Memorial Day Weekend Camping at Peninsula State Park

The weather this year was unbelievable for a Memorial Day weekend.  Forecast for Fish Creek was 79 on Saturday and 82 on Sunday and it was every bit of that.  Just to make it interesting though, we got a thunderstorm on Sunday night just so all of our stuff had to be packed up wet.  At least it didn't rain during the day.

This was perhaps our largest ever DeKeyser-Possley-Wolfert gathering.  Attendees this year:

Shirley Wolfert of Sheboygan Falls, WI, her son Chris and his wife Marla who live in Chicago.

Jim and Kathy DeKeyser (Currently Jim lives in Trabuco Canyon CA and Kathy lives in a suburb of Chicago near the airport and the expectation is that Jim will soon relocate there as well), their son Bill and his wife  Michelle (due to give birth in January) of Trabuco Canyon, CA, their son Nick and his fiance Melissa (due to give birth in August) of Houston, TX, Nick's son Andrew(5) of Dallas, TX and their son Daniel of Trabuco Canyon, CA.

George and Liz Possley of Hingham, WI, their daughter Theresa and her husband Robin Nelson of Monroe, WI, their two sons, Conner (3) and Reece (1), their son Geoff and his wife Laura of Oshkosh, WI and their son Carter (9 mo).

That's 20 people ranging in age from 9 mo. to 62+ years and arriving by air from all over the country.

It was again a wonderful reunion and a good time was had by all.  We camped at Tennison Bay 202, 206 and 207.   It would appear that next year we may need 4 sites but that remains to be seen.

George, Chris, Geoff and Dan played golf on Saturday at the Peninsula State Park Golf Course.  Scores were 42, 52, 54 and 64 on the front nine and they played 10 and 11 just to take advantage of a little of the twilight rate.

Nearly the entire group attended Mass at Stella Maris Parish in Fish Creek on Sunday morning.  After the traditional Sunday breakfast of pancakes, bacon and fruit salad, a hike was made to Not Licked Yet Custard Stand in Fish Creek.  About half the party braved the 3 mile hike back to camp after stuffing themselves on custard creations of all kinds.  The Flavor of the Day was Red Raspberry.

This is the 24th year with only one or two interruptions that these families have camped together on Memorial Day weekend and of course, we plan to do it again next year when our ranks may swell by the two children that are being carried by Bill and Nick's mates.

A highlight of the weekend was when Andrew and Conner danced like whirling dervishes while George played "Gloria" and "Midnight Hour" on his guitar.  Such dancing has never been seen before!  Pictures may appear on FaceBook soon.

That's it for now.

Ciao, babies!

Recent summary:

Perhaps this is a good time to catch up on a few things that have happened to me lately.

On January 1, 2010, after being off work for two weeks because of Christmas Break, I woke up at 5 a.m. with the strong feeling that I didn't want to go back to work.....ever. I asked my boss on Jan. 5 if I could work the rest of the week, take two weeks to think about it and then retire. He agreed. I have no regrets as of this day.

I have stayed home and tried to be a "house husband" to Liz. I keep after the dishes and Liz has not had to wash too many since my official retirement in late January. I do all the laundry and I prepare the evening meal.

The rest of my time is spent reading the comments on news stories and editorial pages in the Sheboygan Press and participating in the discussions. Even more so than that, I have launched into playing guitar and singing. I have purchased two more Taylor guitars, a 714ce LTD last June and an NS24ce a couple weeks ago. I tried to sell the 210e but after a few low-ball offers I pulled it off the market and will keep it. I now have 5 Taylor guitars and a Gibson and I play all of them.

As of this date, I have more than two dozen video recordings of myself playing and singing on my YouTube channel http://youtube.com/geoman7447

I have been actively recording a song or two each day since March 5th of this year.

I have also begun to attend social gatherings of musicians in the area. They are called Open Mic / Jam Sessions and are hosted regularly. I have attended in Saukville, Random Lake and last night in Sheboygan at the Wesley United Methodist Church. It was a small as it's ever been last night as there were only 8 of us present. People bring guitars, dobro, violin (fiddle), harmonica, mandolin, banjo, ukelele and even a steel pedal guitar. Typically, everyone sits in a circle and they pass a microphone around and each person in turn leads a song of their choosing. The leader will tell the guitarists what chords are contained in the song and then sing it into the microphone as everyone else strums, picks, blows, shakes, pounds or does whatever else is musical. Verses are played without singing so that the solo musicians like the dobro player, blues harp guys, and other instrumentalists can play a verse as well. It's a group of mostly older people (over 40 by vast majority) with some as old as probably 80? There is sandwiches, soup and other snacks provided by the host and by anyone else who cares to. I'm amazed and very pleased that this kind of thing is available to me. I feel I fit in quite well with my degree of familiarity with guitar chord playing.

Our new garage and sunroom were completed last fall and I'm writing this in the sunroom. Both have transformed our home into a much more wonderful place for the long haul to eternity.

I have contracted with a landscaper to come in and plant a lawn as about 60% of our lawn was torn up to put in some tiling to handle drainage and to move some electrical lines underground. The lawn should be planted in the next week or so.

Last night, I also found that some of my musician friends regularly to to Elkhart Lake with their kayaks. Since I've been looking for someone to kayak with, this is a double windfall for me. We'll see where this goes but one thing is certain.

Retirement is marvelous!!

Ciao, babies!!

Spring Break Trip to Savannah

Liz and I decided to travel to Savannah, GA for our Spring Break Get-Away this year. I booked a room at the Rodeway Inn on Tybee Island a couple weeks before we departed. I did this through Priceline after using Kayak.com to search for deals. The room was $49.99 per night and I was pleased with this rate. About a week after making the reservation, I began to look at some of the reviews of this motel. They were abominable!! One person said, "Sleep on the beach if you have to but don't stay here." I began investigating other options. The hotels in the Historical District were all over a hundred bucks per night and the other low-cost options were out near the airport. Tybee Island is right on the Atlantic coast and the beach is just one block away from the Rodeway. I decided to stick with it and move if it was intolerable.

