Lazy Old Coot, But Always Thinking

Second One Down.. One More to Go !!

2009-05-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we are off to No. Virginia .. NOVA .. to attend the eldest daughter's graduation from graduate school. FINALLY !!! This will be a fun weekend and then that leaves ONE MORE child to graduate. And the last child will graduate from law school the first weekend in June. Then ALL... ALL the children will be out of school and I can begin to think I did my job as a father. The daughters are

Time to Speak Up !

2009-02-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

I know I have not blogged for a while.. since May 2008. A lot has happened... I had to go back to work - part time - because the damn economy is just getting worse. BUT.. I think it is for the best.The damn economy was over inflated anyways. We did not learn during the DOT COM bubble.. so we built another bubble with CHEAP cash and drove the DOW up to over 14,000 HA !! All the experts told us it

All Great Countries CRASH !

2008-05-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

After reading a very insightful post on a young lawyers BLOG, I am reminded that throughout history that great countries grow, prosper BUT.. eventually CRASH ! I am no expert in history, but I do believe that history does repeat itself.If Barack Obama is not nominated as the Democratic Presidential candidate.. and he does not win the national election because he is black.. or someone does

Talk About Wasteful Energy !

2008-03-04T10:30:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen a person working and moving so fast that they seem to expend a LOT of energy and do not accomplish much in all that movement !!Well, that is what I saw first hand in Washington, DC last week. I had the privilege of attending the Great Lakes Day in DC sponsored by Healing Our Waters. I was one of over 250 people in DC to talk to the Congress about funding Great Lakes programs.

What would CHRIST believe ?

2008-02-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

Now I would like to rant about the religions of the world. Not GOD.. because I think GOD is around, just shaking her head wondering "What are these creatures that I so boldly gave a soul and free will to, doing to each other and to the world ?" Religions have killed more people on this planet that any natural disaster... AND.. the religions are nothing more than a group of MEN WHO WANT TO BE IN

No Balls Congress !!!

2008-02-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

No I know that the women elected to Congress have a really good excuse.. BUT.. what is the excuse of all the men in Congress.. for having NO BALLS ! Congress is ONE BIG JOKE.... they work things to death in committees, they don't bring things to the floor ".. because they don't have a chance to win !" SO WHAT !! Show the American people that your are working for US !! Not your lobbyists.. nor

Religion vs Christ's Message

2007-12-12T08:36:00.000-08:00

It is the time of the year, that the Christians begin to really, really annoy me. I profess that I was raised a Catholic and went to Catholic schools, BUT.. I dont believe in a lot of what the church teaches because it was created and marketed by man.. a long time ago.. but by MAN !!I watch people smile.. say Merry Christmas".. (some even just say Happy Holidays !!) but do they really understand

I like Three Things !!

2007-12-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

Ok I stole these from another Blogger.. and thought I would try to see if I can think of THREE of anything.....THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:1. See grandchildren graduate from high school2. Canoe down the Mississippi3. See all my kids HAPPY !!THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:1. Charlie2. Dad3. Butthead (my sister !)THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:1. Clark Gable.. what not those screen names !!2

If they can do it.. so can I !

2007-09-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4. What does it say?"This facility provides information to visitors on accommodations, restaurants, ..."2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What's there?My HP printer3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?The Tigers ball game4. Without looking, guess what time it is:9:00 pm5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual

Get along lil' doggie

2007-09-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

The family.. minus a few, and you know who you are.. were in Tennessee over the Labor Day weekend. The point of the get together was to celebrate another Bristol sibling crossing over into adulthood.. turning 50 !! YEAH !!!!So.. we rented a cabin in the mountains near a horse ranch so that everyone, and I mean everyone, could go horse back riding. I tried it. I did it.. ONCE !! Then it was on to

It's a small world after all......

2007-03-31T13:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I did the whole thing ?A week in Orlando, FL and several days spent at Universal Studios, Sea World, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. AARRGGHHH !! Too many people.. who walk too slow and don't watch where they are pushing those damn kiddie carts. They should be outlawed. You want to take your 5 year old to the park.. make them walk. You have a baby (under 2 years) OK.. you get a

It is About Time !

