprised at what answers you get! And if you can't remember the last time you have read a book, shame on you! Go out and get a book and read it! Sheesh....


Later!

Along came a spider.... my near miss experience with a Brown Recluse

Hey, an update on my leg wound... Wow! If only my leg looked like that picture that was posted previously. Since then, the bruising (or more accurately, poisoning) of the skin has increase to 3 times the size seen on the picture. The center of the wound has turned necroptic (dying off) and the redness has turned a deep deep shade of purple! A blood culture came back and found no bacteria, thereby ruling out an infection, and pretty much determining it is the result of a bite, most likely spider and a Brown Recluse at that! I am pretty lucky actually. I did not need IV antibotics, the necropsis has not spread widely and I am actually feeling much better. (No more nausea, muscle pain, severe headaches, and swollen foot.) I can actually walk for the most part of the day without too much pain, although I try to limit what I do. The redness, a result of the poison has spread up to the bottom of my calf muscle, almost all around the bottom of my leg, (front and back) and moved down now to encompass my ankles, but I think I am getting better. I also believe that I am only going to lose a little bit of tissue on my Achilles heel area and not a big divit as seen in worse cases of spider bites. I hope that the redness will start to dissipate soon. I have avoided going to the gym all last week, for obvious reasons, but I think I will try a light day tomorrow. Hopefully, all will be well and I can get back to normal! If anything changes, I hope it is for the better!

Later!

Lookie at what I have!

Apparently, sometime on Saturday, the 30th of June, I did something or got bit by something that caused a huge infection on my lower left leg! I did not notice much until late Sunday when it felt alot like a localized sunburn. But after a walk on Monday, my leg and foot were swollen and sore and hurt enough to make me think something out of the ordinary was afoot.. no pun intended.

Late that night, I had my wife do a quick internet search for spider bites and lo and behold, this wound was starting to look like a Brown Recluse Spider bite... so, off to the emergency room we went at 10:30 at night! One Educated Opinion said it was a sub derman infection called cellulitus and I began taking antibiotics for it. The other Educated Opinion did not rule out a spider bite but thought it was most likely te cellulitus. Either way it hurt like hell.

Then, on Tuesday I went and did something stupid and stood on my feet for about 6 hours at a outdoor concert. Needless to say, Wednesday morning, you could find me crawling on all fours in order to simply get to the bathroom shower. I was a real invalid and felt like crap. However, a ton of ibuprofen and a little rest made it feel better and I think I am on the mend. It still hurts, and I can'r really even walk right yet, but I feel far better than I did yesterday!

Hope I didn't gross you out, but thought it worth sharing!

Later!

One more trophy!

The annual "Old Fashioned 4th of July" in my hometown went off with a bang! Good weather, (a bit humid), lots of activities and entertainment, and the usually car and motorcycle show at the park. Last year I entered in the show and got first place. It was on a whim, but it still felt good to win, especially against another bike that had a ton of custom work done to it! And just earlier this year, I entered my bike in the show for the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby car and bike show. And I won best of show! There were only 4 bikes maybe, but I did beat out a Harley with big ape hanger bars and lots of chrome and noise. That was a really good feeling! This year I entered the bike again. I was a bit concerned at first, not because the competition was stiff, but because there was no competition! (that would have been a rather hollow victory) I had the only bike there until about 1:45 or so. Then two other bikes entered into my category (Import Street) and gave me legitimate competition. After all was said and done it came in with a first place trophy.

Some people say that their bike is merely a tool, and I can accept that. But for me, my bike is an extension of my personality and style and so I keep it in the best shape and look as I can. I ride it maybe not as much as I would like, but my situation is much different from most bike owners. My wife and I carpool and our jobs and other responsibilities sometimes require us to cart along more than can fit on my bike. Some might say, add more carrying space or a luggage rack. But that is not what I bought a bike for. If I wanted to carry all the stuff I would need to do what is required on certain days, I might as well take my truck or car! I really enjoy riding, but I want to do it without a lot of "baggage".

Anyway, I just wanted to update the blog, show off my trophy, my bike and my motorcycle cutie!

Later!

While kids are away....

Last week, while both my kids were away, (my son to the UK and my daughter to Girl Scout Camp) my wife and I took advantage and went to one of our favorite get away from it all places. Oddly enough it is located only about 1.5 hours from home and is near Covington, Indiana. It is a bed and breakfast log cabin call Cabins and Candlelights. It is probably the best bed and breakfast we have ever stayed in! It is a complete place to stay with full kitchen, stocked with goodies, dining area, sitting area, large bed and hottub all contained in the same room. Outside you have a fire pit and wooded area, a creek nearby and lots of wild critters to come visit you while there. As you can see from the photos, it is a very elegant place and truly is a place to relax and get away from it all. I really like it there and highly recommend it for anyone who needs a bit of time to themselves. The owners have thought of everything and all that remains is for you to visit. We have been twice and will definately be back...

Some of things we don't normally get to do while we were there...

sleep in

pick wild raspberries for pancakes

talk a walk in the woods

have a quiet campfire

read for hours

relax in the hottub

watch a movie without interuption

go antiquing

go eat somewhere we have never been

and other things I won't go into detail about....

Check it out on the web. Just search for Cabins & Candlelights! You will not be disappointed!

Later!

Update from the UK and Ireland!

Well, after nearly 8 days of not hearing a thing from our son, who is traveling in England, Wales and Ireland, we finally got a phone call telling us that all is well and that he actually does not miss us or is not homesick because it "is the most amazing experience." That makes all the hard work and time to get him over there worth it all. We have heard that they have been having experiences that your normal tourist coudl never have and much of what he talks about is making me jealous! (like complete free run of Warwick Castle and stuff like that....)