We got off on Saturday at about 8 a.m. and got through Chicago without too much of a delay. We stopped in Lebanon, Indiana for lunch at Denny's and fuel and then headed down the road. Things got a little dicey as we hit Nashville, TN just about when it was time to get off the road and find a motel. We headed down the Interstate and pulled off in Murfreesboro, TN to what seemed a motel heaven. There were a good half-dozen motels right along the freeway and we figured it would be a cinch to find a cheap place to stay. WRONG! The first place had a sign on the door that said "No Vacancy" and so did the second. I was just about to get back on the freeway when I decided to try the Day's Inn for a last shot. They had a room for $80 which we took. It was dark already and we were both tired. It turns out that the HORSE SHOW was in town and there were people from all over the country in attendance. We went to the Crackerbarrel restaurant and waited for about a half hour to get seated but it was worth the wait.

Sunday promised to be an exciting day of travel since most of the first day's travel is flat, flat, flat. I managed to use the B setting on the tranny of my Prius when we went down the first big mountain descent. The squirrels under the hood screamed but it did what it was supposed to do. It used the motor to slow the car down so I didn't have to sit on the brakes. Hearing about yet another inexplicable acceleration incident with a 2008 Prius on the news that morning didn't help my confidence but the odds of it happening to a given person are so slim that I took heart.

We stopped at a McDonalds in Forsyth, GA for lunch after having navigated past Atlanta. I like to stick with rural stops for motels and restaurants and this was a little more urban than I was comfortable with but sometimes you just don't have that choice not knowing what's just down the road.

We arrived at our destination of Tybee Island, GA in late afternoon. When I went into the motel office, I was immediately assailed with an odor that I associate with unfamiliar cooking. There was a bell on the top of the counter of the kind that has a little button that you push to make it ring. This bell, composed completely of metal, was covered entirely with rust. This was not a good sign. An old dark-skinned India gentleman came out. English was definitely not his first language. I ended up giving him the Priceline hotel info and he checked us in. We got the key cards and headed for our room. The door, a large metal one, had numerous places where the paint was scratched off. We walked in and the room smelled clean but the whole impression was of a motel that was very old and had not been maintained. The TV, a 27" CRT had a red tinge to its picture. I didn't even try to adjust it out as I figured this was a symptom of a failing, overused tube which probably could not be configured out. There was no internet of any kind provided at all. The light in the bathroom was a bare energy-efficient bulb. When we tried the shower, the water was warm at best. The coffee pot worked and the king-size bed was comfortable and clean. They didn't come in to clean the room on Monday and when I asked about towels, the younger India gentleman (also quite old) told me that if we brought in our dirty towels he'd give us fresh ones. They did come in and provide fresh towels and a new coffee packet on Tuesday so apparently they only do that every other day. When we came back to the motel on Tuesday, our key cards would not work. We went to the office and the younger India gentleman said he wanted to give us some bananas. He gave me this old laminated newspaper article about him and his commitment to healthy eating. He eats no meat, drinks no water and only eats vegetables. We accepted the bananas which were very good but I can't help but think that he de-activated our key cards just to get us to come in.

Monday morning we went to breakfast at the Sugar Shack. We had located it via the large armfull of brochures we had picked up on the motel office upon our arrival. At the Sugar Shack, we were greeted by an old woman whose white hair was matted and unattractive. She explained that we could order at the counter and she would bring it out to us. The place had paint peeling off the walls. We didn't go back there for breakfast.

After breakfast we headed in to Savannah. It's about a 15 mile trip through salt marsh and creeks. We decided to take some walking tours the first of which started at 10 a.m. and was called Savannah Stroll. A lanky man in a slouch hat and carrying a wooden walking stick named Bill led this tour. We learned that he had been doing these tours for THE PAST 37 YEARS! He told us about the orderly way that Savannah was laid out with a series of open squares. There are 22 of the original 24 squares still in existence and plans to revert back to the last two as well.

In the afternoon, following lunch at a place called Leopolds (which Bill recommended), we took the Civil War walking tour with Rob. He took us down to River street where the cotton used to be sold. It is quite well restored to the way it was before the Civil War and it was fascinating to behold. When we had lunch, we learned that there were going to be a HALF MILLION people in town for St. Patrick's day. Apparently River Street in Savannah over St. Pats day is like Bourbon Street in New Orleans over Mardi Gras.

Sunday night we dined at Sting Rays, a seafood restaurant just a few blocks down from our motel. We sat in a "porch" that was crudely tacked on to the front of the building and dined at a table that was made of plywood and looked like something I could make. I had the Low Country boil which featured that largest shrimp I have ever had to peel and what most likely was Hilshire Farm sausage. I was hoping for some kind of locally-made sausage. The shrimp was awesome and the boiled red potatoes were also very tasty.

Monday we dined at The Crab Shack. We had to drive down a long narrow lane to get to the place and it was as much an attraction as a restaurant. They had a pool with young alligators out front and a very extensive arrangement of open air seating. We ate inside and it was an experience. The tables were also made of plywood but there was a 12 inch hole cut in the middle of the table with a square platform above the hole. We ordered the Crab Shack special platter for two and they placed this huge platter containing boiled shrimp, snow crab legs, crawfish, stone crab claws and mussels as well as the apparently obligatory Hillshire Farm sausage, boiled red potatoes and corn on the cob. We cracked and shucked and chowed down frequently tearing off paper towels from the roll provided. We did some serious damage to the platter except for the sausage and potatoes. All the crab and shrimp and crawfish were consumed and we left very satisfied.

Tuesday, we decided to take a trolley tour and a river cruise. We had breakfast at the Sunrise Restaurant down near Sting Ray's and the blueberry pancakes were a big improvement over the Sugar Shack. After driving to Savannah and parking in a lot recommended by Bill, we bought tickets for the 10 a.m. Trolley tour on Oglethorp Trolleys and the 2 p.m. river cruise on the Georgia Queen. The trolley tour was very enjoyable as we were able to cover much more ground than we had on the walking tours and the narrator, a Savannah native and a firefighter, was excellent. I had a Reuben sandwich at a little bar/restaurant on River Street. The waitress had recently moved to Savannah from New Jersey and was "deer in the headlights" about the prospect of all the people likely to be there on St. Patrick's Day.