2007-02-20T15:57:00.000-08:00

I posted on January 10th... creating what I thought was a challenge to the kidlings. It took all three kidlings until last week to post something on their blogs. Now I must do the same.. over 30 days after I threw the gauntlet down. Boy, if this was the Crusades, the crazy christians would never have conquered Jerusalem.It is now February 20th.. just a few days until the baby kidling turns 23.

OK I WILL GO FIRST !

2007-01-10T07:20:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting for the progeny to update their blogs so I can find out how much fun they had over the 2006 holidays. BUT.. they have not updated their blogs.. SO.. I will go first.2006 holiday season was fun. Thewife and I could not go to Denver.. too much snow.. so we stayed home to 50+ degree weather. The kids arrived and we had three great days.. finished one puzzle in record time.. and

Fun Visit !

2006-11-30T07:39:00.000-08:00

This past few days I had the opportunity to travel to Pittsburgh.. see one daughter.. then travel to the DC area.. and visit another daughter.. then do WORK ! Yes I do work..now and then.Visiting adult children is not much different than when they were ten or so. The big difference is that talk like adults.. act like adults... but their smiles are still children.. at least to me, their father. I

Can they do it ?

2006-11-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

OK. the elections are over and the Democrats not only will have "control" in the Senate and the House, but also control of the House in my own state. WOW !Can they do the productive things that needs to done before they turn.. YES.. turn into ego maniacal politicians. Come on all you Democrats.. progressives.. independents.. liberals. You know it is going to happen.Everyone in Congress will start

Can I stand it ?

2006-10-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

As you all know.. of course you do.. the Detroit Tigers are in the 2006 World Series. I was around for the 1968 World Series (High School) and the 1984 World Series (living in the DC area), but this one seems different. Maybe it is because I have children to share the experience with.. then again .. maybe not ! All I know is that it feels different.Have you ever wanted something so bad that

Another Set of Questions

2006-10-06T15:22:00.000-07:00

OK.. I will steal these questions.. ideas.. from my two oldest children.That way.. I can be a fun guy.. and show you all just how BORING these can be..if old people like me anwer the questionsQ: 4TH PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALLS:A: A client I really do not want to talk to.Q: DO YOU CHEW ON YOUR STRAWS?A: Nope.. dropped that habit back in my 30'sQ: WHAT IS THE NEXT CONCERT YOU'RE GOING TO?A: Paul

What is the Point ?

2006-09-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

Since my son remarked that I only blog once every four years .. like the Olympics.. I have decided that I will blog again. Sort of like the Pan American Games.. a warm up for the Olympics.I had the opportunity today to tell someone of position in our state what is working and what is not working. Through a random phone call I was asked by one of the political parties, what I thought the most

Things are Getting Crazy !

2006-09-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted, BUT.... been busy plus the other Blog Family Members have NOT been posting so neither was I. In fact, one family member Blog, does NOT even appear anymore when you go to it. She must have been bad, or said something appropriate !I just wanted to tell everyone that I am still alive and I learned something new from a professional parent. What is a

Watch what you say.. Mel !

2006-08-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to remind people to watch what you say or you might be chastised and castrated by everyone who has some weak outlet to rant. BUT..Mel probably said what a lot of Christians are thinking. Why can't the Jews and Muslims work things out, especially since the country of Israel was created from land taken from the indigineous people living there. That is not right. Share the land.But

Another Positive Step Forward !

2006-07-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

OK.. I have been thinking about the next thing EVERYONE should do to make a positive impact on this planet and it's inhabitants. My next suggestion is:Plant a flower .. or... tend to some existing flowers.. planted .. or natural.This will make YOU smile and also any one else who looks at what you have done.As people walk by a well tended planted flower bed .. or a tended wild flower bed .. they

Time to Stop Bitchin'

2006-06-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

OK. I must apologize. I read a lot of my last blog posts and most of them are full of complaining. Therefore - I am sorry.From now on.. POSITIVE POSTS !!!Positive ideas that you all can run with to make a difference in this world. And the first positive suggestions are going to focus on your impact on the environment. As with any system (engineer talk coming, watch out !) there are operating

OK America .. STOP !!!