He will be there until the 9th of July and returns on the 10th. So far he has taken over 1GB of photos on the digital camera. I think that is something like more than 300 images! Wow!

I am so glad he is having a great time, but I can't wait to see him and hear all about it!

later!

One of the toughest things I am going to do....

Hello All!

This coming Thursday, the 21st of June, I am going to have to do one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I will be letting my 12 year old son travel to another part of the world, where for the most part, I will be unable to help him, watch over him, guide him, comfort him, yell at him or do anything more than talk to him on the phone. He is leaving for England, Wales and Ireland to spend three weeks abroad with the People To People Student Ambassador program. He was nominated and selected from a group of Central Illinois Students to go on this cultural exchange program and for the last 6 months we have been working to raise funds to send him. Well, now the time has come. I think it has snuck up on everyone in our family. I think that for a very long time, my son thought that it would really not happen, but indeed it really is. I know that he has many apprehensions about leaving and traveling so far away from his family. I have the same ones. However, this program has been doing this sort of thing for almost 30+years and is very well organized and well planned.
Aside from being very proud of him for going, I am jealous. I have never been anywhere other than Canada and that cannot really be said of going to a foreign country, especially when I have only traveled to Toronto. He is going to get to see and do so much. The itinerary they have laid out for him is amazing! I highly doubt he will even think about calling home he will be so busy and moving around.
Thursday is coming up fast. I am quite nervous but I do not want to let him see that. I am sure there will be tears upon leaving but he will not see concern in my face. I hope to add entries to the blog as he progresses in his travel. But for now, all I want to do is get through Thursday and see him off safely and comfortably. Other than making sure he is well prepared, that is about all I will be able to do for him. Wish me luck!

Later!

Earliest Memories?

How far back does ones memory go? Are we able to remember things from our very early childhood days? I was thinking about this when on vacation in St. Louis. My daughter, who had visited the arch when she was about 2 years old or so, thought she remembered it, but really was only remembering a photo she had seen. My son did remember some of it but it was very little and he was about 6 years old. Not that far back in terms of length of time for him. It piqued my interest and I thought about what some of my earliest memories are. Here are what I came up with.

I remember an afternoon spent in a mud puddle at the entrance of my parents driveway. My younger brother and I spent a good hour or so playing in a deep muddy pool of warm water. There is a photo of this, and I am not remembering just the photo, because I distinctly remembering riding through the puddle with my trike and pouring water over my brother's legs and arms. And I remember my mother laughing at me before taking the picture.

I remember a 2 year old birthday with a clown cake. I remember it being decorated on the counter just to the left of where the fridge in my parents house now sits. I also remember tasting the icing and taking a picture outside by the front lamp post.

I remember my first day of walking to the school bus. I had to walk with my older brother, who was 13 years older than me. I also remember standing in the road outside my parents house with my sack of things for school waiting for my mother to take a picture. I don't know if that photo still exists or not. I vividly remember my fear and walking behind him to the corner to be picked up. It was a sunny, hot day. I don't remember the bus arriving but I distinctly recall the bus driver saying to my brother, "It looks like you have a shadow today." I also remember the nervousness I felt when he walked to the back of the bus and I stayed in the front. I thought I was supposed to stay with him but instead he moved as far to the back of the bus as was allowed. I don't remember anything after that.

I definately remember the old neighbor we had next door. Lee Fry. I remember stealing his cane and letting us sit with him on his front porch in the afternoon. He also used to give us cold drinks in the summer. I remember his yard was often overgrown and it had junk lying around in it. He was quite old and I think we have photos of me and my younger brother posing with him. I also remember visiting him in the nursing home in Hoopeston I think. Maybe it was Watseka. He died when I was maybe 5 years old but I don't recall a funeral that I attended. I currently own his mitre box saw and his single shot 12 guage shotgun. He was a cool guy.

Speaking of old guys, I remember the barber how used to cut my hair. Snuffy Barth. Snuffy was his nickname and for the life of me I cannot remember his real first name right now. I remember the old barber chair that was too big for me to sit in so I had to sit on my dad's lap. The shop always had neat things to look at and examine but we (my younger brother and I) were always told to sit still and not mess with anything. I seem to recall his shop being in a garage or at least it looked that way to me. Snuffy was a short balding man that had a interesting pattern of speech. Almost like he was puffing out air as he talked. He was incredibly friendly and made getting haircuts tolerable for a youngster.

This is what I can come up with for the moment. I am sure that as I think harder, more memories will come to the fore. If any of you have that you want to share, feel free to comment! Thanks!

Later!

Family time part two...

In this second, and last installment of the St.Louis Trip, you can see some photos from Dave and Barry's which we spent some time and $$$ at last night. If you get a chance to go and like the interactive video games and spending alot of money on cheap prizes, this is the place for you! This morning we got up, ate another bowl of cold cereal and stale danishes and headed out for Hermann, MO. Home of Stone Hill Winery, and bithplace of our favorite wines. We took the trip a few years ago and liked the place and since we were in the area we decided to go aout again. We did the tour for all of $4 for the 4 of us and learned some cool things about our favorite wines... In the photo of the barrels stacked up in a pyramid, you are looking at the newest batch of the Port wine. This is good stuff! And in the other barrels are the other red wines fermenting and aging. This winery was established in the 1830's but took a big hit during prohibition when it went from making wine to growing commercial mushrooms! After the tour and wine tasting we went to the restaurant and had a great meal. From there we went to the St. Louis Mills Mall and checked out the Cabelas, and a few other specialty stores. But we were pretty tired, and the kids really wanted to hit the pool so as of this writing we are back at the hotel, swimming, looking at delivery menus and basically just relaxing. So, I guess it is time to get wet, eat and maybe play a game... family time... just like we wanted.

Later!