The cruise on the Georgia Queen, a large boat with a likely fake paddlewheel on the back, was pretty much of a bore except for the huge container ship that passed us on the Savannah River. I find those things fascinating mostly because of their huge size and majesty. We sat with a recently retired 3rd grade teacher from Niagara Falls, Canada and her husband. They commented on the health care situation in Canada after I asked them about it. They said there were some long waits for non-critical things but that generally they felt the system works well. They were skeptical about the US's ability to pass significant health care legislation feeling it was "too late in the game" for it to happen.

Tuesday night, we dined at Uncle Bubba's, a restaurant nearer to Savannah that we had seen on the drive to Tybee. I had fried seafood for the first time on this trip. The scallops were huge and tasty and the Catch of the Day fish was so-so. Uncle Bubba's is located along a creek and the view would have been better had they been willing to raise the blinds but the blinds were old and they were unwilling to mess with them.

After another breakfast of Blueberry Pancakes at the Sunrise Restaurant, we departed Wednesday morning for Fort Pulaski. This fort is located about half way between Tybee Island and Savannah. We tromped around the fort on yet another beautiful sunny day (we were very blessed with great weather all week) learning that the Confederacy claimed the fort by walking in and taking over just after Georgia had seceded. There were only one officer and a caretaker manning this Federal fort at the time. The Union army then won the fort using rifled cannon from secret emplacements on Tybee Island after the Confederacy foolishly decided not to defend it. We didn't eat any lunch on Wednesday. When we left the fort, we decided to explore Cockspur Island and happened to see a container ship go by on the Savannah River.

Wednesday afternoon, we went to Captain Mike's Dolphin tours and prepared to go out looking for bottle-nose dolphins. I was the first on the boat to see a dolphin! We pretty much dogged that one dolphin for about a half hour before motoring back.

On Wednesday night, we ate at MacElwees Restaurant which is right across from the Sugar Shack. We decided to go with Tenderloin and shrimp and were not disappointed. I wasn't crazy about the dill seasoning on the steak but the meal was enjoyable nonetheless.

On Thursday morning, we ate for the third time at the Sunrise Restaurant and then headed for home. We trusted the GPS unit to get us out of Savannah and it did. The bad news is that we found ourselves heading over the magnificent bridge over the Savannah River that we had not crossed in entering Savannah. I said "What the heck" as the GPS took us up to South Carolina. Little did I realize the consequences of that decision. Our route took us into the mountains and we were quite hungry and down to a blinking single bar on the fuel gauge when we motored into Hendersonville, North Carolina and another Crackerbarrel. We had the fish special (since it's a Friday in Lent and we are observing Catholics) and then headed back out on the road. Soon we began to see signs of some kind of detour for I-40. It turns out that there was a rockslide on October 25, 2009 and the road was still not re-opened. We stuck with the Interstate detour to Johnson City, TN rather than try the two-lane mountain road route that might have been shorter but likely much more "thrilling". If you do a search on "I-40 rockslide", you can see photos and videos about this rockslide.

We drove until we got to Williamsburg, Kentucky before packing it in for the night at a Super 8. Again, I did all the driving on the trip down and back and this leg was a particularly long one with the added hour because of the detour.

Friday morning, we drove again until we found a Crackerbarrel somewhere....This thing is getting so long I can't even remember where we were yesterday.

The GPS led us unwittingly to the Chicago Skyway which turned out to be a good decision. Traffic from I-65 on to 80-94 west was unbelievable and backed up for miles as we sped by heading for the Dunes Highway. When we got to the Dunes Highway, we realized we didn't want it and went on to the Skyway. Chicago traffic was a bit of stop and go until we got north of downtown and the going was great until we got near home. The fog was so thick I almost missed the turn for W to Hingham. I was down to about 35mph and still could not see where I was going.

The trip on Friday was much nicer than on Thursday because it rained all day. Of course this beats by a mile the trip home from Charleston when we hit a blizzard going around Chicago.

It was a very successful and enjoyable vacation in 2010. I hope you have enjoyed my account.

Ciao, babies!!

Guns! Rights! Public Safety.

Yes. I opened a can of worms. I posted the following on Facebook. "Ok. These folks that want to push this "open carry" issue have got my attention. I don't agree with them. The last thing this society needs is more people packing heat. How would you like to live in a society where someone could draw and shoot you if they were drunk, high or menopausal?"Except I disagree for one reason, the people that are shooting people for your reasons are going to be the people that have their guns illegally. The people that go about it the proper way by getting licensed, are not going to ruin their life by doing stupid things. They value their rights and spend their time and money to do it legal and are not going to just shoot someone. I used to be licensed in MN and when you go through the process, you respect it and don't want to lose it. I value my rights and will not sit back and let people that are afraid like you try to take them away from me. What's next, will we have to license our kitchen knives because someone used one once to stab someone?"

Regarding: "The people that go about it the proper way by getting licensed, are not going to ruin their life by doing stupid things." People who are drunk, high, mentally ill, under extreme duress for any reason, often do things that are illogical or "stupid" if you will. Are you trying to make a case that anybody who goes through the process of getting a license for a gun would not dare to ever drink too much or use drugs? Is there any test that can be devised that would guarantee that a person carrying a loaded handgun would not mistakenly shoot it in such a way as to harm another person? Guns give a human the ability to very quickly end the life of another human or injure that person in an instant. If more people are allowed to carry HANDguns, then still more people will feel it is also necessary to carry a gun for "protection". The more guns there are, the more accidents there will be. The more guns their are the more children will find them. The more guns there are, the more people will do tragic things with them whether these are licensed guns or licensed people. There is no way to take the "human element" out of this equation.