2006-06-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

OK America... STOP believing this B***S*** that the Bush Administration is pushing. To begin another foray into the Gay Marriage Amendment is just political diversion from all the other CRAP that is going wrong with the current administration.COME ON ... Stop letting this happen. Make the Bush White House focus on the real issues.. stopping the war, improving education, helping the environment,

Another College Graduation

2006-05-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, the youngest of the Bristol children graduated from college. I always like going to college graduations - the guest speakers are interesting; the noisy families during the ceremonies; and the sigh of relief from some parents and grandparents that the kid made it !!I don't know if this is true.. but I suspect that my three children felt that it was expected that they go to

First Wedding at 40 !

2006-05-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

The weekend was fun.. starting with a 14 hour drive from Detroit to Charleston, SC... in a Honda Civic Hybrid.. which means we did not stop for gas (and a pee break) for over 5 hours. At my age, "holding it" is not supposed to be good ! BUT.. 45 miles to the gallon was nice.The wedding was for a good friend who was getting married for her first time at 42 years of age. At 42 you had better get

Another Year Older !

2006-04-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

Well.. another birthday has come and gone. They sneak up on you when you are not looking. You can't stop them. They just keep coming.. and coming.. and coming. BUT. as they say the birthday is better than the alternative.I had a great birthday lunch - barbeque and beer - with my wife. I got an early birthday visit from one daughter.. and a calls from the other daughter. My son sent me a nice

Frustrated in Detroit !

2006-03-26T09:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I think I am the only person who can see things clearly ! Why is that ? I am trying to stay optimistic about the people on this planet, and especially those in this country... but when the only people who give a damn about anything (.. granted they are directly affected by felony charges) are the illegal immigrants (and not citizens) .. it is a pretty sorry state of affairs.As I have

I love the trade winds !

2006-03-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

Just a short note to those who have been wondering where I have been.. yes, all two of you !!I have been on a vacation.. a vacation where it was warm and relaxing. The trade winds were blowing keeping the temperatures in the low 80's and the clouds moving. We drank.. ate.. drank.. snorkled.. drank.. and I even "passed out" one evening around 5:00 pm after too much drinking and boating around. I

I must be getting old !

2006-03-03T10:40:00.000-08:00

As a young man, I watched my grandfather get ornery as he got older, especially about all the attention and hoopla given to the insignificant things going on in Hollywood. I sometimes wonder if my father would have gotten so ornery, also, had he lived past 49 years.Guess what ? I am getting old.. and turning into my grandfather. I watch all the attention being made for the Acadamy Awards coming

More Gimmick Days !

2006-02-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Not that I dont like the whole concept of Valentines Day.. and when in grade school you could be scarred for life if you did not get a Valentine card from a certain you know who! AARRGGHH!! forget that story.. move on...Valentines Day (VD) is becoming too, too much. I hope those of you out there dont wait until VD to tell your loved ones that you love them. For those of you out there without a

The List !

2006-02-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

Since two of my children have completed this list, I thought I might also. Just to provide the elder generation look at such trivia.Four jobs I've had:Barber shop custodianBag boy at KrogersEnvironmental EngineerPrivate ConsultantFour movies I can watch over and over:The ending of Robin and Marion - just the ending !The ending of Sommersby - just the ending !Predator (I ain't got time to bleed!)

Budget ? What Deficit ?

2006-02-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

Just a short note...When are you all going to write your congress-persons and DEMAND that the federal government act in a fiscally responsible manner. The new budget ..many trillions of dollars - $9000 for every American .. will take the deficit to over 420 billions of dollars. And the cuts that were made, which will NOT help the deficit at all, are in the environment, education, medicaid,

ALAS ! The World is NOT a Changin'

2006-02-02T18:47:00.000-08:00

I promised more frequent posts.. BUT . I also told myself I would NOT rant on about Shrub.I listened to this man and tried.. I REALLY TRIED.. to be a good "murcan and support my Commander in Chief, BUT.. I became ill.The people in this country have got to stand up and say ENUF !We dont want more billions sent for war. We need to rebuild our own country.We dont want the largest Executive Branch

AH ! A New Year to Destroy !