Now about your rights: Patrick said: "I value my rights and will not sit back and let people that are afraid like you try to take them away from me." While I have this male thing that makes my emotions swell when somebody accuses me of being afraid, I can admit that, yes, I am afraid. I do not want my loved ones, my children, my grandchildren or anybody to have to live in a society where weapons are carried routinely by citizens exercising their rights. The interpretation of the Constitution of the United States to the effect that citizens have the UNFETTERED RIGHT to carry a weapon troubles me for two reasons. First of all, the authors of the Constitution were fearful that the British would try to come and re-claim their new country. The only way they could defend themselves was the same way they had won their independence. This was by citizen-soldiers who carried rifles. Today, citizen soldiers with rifles will not protect us from our NATIONAL enemies. Second, even if the constitution currently gives the right to "bear arms", the Constitution can be changed. IF the courts interpret the Constitution as giving US citizens the right to carry HANDGUNS then I would join the side which would seek to AMEND the Constitution. It has been Amended before and it will be again.

The NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION, in my opinion, continues to pursue an agenda that says to its members, "ANY restriction WHATEVER on the use of any kind of firearm is a dilution of our rights and is to be fought with all of our might."Thus, those who belong to the NRA will fight laws that seek to restrict things like submachine guns. These guns allow criminals to possess more firepower than police with predictable results. Restricting these weapons would not keep these weapons totally out of the hands of criminals. I know that. But laws against them would make it harder for criminals to hide them, import them, and use them. It would also make it easier to put them in prison for longer periods of time.

I'm not against people owning guns for hunting or target shooting. I do think that the types of guns should be restricted by law. You want to hunt with a handgun? Fine! Keep it locked unless you are in a place where wild things live. If you want to carry a gun in public, I have no problem as long as you keep a trigger lock on it until you are in a place where you are authorized to use it, like a rural area where hunting is legal or a firing range. If you are found with an unlocked HANDGUN outside of an authorized LOCATION then your weapon should be confiscated and you should be jailed or fined to an extent that would deter you from doing so again. Firearms that allow you to fire in such a way that they can puncture standardized vests worn by police or in a repeating fashion should be restricted to licensed collectors and even then be required to be disabled so as not to allow them being fired.

I know my brother has guns including handguns. I love my brother very much and do not mean to mess with his pleasure. I trust him because I know him. I have never seen his handgun(s?) and hope I never do.

So, yes, if I walk into a restaurant in Sheboygan and notice people at the bar carrying handguns, I'm probably going to leave. I don't fear guns. I fear people with guns. I will continue to express my opinion against the proliferation of guns and support laws that restrict guns and ammunition. If you have any evidence that may change my mind, I welcome your input. I am just a man and, as such, am often poorly educated and lacking in experience. I promise to try to keep a mind that is open enough to listen to you and a spirit that respects you no matter what your opinions are.

I wish you peace, Patrick, and welcome your thoughts.

Ciao, babies!

There's no going back now.

I've had my conversation with my boss, Tom Smith, and all will move forward as planned. I'll go to SNC tomorrow for my official last day of work. They will take me to lunch at the Abbey with the whole department. From 2-4 p.m. there will be a reception for me down the hall from my cubicle. After that, I'll drive down the road INTO the sunRISE. The sun will rise on a new chapter in my life. As I've repeated often since Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I don't know what the future holds but I know who holds the future.
Today, I managed to upload a song that I recorded to my Facebook profile. I recorded it here in the sunroom using my M-Audio Firewire Solo mixer and my MacBook Pro using Garageband. I wrote the file from Garageband to an MP3 file on my computer. I had to sign up with a website called ReverbNation in order for them to host my song. That means I had to upload it to their server. They then provide an Application that I put in my profile on Facebook and presto-George, my recording is available for you to stream.
The song is titled "These Roads Don't Move" and it is from Jay Farrar of the band Son Volt and Ben Gibbard of the band Death Cab for Cutie. You can see them perform it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXfUSmdGa6E
I'll be adding more songs although ReverbNation limits me to 8MB of space for free. It's about $30 per year for them to host "unlimited" amounts of my songs so I'll probably just keep only two or three on my Facebook profile at any given time. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time and it's what retirement is meant to allow me to do.
That's it for now.

Ciao, babies!

Hot TV deals

The phone rang while I was on the treadmill this morning at about 8:20 a.m. I answered. The lady said, "Good morning, may I speak to Mr. Possley." I replied, "This is Mr. Possley." She said, "Mr. Possley, we'd like to thank you for your purchase of the Pet Zoom Pet Park." I said, "If you are going to give me any other offers or try in any way to sell me anything, please stop right now." She said, after a slight pause, (no doubt to check her script), "Mr. Possley, have you been validated?" I hung up.

The Pet Zoom Pet Park is a mat that you put on the floor where your dog is supposed to pee. We use pet pads because we are not able to take Gidget outside to pee. The pet pads are smelly and expensive. I don' t know if this $35 Pet Park will be any help but am willing to take the chance that it might.

I'm writing this because this is the second time in the past few months that I have ordered one of these highly advertised TV items over the internet and been targeted with additional marketing. The first time, was when I ordered a device for cleaning the inside of your windshield. It is a handle with a pad on the end. Having to reach over to get all the edges of the inside of a windshield can be quite difficult.

When I ordered the Windshield Wizard, after giving my credit card information (don't roll your eyes or give me advice, I've been doing it for years), I was besieged with at least SIX additional offers wanting me to buy an additional item at reduced cost, insurance, and related items. It seemed like forever before I could complete the transaction. A few days after I ordered the Wizard, I began to notice phone calls that had been made to our home phone but no message left. Once they finally got through, I was able to determine that this was marketing follow-up to my order of a ten dollar piece of plastic. It took a couple phone calls to get them to go away but they have.

So the point of this message is to tell the reader my experience and my opinion.

"Marketing" in today's world is pretty much lying for a living. These people are clever and I have to hand it to them. They can sell a clever product, one that attracts your attention, and use it to gain access to the ability to try and attract you to spend more money on things you may not be interested in.

I don't go to the mall very often. Maybe I will now that I have retired. I know that they do sell, or at least the last time I was there they did, TV offer merchandise at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Perhaps I'll call there to see if I can buy the item at BB&B before I order online again.

Otherwise, I believe that my proactive preparedness, helped to fend off today's telemarketer. Hopefully, they will not further target me.

I had that lady scrambling for her script. She probably blew it by giving me a chance to talk so early in the conversation. I am so tempted to use derogatory names for such telemarketers. That said, some people sell drugs or their bodies to "keep the wolf away from the door". I don't have the right to judge what other people have to do for a living. God bless all telemarketers! And God give me the strength to deal with them with compassion.

Ciao, babies!

Day 3 Retirement Report Card.

Ok. Let's dispense with your initial guffaws over the short time frame. Yes, I am STILL IMPULSIVE AND still always defending myself.

Here are some facts dealing with my first two days of separation from St. Norbert College active employment:

1. I have been up before 6 a.m. every day.

2. I have increased my time on the treadmill from 30 minutes (on days when I went to work) to 45 minutes.

3. Still eating the same breakfast of two PB&J sandwiches. Going to lose the J when the jar is empty.

4. One additional AA meeting yesterday at 10 a.m. in Plymouth. Met several people I have not seen in years.

5. Paid my property taxes and my homeowners insurance.

6. Paid off all my Fantasy Football and Pick'em Pool winners.

7. Had supper on the table at 6 p.m. for Liz both days. Ok. It WAS frozen pizza on Monday but I made spaghetti (love hearing Conner say spa ge DEE). Tonight it might be something out of a box, or maybe I'll live on the edge and try something else.

8. I am totally at peace with my decision to quit working.

9. Did my push-ups (30-35 from the knees) on Monday and today.

10. Had nice long conversations with each of my brothers on the phone yesterday.

11. Received a call from the General Service Office in New York about some things I had ordered. That would have been a phone tag thing had I been working.

12. Watched two movies. Revenge of the Nerds on DVD on my computer in the sunroom on Monday and Funny People yesterday afternoon/evening on TWC PPV.

13. Have not peeked at Footprints nor do I intend to. Checked SNC email and realized that some people are responding to my "I'm retired" auto-reply message.

14. Am very relieved at not having to care whether some student who asks for a job gets a quick response, whether Andy is having trouble with the consultant schedule or whether anybody is experiencing any discomfort because of my absence.

Today? I'm going to do whatever the heck I want.

Ciao, babies!

The naked perceptions of one on the brink:

I happened to mention my frequent musing about retiring or not retiring in a Facebook post a few days ago. My brother Joe, retired for a couple years and several years my junior, said, "Why not? Do it!". My cousin said "Go for it!"

Then, on New Year's Eve, our friend Shirley, retired from teaching for a couple years was our guest. I asked her if she still liked what she was doing and she said she did. She said she decided to quit because of the change in superintendents that was imminent and because of some of the new requirements including those related to technology.

These things were swimming around in my mind.

When I awoke at 5 a.m. on New Year's day the decision was "there". I lay in bed having "gone around the bend".

Pro: I'm 62 and can start Social Security whenever I want.

I'm healthy enough to do whatever I want to do without being limited by my body.

That 3 hours per day on the road will be missed but I can take a ride in the Kettles if I want to see trees, turkeys and sunrises.

"Going out on top". No unpleasantness of any kind to act as a springboard. This is very important to me.

I want more freedom to pursue things that time won't allow right now. Singing? Coffeehouses? Volunteer work? Visiting the kids whenever they can put up with me? Being available to help when needs arise? Making Liz's days a little easier by making dinner and doing some cleaning? Ok. Let's be realistic. I am, after all, basically lazy. Perhaps I'm bordering on the idealistic.

Con: The wonderful people I work with and those I serve.

Being "involved" in the evolution of technology.

Having people to talk to about tech stuff.

The pride of owning a job in the technology field.

A decent salary.

The security of employment.

A place to go on a regular basis and the built-in motivation that comes with it.

The satisfaction of helping people and being valued. People think I know more than I do.

Have I forgotten any really obvious things here? Sure. I'm human. I will continue to try and listen to God.

Time to make breakfast and be with my beautiful grandsons. More later. Maybe lots more.

---Ciao, babies!!

62 year old loses his appendix!
Friday when I drove home from work, I had some "discomfort" in my midsection but I thought it was probably from that Tapioca pudding I had for dinner. It was a little too high though for gas. On the way home, I stopped and bought some Cheetos and a Diet pepsi but I only ate a few of the Cheetos. I just wasn't feeling like eating. When I got home, Liz had chicken thigh's and sweet corn ready for supper but I passed on it and just layed down on the couch. After watching TV till about 9, I went to bed but kept the Packer game on TV. No sooner did I go to bed when I had the chills really bad and felt really nauseous. I didn't throw up but lots of that really warm saliva that often precipitates upchucking was in my mouth.
At 11:30 p.m., the Packer game was still going on and I asked Liz to take me to the emergency room. I figured that abdominal pain along with chills and nausea were not a good combination. They definitely weren't gas.
When I was examined by the nurse in the ER, he said it was likely apendicitis or gall stones. The doctor said they were going to give me a CAT scan and that would determine which they would treat.
At about 1 a.m., they brought me a big container of lemonaide (I got to pick iced tea or lemonaide) that also contained the liquid that shows up on the scan. I napped until about 4 a.m. when they wheeled me into a trailer that had a CAT scan machine in it. About an hour after the scan was over, the doctor said it was appendicitis and I'd have to have surgery.
They scheduled my surgery for 8 a.m. and Dr. Werner came in to see me at about 7:30 a.m. He explained that he'd be using a laproscope and that it would need three little holes instead of one big one.
The whole experience was pretty surreal. I remember the Doctor who administered that anesthetic made several jokes before the operation. Then I woke up in the recovery room. I snoozed in and out for quite some time before they took me back to my room on the 5th floor. Liz came while I was in surgery and stayed with me for the day.
Lunch was all liquid stuff and I had a good apetite. I snoozed most of the day. They said that the Dr. had said that I could go home after supper if I felt good enough. After lunch, I knew I'd be well enough to go home.
They sent us home at about 8 p.m. Since they filled me with fluid through the IV that was in my right hand while I was hospitalized, I had to get up to pee about every 1-2 hours all night last night.
Today, it wasn't very long before I started to feel like my old self. I farted several times and then succumbed to a day's worth of the Hershey Squirts. It is just good to know though that everything works.
The first time I peed after the surgery, I made something that looked like cranberry juice. The surgeon did say something about a catheter that they must have put in while I was in surgery. Halfway through the afternoon yesterday, my pee started looking like it should.
They gave me a prescription for vicodin which we picked up at Walgreen's 24 hour pharmacy last night. I took one of the pills before bed but decided to take ibuprophen for the pain today. There really wasn't and isn't much pain. I haven't thought of taking anything today for pain. It's a little tender down there but that's to be expected since I'm healing.
I don't have to go to work tomorrow because I have to get clearance from the surgeon before I do that and I'm supposed to call him tomorrow. I'm supposed to make an appointment to see him on Thursday.
So, this has been the story of my appendix adventure. I fully expect to be in good shape by the time I return to work on Tuesday. Modern medicine is truly a miracle. Years ago, when they had to make a big incision to get your appendix out, you were in the hospital for a few days I imagine and it was probably lots more painful.
I thank God for the inspiration to get care when my symptoms weren't really that awful. I thank him too for the complete lack of any REAL pain and the lack of fear as I went through this.