2006-01-20T16:43:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted, but most of you who will ever read this, did not even know I had not posted. Oh well. But, if my son is bloggin' and my daughter is bloggin', I need to keep up.SO... an other year is here - 2006. This makes 55 of them for me and I hope (20 days into it) that I can make this year a little more productive than the last. I tried everything legal, BUT.. some things

Demand Something !

2005-09-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

OK. I am not the most widely read blogger. I dont even post on a regular basis to warrant faithful readers. BUT.. it is time to cut this crap that is happening in this country.People who do read this.. demand a better government.Demand better health care.Demand an end to poverty.Demand social justice.Demand a better environment.DEMAND SOMETHING... just stop sitting there demanding nothing.

Join the Rat Race

2005-05-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

Another adult has joined the ranks of the "rat race". My son has graduated law school and once he passes the CA Bar Exam, he will be in the "race" like the rest of us. Hopefully, he will join a slower, more relaxed "race".We all control the "race" we join. Some people love to run a fast "race" and expend copius amounts of energy , maybe make lots of money, and have a lot of material items to

It Starts With Education

2005-04-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I "blogged", maybe because I did not have much to say.. HA !! People who know me find that funny.. me with nothing to say.I want everyone (anyone ?) who reads this blog to understand that I have found the solution to all our problems - EDUCATION.Yep, it all starts with education. We can solve poverty issues, environmental issues, war issues, WHATEVER issue... with

Things To Comment On !

2005-03-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

I suppose that if you have a BLOG.. you should post at least once per month. I cannot even do that, and my son reminded me that a blog with one post per quarter is not really informative to the general Internet public. SO... things to comment on...My baby is now 21 years old so I guess she is not my baby anymore. Oh well. Time marches on.My eldest will soon be done with school.. about time. Time

Time for Thinking !

2005-02-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

As you get older, events that would not have much impact when you are 25 mean a lot more when you are 54. Especially when you are working with a pig valve as part of you heart. SO.. last night was an event.. if you call 14 hours in the emergency room an event. It all started with a severe upper back pain waking me up at 1:04 pm. That was not too critical but when the pain started to effect my

Another Year Gone !

2005-01-05T20:33:00.000-08:00

Finally !! The year is over and we begin a new one. Unfortunately there are some things we can not change that occured in 2004.. ranging from who was elected President.. to the terrible tsunami flooding South Asia. However, we can all begin the new year with a new positive attitude and a goal to make as many days within the coming year as productive as we can. You notice I do not say ALL the

What Country Did I Wake Up In ?

2004-11-03T19:26:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin ? This election was probably the most fundamental fuck up that I have ever witnessed in my 53 years. I worked hard in 1972 for Senator McGovern only to see the system overpower the kids with bright eyes and great hopes. The white male political machine rolled over us big time. Then I did not vote ..nor cared who was president for 20 years. I started to care again with Clinton,

Halloween Ain't What it Used to Be !

2004-10-31T14:38:00.000-08:00

All the goblins, witches, boys in drag, super heroes, and other neat outfits have been lining up outside our front door since 5:00 pm.. BEFORE DARK !! We get over 400 people .. I can not say kids, because there are a lot of teenagers and adults in the crowd. You ask, how can 400 people live in our neighborhood ? Well they dont. The crowds are literally bussed (and car'd and van'd) in to this

A Unique Conversation

2004-10-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

For those of you UNLUCKY not to live in Michigan .... today is one of those very beautiful early fall days.. extremely bright and sunny, cool ( 68 deg) and breezy. It gave us a chance to go to the Belle Isle in the middle of the river.. have lunch .. and enjoy being alive. It also gave me a chance to talk to the one being on this planet that can make a difference... me ! You ever have that

Get that feeling ?

2004-09-22T05:03:00.000-07:00

I was reading a related Blog the other day, and the writer was talking about having "that feeling". Do you ever wonder where that feeling comes from ? Why do you get that feeling? Are all the feelings the same when everyone gets "that feeling"? ............. hhhmmmm ..... That feeling for some is just plain "I'm tired of all this". That feeling for some requires a shot of help.. booze,

Limbaugh is an Ass !

2004-09-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

Whenever I want to really get pissed off.. and test to see if my blood pressure medicine is REALLY working.. I listen to Rush Limbaugh. My God ! I can not believe the logic that man uses.. and millions (from what I hear) listen to him every day ! Today he was saying the the "liberals" (of which I am probable one on most issues) always moan about the problems of the world, but don't know how to

Labor Day !