That's it for today.

Caio, babies!

Not Goodbye but an acknowledgment.

Yeah, I know, I don't write here at all anymore. It's like this: Ten hour days leave me with no time in the day for this PERIOD. I get home from work at 7 p.m. Mondays, alternate Tuesdays, one Wednesday a month, and Thursdays I have something scheduled at 6:30 or 7. I don't get home until after 8. There is time for something to eat and then bed. I'm getting up at 4:15 a.m. right now because Liz wants me off the treadmill by 5:30 so she can use it. I may be able to back this off to 4:30 a.m. once I start walking outside. That should be soon. Maybe next week.

I restrung my Taylor 210e last week after breaking a string trying to take the battery out and cranking the wrong way. Dar! I have thoughts about buying an electric (a Les Paul or a Taylor T3?) but I don't have the time or motivation to learn to play the instrument well enough to do anything but strum chords. I just can't justify spending several thousand dollars on a guitar that I can't or won't even play. The style of music I like (songs you can strum) just does not lend itself to a solid-body electric. The guitar, for me, is a personal accompaniment to my singing. An electric solid-body cannot really fit that mode.

Dang, it's 10 o'clock and the judge shows are on Fox. Gotta go switch to the History channel.

So why do I no longer blog? Well, lets look at the big picture.
Back before Blogger, Facebook and Twitter, there was THE WEB. The thing to do was to put up a web page to "stake your claim" on the web. I put up http://www.geocities.com/georgepossley using Netscape's web editor and later Nvu. That page is still up and my attitude is that it can stay as a kind of archive of my life up to that point and representative of a particular phase that I went through. Other noteable "phases" were my CB radio phase and later my BBS phase just before "the internet" became available to me.
I used my web page primarily to put up pictures and text to document my life.
When Blogger came along, I found it much easier to blog about my life. I could easily upload pictures and enter text without having to use a cumbersome web editor and page uploads. I even "graduated" to uploading videos and personal sound files.

I got into Facebook a few years ago because I work at a college and at that time you could only get on FB if you were in college or associated with one. I felt stupid at times being on FB. It seemed like just a place where you could view pictures of college kids drinking and partying and talking about video games and other stuff that I'm just not interested in.
Then they opened FB up to anyone. Now, I can keep up with REAL friends and relatives on FB. I still have not yet created GROUPS which will allow me to ignore people more easily that I am not really interested in.
Then there's Twitter and Yammer. Yammer only applies to people on the St. Norbert network and there are so few people who use it that I'm losing interest. Twitter ingrigues me and I'm gradually learning how to view stuff that I'm interested in.

Had to switch away from History channel. I don't care about shooting down Jap Zero's i WWII. That's World War Two for those of you born well after 1950. :-)

I'm watching A&E. I find Bill Curtis' voice to be very addicting. Liz thinks I watch all the crime shows so I can learn how to kill her and get away with it. LOL.

So, I'm off work today and really don't have a goal. Maybe I'll go rake all the sod off the lawn that the snowplows threw up there. Yeah, right. Liz will probably beat me to it.
I have a gig with the contemporary group at church tomorrow afternoon. I get to sing "My Divine Mercy" as a solo and accompany myself on amplified acoustic guitar so I should practice that today a time or two. Then Sunday it's off to Madison for the Pre-Conference Assembly all day at the Madison Senior Center.
I'm off Monday too. There is a lot of stuff to do at work and I'm tempted to just go to work but aht would be sick and wrong. Work will wait. I'm not doing anything wrong by taking the work hours and vacation time that work allows.

Well, to my few followers on here, if you want me to write more you need to beg harder.

Ciao babies!!

Notes from an Inexperienced Chili Taster

I was going through my "funny stuff" folder and just had to post this one. It is one of my all-time favorites and I nearly pooped myself reading it again just now.

Notes From An Inexperienced Chili Taster Named FRANK,
> who was visiting Texas from the East Coast:
>
> "Recently I was honored to be selected as an outstanding
> famous celebrity in Texas, to be a judge at a chili cook-off,
> because no one else wanted to do it. Also the original
> person called in sick at the last moment, and I happened to be
> standing there at the judge's table asking directions to the beer
> wagon when the call came. I was assured by the other two judges
> (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy, and besides
> they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted."
>
>
> Here are the scorecards from the event:
>
> Chili # 1: Mike's Maniac Mobster Monster Chili
> JUDGE ONE: A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick.
> JUDGE TWO: Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
> FRANK: Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove
> dried paint from your driveway with it. Took me two beers
> to put the flames out. Hope that's the worst one.
> These Texans are crazy.
>
> Chili # 2: Arthur's Afterburner Chili
> JUDGE ONE: Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight Jalapeno tang.
> JUDGE TWO: Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken
> seriously.
> FRANK: Keep this out of reach of children! I'm not sure what I am
> supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who
> wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to walkie-talkie
> in 3 extra beers when they saw the look on my face.
>
> Chili # 3: Fred's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
> JUDGE ONE: Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans.
> JUDGE TWO: A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of red peppers.
> FRANK: Call the EPA, I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels
> like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now.
> Barmaid pounded me on the back; now my backbone is in the front
> part of my chest. I'm getting shit-faced.
>
> Chili # 4: Bubba's Black Magic
> JUDGE ONE: Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.
> JUDGE TWO: Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish
> or other mild foods, not much of a chili.
> FRANK: I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable
> to taste it. Sally, the bar maid, was standing behind me with
> fresh refills; that bitch is starting to look HOT, just like
> this nuclear-waste I'm eating.
>
> Chili # 5: Linda's Legal Lip Remover
> JUDGE ONE: Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground,
> adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
> JUDGE TWO: Chili using shredded beef; could use more tomato.
> Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
> FRANK: My ears are ringing, and I can no longer focus my eyes.
> I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant
> seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain
> damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer
> directly on it from a pitcher. It really pisses me off that the
> other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw those rednecks!
>
> Chili # 6: Vera's Very Vegetarian Variety
> JUDGE ONE: Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of
> spice and peppers.
> JUDGE TWO: The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and
> garlic. Superb.
> FRANK: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous,
> sulfuric flames. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except
> that slut Sally. I'll need to wipe my ass with a snow cone!
>
> Chili # 7: Susan's Screaming Sensation Chili
> JUDGE ONE: A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
> JUDGE TWO: Ho Hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a
> can of chili peppers at the last moment. I should note that I am worried
> about Judge Number 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is
> cursing uncontrollably.
> FRANK: You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't
> feel a damn thing. I've lost the sight in one eye, and the world sounds
> like
> it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili which slid
> unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava-like shit to match
> my
> damn shirt. At least during the autopsy they'll know what killed me.
> I've decided to stop breathing, it's too painful. To hell with it. I'm
> not getting
> any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch
> hole in
> my stomach.
>
> Chili # 8: Helen's Mount Saint Chili
> JUDGE ONE: A perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili, safe for all,
> not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.
> JUDGE TWO: This final entry is a good, balanced chili, neither mild
> nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge Number 3
> passed out, fell and pulled the chili pot on top of himself. Not sure if
> he's going to make it. Poor Yank.
>
> FRANK: --------------(editor's note: Judge #3 was unable to report)

Evidence of the Grace of God in my life:

Sunday, Nov. 30: Holding Lizes hand during the Our Father at mass is one of the most precious experiences of my entire life. Her hand is always warm and soft and reminds me I am exactly where I need to be.

Monday, Dec. 1: The Sheboygan river viewed from Hwy 57 as I traveled to work is so very beautiful. The river is surrounded by snow-covered trees on both sides and is so beautiful. It reminds me of the the reason to worship my loving God.

Tuesday, Dec. 2: Three deer racing across a snow-covered field as I drove to work. This happened south of Brillion as I travel up Long Lake Road. The deer stopped just over a hill and they watched me as I drove around a corner. Sights like this remind me of the wonder and generosity of my loving God.

Wednesday, Dec. 3: A friend listened intently as I described my pain at getting dismissed from my teaching career. I was in a busy office but he listened and maintained eye-contact. It was obvious he was showing respect for me by focussing his attention. It reminded me of the many times I am rude to others by being easily distracted while they are speaking to me. The Grace of God is the many wonderful friends I have here at St. Norbert.

George's 2008 Christmas list edition

It's really come to this: I have too much! When I can't think of any cool electronic device that I don't already have, it's a sad state of affairs! I'll list things in this post as I can think of them and then I'll summarize it in a list at the end.

There are still some Frank Zappa albums that I don't have. They are available at Zappa.com in the Barko-Swill section. The following are ones I don't have:

Zappa in New York

Frank Zappa the Man from Utopia

Sleep Dirt

Ship Arriving too late to save a drowning witch

Studio Tan

Ahead of their time

Baby Snakes

Make a Jazz Noise Here

Playground Psychotics

And in the Ryko Releases section:

Absolutely Free

Chunga's Revenge

Bongo Fury

And:

You can't do that on stage anymore (any volume.....there are many) I'm not even sure where you can get these.

Another item of interest to me is stuff that has to do with Taylor Guitars.

Start your search at http://taylorguitars.com

I'd like:

Taylor Mechanics shirt size XL? color: either charcoal or black, I don't care.

Taylor Suede guitar strap. Color: surprise me.

Taylor Denim jacket.

Baby Taylor Mahogany guitar (3/4 size travel guitar) Can probably find cheapest at Musicians Friend online. http://musiciansfriend.com ($299)

Ok. That's about it with the specialized stuff. Stroll through the stores. There oughta be something cool you can find for me. Heh.....

I would like clothes:

Shirt size: 17-32 Short

Polo shirt: L/G (whatever that means) Large?

Pants: 40-30 (40-29 works too)

I like Trucker hats and other hats.....surprise me.

I could always use another belt. Size 40.

Oh, and I need some nice gloves for winter. Leather would be nice but WARM is the keynote.

Pajamas would be nice. Warm ones, of course....I don't need 'em for summer.

And, of course, if you can find any cool electronic devices that I don't already have (not an iPod, laptop, GPS unit, smart phone, etc....I have all those)........................

So, I promised to include a handy cut-and-paste summary for you....:

Zappa CDs

Taylor guitar and accessories

Shirts size 17-32 for dress and L/G for polo

Pants size 40-30 but 40-29 is better.

Warm gloves

Casual belt(s) Size 40

Trucker hats (mesh in back rather than solid)

Red Ryder BB-gun with the thing in the stock that tells time (just kidding)

Happy Shopping. Hope I get you what you like.

Ciao, babies!

Just a late note to remind you that Frank Zappa CDs are available on Amazon.com

Untitled

Yesterday - A monumental day!