2004-09-01T12:55:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend will be Labor Day weekend. OK, I understand back in the ol' days when people worked their "butts" off doing hard, physical labor, they needed a day off before jumping in to the Fall harvest. BUT NOW ?? What do we need another day off for ? Some people earn 12 .. or 15 days.. or more days off as part of their fringe benefit package. but.. another day off ?? No wonder we (..

San Diego

2004-08-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

After 3 1/2 days in San Diego I can see why everyone wants to live out there. Every day the weather was cloudy in the morning .. then beautiful sun in the afternoon.. and the temperature was great. Too bad there are too many people out there already ! We did the obligatory tourist stuff.. went to the zoo; saw the Midway aircraft carrier; hiked up Cowles Mountain (1592 feet); sat by the pool; and

Not Much to Say !

2004-08-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

The weekend is over and the family units have all retreated back into their lives. The wife's family decided on the spur of the moment to drive 13+ hours to visit for a weekend. Crazy.. but nice to see them. In addition, my youngest progeny came to visit with her boyfriend. We had a good time. It is so nice to see these young'uns growing up! Now it is time to settle down and figure out what

FAMILY REUNIONS !

2004-08-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

As they say.. you can pick your friends.. but you can not pick your family ! I went to a family reunion today. I married into a family that my wife is the grand daughter of one of the matriarchs. This family has been meeting every year for over 90 years and they are all the descendants of two brothers - last name Black ! It was kind of cool ! Do you ever get your family all together ? At one

Getting Older is.......

2004-07-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I spent 5 hours each day - Sat and Sun - on a bicycle riding 80 miles to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis. 5 Hours time two days.. 10 hours in the saddle... AND I AM SORE ! How the hell do they do those long days in the Tour de France.. and then climb steep ass mountains the next day. These guys are CRAZY ! But ... it is fun to take your physical self to the limit. As I

The Tour

2004-07-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

It is time again to watch, what I think, is the toughest physical endurance sport currently being practiced... long distance bike riding. The Tour de France !! These guys ride 130 miles in one day, averaging over 30 miles per hour.. AND... the get up and do it again the next day. I ride 60 mile sin one day and I need a week to rest !! But then again, I am over 50 years of age and the average

NEW MOVIE AS #1

2004-06-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

The new Michael Moore documentary has done it ! The first documentary to be the number one movie for the weekend. I am so glad people at least are getting out to see the film.. even if we ALL know that MM is very biased towards our current administration. I believe in the scariest conspiratory dealings from government.. having lived through the sixties. Therefoe, I assume, until I am shown

LONG WEEKENDS !

2004-05-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

The first long weekend of the summer season is about over. People here in Michigan take this Memorial Weekend and use it as the FIRST OFFICIAL for everything. First official - trip up north; cookout; boat use; car wax; etc. They seem to store up all this expectation until the last weekend in MAY.. I assume they feel they can NOT do some of these things until then... HHMMM!! Is it one of the

Moving Day !

2004-05-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

Moving furniture on the hottest day in May 2004 in Washington DC .... IS CRAZY !! But it had to be done.. the eldest female sibling moved from her quiet, dark, down in the basement efficiency apartment into a light airy one bedroom apartment last Friday... and of course I was down in the DC area to help her "DO THE MOVE !" That is what father's are for... helping their daughters move... and BOY

Yardwork !

2004-05-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

OK.. who is the dumb ass that started all this prettier than thou stuff when it comes to residential yards! We mow the grass.. we water the grass to make it grow.. so we can MOW IT AGAIN !! It does not make any sense.. let alone that I can NOT abide by the fact that people use potable drinking water to irrigate their lawns, flower beds, budding trees.. God did not use potable drinking water to

Mother's Day

2004-05-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

The day we are all supposed to spend time with our mother(s) and let them know we care. I wish my Mom was still around.. I miss calling her every Sunday.. not just on Mothers Day.. and finding out about all things going on in her life. I realized one thing about my mom when I was about 30 years old. It was that ... she was a regular person. A woman who met a man, fell in love, had four

30000 Bees

2004-04-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

Did you ever have the opportunity to drive in a car for over 6 hours with 30,000 bees ? Friday, I drove a friend from Detroit to Clarkson, KY (SW of Louisville) to pick up five swarms of bees for the expansion of the apiary working with the EarthWorks Graden. It was a great time.. the country side was beautiful.. and the bees were eager to get to their new hives and start doing what bees do

Warm Weather

2004-04-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

I am a day late but here it is anyway ! I really love warm weather. The problem though, is that wherever there is warm weather (all year 'round) there is very little water. And one of my basic beliefs is that human beings should NOT live where there is not an abundance of the natural elements of life - good water and clean air. Take San Diego, for instance... great weather most of the year.

Easter.. HA !

2004-04-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Now that this Easter stuff is over.... I can say what I really think.. Why are there so many people trying to push their organized religion tenets down the throats of others that are NOT in their particular organized religion ? I wonder how many people have been killed throughout the ages .. just since 1 AD ... for a religious cause. Not GOD's cause.. but some religious organization's cause. Oh

Today's Topics

2004-04-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

Today is the first of.. hopefully, a regularly posted weekly "conversation". Today's topic - the things we do because if we did not do them, people would look at us funny (and maybe even avoid us) For example.. I spent an hour or so ironing my shirts.. WHY ? The shirts can be worn quite easily without having all the wrinkles out. But we iron them (or have them dry cleaned) so they look better

AHH!! VACATION...

2004-03-30T10:24:00.000-08:00

Well.. it has been a while since I posted anything ! I wish I was as prolific a writer as my son.. but he seems to have a lot more to say.. about everything. A lot like his mother ! HA !! Just got back from a two week vacation in the Virgin Islands.. That was nice ! It is amazing, however, that it took about 3 - 4 days to totally unwind and get into "island time" but it only took 12 hours to

Valentines Day

2004-02-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

Guess what is just around the corner.. Valentine's Day ! A day created by Hallmark.. that we all tend to fall into and play the game. I did !! I played the game.. but it was a game that I should play MORE often. That is telling my loved ones how I feel about them. If it takes a capitalistic, commercialized day of February to remind me, then so be it. SO.. I told all my dearest loved ones how I

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

2004-01-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

The new year is here.. the year 2004 ! What can we say.. what is different today from just 10 days ago, which was in another YEAR ! NOTHING.. we still have a crazy screwed up city, state, country and world. The fellowship of the NINE are all trying to piss on each other's shoes.. hoping they can get nominated to run against SHRUB. HA !! Who can win against 200 million in campaign funds. We all

Bah Humbug!

2003-12-10T13:44:00.000-08:00

AH.. the holidays... time to be merry and try not to get sucked into all the BUY ME commercials on the television. Every year my children ask "What do you want for Christmas?".. and every year I say "Your wonderful smile !" .. but they are never happy with that answer. They want me to prepare a list of all the items they can buy for me !! I am a 50+ adult male that basically has just about

2003-11-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

THANKSGIVING Well..another Thanksgiving Day has come and gone !! It was the usual set of relatives.. along with the usual food stuffs. The turkey was great, and all the side dishes turned out ok. After the carnage was over, I thought.. "Who started this food frenzy fiasco anyways? Why do I kill myself every year to put food enough for 20 people on the table?". I can not believe that when the

2003-10-31T17:24:00.000-08:00

AAAHHH!!! Halloween..... those little scamps wandering all over the front yard, jockeying for position to march up those stairs.. being forced to say "Trick or Treat".. to get some FREE GOD DAMN CANDY ! Geesh... Mom... Dad... why do you make me do all of this. Just by me the damn candy ! My son could not remember his best Halloween outfit.. it was , of course, his railroad engineer outfit when

2003-09-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well... that Great White Bastard (GWB) did one hell of a job last nite on television. Could you see the smirks on his face.. time after time ! "All I want is 87 billion dollars" Do you know what we .. the United States.. could do with $87 billion ? We could clean up some of the environment.. fix our sewers and water distribution facilities.. we could mend our roads.. and really attempt some

2003-09-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

The summer is over but today was an absolutely gorgeous day.. low humidity and temps around 80 degree F. I am still not working very much. That is good.. but that can be bad.. if the work load does not increase over the next few weeks / months I will definitely will begin to fall into the category of ... bum.. slob.. leech.. any other key words? So what do I do with my time ? I have been

2003-08-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

As one of the 50 million people who was without power due to the BLACKOUT OF 2003 !!.. I must say.. WHAT A BUNCH OF WIMPS !! I can not believe the people who were crying about no gas.. STAY HOME !! Or complaining they have no cash and the banks are closed... STOP USING THOSE ATM's !! Where do I get some food and water, nothing is open... PREPARE IT YOURSELF !! One person actually drove over 50

2003-08-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

WOW !! The sub-units descended upon us.. and now have left. It was like a mini-hurricane. Here one day.. and gone the next. They are fun to have around.. the house was fun and lively. Thank goodness the weather was great.. and we found plenty of interesting movies to watch. We also went to see the worst team in baseball.. The Detroit Tigers. They were losing 4 - 0 and then in the ninth inning..

2003-07-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

The month of July is half over so I thought I would put distribute more information for the world to see. My sister is here painting several rooms in our house. It is interesting to watch a sibling that you have also watched grow up over the last 45 years, work. This particular sibling does not know how to NOT work.. or at least "putz" around the house. Sit down and read a book !! HA !! But at

2003-06-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

Another Father's Day... they are getting better. As the sub-units get bigger... get jobs.. make money.. they actually can do more fun things. In addition to wonderful cards (my son is working out the fact that he is a lot like me).. I was treated to a wonderful dinner and a great brunch. You know as you get older .. you wonder whether the children you bring into this world will be great human

2003-06-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

Well.. it has been a month since I quit the firm I worked for .. for 27years... and started to work for myself. Boy, that steady paycheck sure was nice !! I spend a lot of time reminding people WHO I AM !! Boy.. that old adage in business .. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY ? ... sure is true. If you don't spend the face time. .you don't get the work time. I guess I can keep spending all my time

2003-06-04T16:20:00.000-07:00

Got these questions from a youngster... thought I would answer them from the over 50 crowd perspective... 1. LIVING ARRANGEMENT? A nice 5 bedroom house in a comfortable neighborhood. The American Dream 2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING? The third book in a series by Philip Pullman . .The Amber Spy Glass 3. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Guiness logo, the ONLY true beer. 4. YOUR FAVORITE BOARD GAME?

2003-05-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Spent a few days with the I got more toys than you do crowd. The measure of success seems to be how many toys you have and where you go when you go UP NORTH ! Cottages on the lake with power boats, ski-doos, four wheelers, etc. seem to be the focus of the people between 25 and 45. Don't know the fancy term for that age group.. except CONSUMERS ! However, while these players are racing around

2003-05-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well.. after almost 30 years with the same engineering firm.. I have quit to start my own company. My own one man show !! Only have to keep one person busy..and I can work with people I like.. and do work I like... ( I HOPE !). The prospect of working on my own is exciting.. BUT.. the thought of not getting that paycheck every two weeks.. IS SCARY !! BUT.. we will see what happens... Now I will

2003-04-29T07:58:00.000-07:00

Just a note.. to brag about the "little baby's" in my life. You create these creatures, back when you have no experience and the book "Parenting for Dummies" was not published yet, and you wonder "What have I unleashed upon the world !". Years.. many years later.. you see that they have done all right, despite the efforts of the parental units. One little creature is finishing up his first

2003-04-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

Time to do something for the soul. Cartoons have gone downhill with all the new stuff (Pokemon, YuGiOh <- showing twice ) Since Batman & Robin nor Superman nor X-Men nor Spiderman are on Saturday mornings anymore, I must do something at least as powerful.. must go plant a Soup Kitchen Garden. Dont get me wrong, Mucha Lucha is pretty good and so is Jackie Chan, I love him. The Mummy is a good

2003-04-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Well.. I finally got back into this #%&*^@ BLOG system. I created an early BLOG.. OldEngineer .. but I forgot the username and password associated with the BLOG. Damn these Senior Moments !! Well, I am back.. and ready to impart my wisdoms on all of you youngsters out there... that can't tell %#^&^ from shinola ! That's what is great about getting older.. I get to use all those neat cliches