Here is what I ACCOMPLISHED:

1.  Called and got an appointment to get my eyes examined.  Liz told me I could not get a new computer desk with a lower deck until I had my eyes checked.  I got a sore neck the night we had our Fantasy Football Draft and decided "enough is enough".

2.  Called and made an appointment to have WE energies come and cut down some trees near the power lines.  We have decided to remove the old Norway maple that has been dying for years and the nasty Box Elder tree on the south side of the driveway.  We figured they'd get in the way of construction of our new garage.

3.  Used a web form to arrange for Sears to come and fix the ice maker on our fridge which hasn't worked for years(?).

4.  Called the HVAC folks to come and check our furnace/air conditioner.  The message pops up on the display.  Need to do this regularly as we have historically only called them when the furnace fails in the winter.

5.  Called two tree removal businesses to have the cedar on the NE corner and maybe the spruce on the north side removed.  One guy did come and gave me an estimate of 2260 bucks for removing those two and the two that he says the power company will trim but not remove.

6.  Called the landscaping guy whom our general contractor asked us to call about getting an estimate for demolishing the garage and doing something about water flow toward the house from the west.

7.  Called two businesses to give us quotes for installing gutter covers and possibly new gutters and downspouts to further address the drainage issues around the house.

8.  Washed my Prius.

9.  Mowed the lawn.

This is the kind of thing I wanted to happen when I went to 10 hour days.  Of course, taking Smokey to the vet Thursday was something that could not have been done except on a weekend had I not had the time off.

The calls keep coming in on the Jetta and I spoke for quite a while with a guy who owns a 2006 TDI and wants another.  So far, virtually all the responses and calls have come from people who saw the car parked next to the street.  Craig's list has generated only two attempted scams and one post that called me every name in the book for my asking price compared to the price of a new 2009 TDI.

I checked value on Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds.  Edmunds says the value of my vehicle is significantly higher than Kelley.  I based my asking price on Kelley before I'd ever checked Edmumds.  That makes me more likely to sit tight until I get pretty close to my asking price.  This is, after all, a special vehicle.  When somebody comes along who appreciates that, they'll recognize that my price is fair and we'll have a sale.

Gee, with this free time,  I even felt more like blogging!  That's it for now.

Ciao, babies!

Blogged with the Flock Browser

RIP Smokey

Smokey - 01/01/1988 to 08/28/2008 Smokey has been deteriorating for some time now. She was just skin and bones. We fed her canned catfood every morning but lately she just licks at it. This morning she did not get up at all. Every other morning she has come out to greet me when I get up. This morning she did not get up. We had to go to a funeral and we had not seen her by 9 a.m. We found her laying way in the back of the dog cage we have in the utility room. Liz did not think she was breathing. We didn't check further before the funeral. When we got back from the funeral, I discovered that she was still alive. We had discussed possibly taking her to the vet to be put to sleep when we talked last weekend and we knew we would not have time until today. I felt it was the right thing to do and Liz agreed. At the vet they told me that animals lose the ability to eat when they are near death. By putting her to sleep, we were preventing her from staving to death. Small consolation. This was a very very difficult experience for me. You were a good kitty Smokey, and we will miss you. Rest in Peace.

New Prius Arrives!

Last Wednesday, Liz and I took delivery on my new 2008 Toyota Prius. It is a geeks dream! I'm still on the first tank of gas but it is getting between 52 and 53 miles per gallon. That's as good or better than the Jetta on fuel that's 40-70 cents a gallon cheaper. But enough words! How about the pix?





It has this cool display that tells you whether the power is coming from the gasoline engine or the electric motor. It tells whether the battery is being charged or discharging. It tells what your mpg is right now and the average on this tank of fuel.
It's easier than the Jetta to get in and out of . My knees love that! It's roomier inside although Liz and I have already bumped ELBOWS trying to release our seatbelts at the same time. Some things never change.

The Jetta is all cleaned up. I spent all day yesterday cleaning glass, vacuuming the inside and washing it. It is now parked out front with For Sale signs all over. I am asking $9100. It has 227,000 one owner miles and is in great shape.
It is really going to kill me to let the Jetta go. It has been my favorite car ever. I especially love the color, of course. But it rides like a dream, runs quietly and everything works as good as the day I bought it. Since it is a rare high-mileage car, I think I can get pretty close to my asking price. There has been one call already today. I was out playing golf.

Speaking of golf.....I may not play a whole lot anymore but I had to get out for 9 holes today. I shot 41 on the back nine at Riverdale and was very pleased with that. My last round before that was a 51 in the last night of our SNC league about ten days ago. I was 5 over par today and three of those shots were to get out of the rough after wild tee shots. I hooked it into the long grass on the first par five and sliced it into the soup on the second one.

Even though I haven't blogged in a long time, I thought you would enjoy seeing pictures of my new car. Plus, I kinda want to keep the blog up as a historical reference.

Time to do something else.

Ciao, babies!

In which I shoot 36 on the Front Nine at Hilly Haven

Golf highlight from June 19th 2008 I posted the following email to our SNC golf list. I haven't shot 36 in longer than I can remember....maybe never. My round started with a pulled hook that bounced off a pine tree. I didn't have a direct line to the green so I hit a half three wood diagonally across the fairway. I was well up the hill and had a good look at the green. Didn't have my skycaddie because I forgot to switch back to the set of courses that include Hilly. Think I hit a nine iron and it was on or near the green. I chipped up and made the putt for an opening bogey. Not impressive but not disasterous. On hole #2, I decided to hit three wood because driver can be hit through the fairway. I hit it perfectly. It was down the middle and right at the bend. A nine iron got me on the green about 10 feet past the cup and I made the putt for a birdie 3. I hit a long draw on number 3. I was so focused on trying to figure out if I was further from the green than the marker that I saw sticking in the fairway. (It turned out that neither Tripp nor Bob had put their name on it so I was worried about nothing. As it was, my sand wedge was hit a little fat and it came up short of the green anyway. I chipped up but my lob shot was short and I two-putted for a bogey. Sloppy but not disasterous! The tee was waaaaay back on the fourth hole. I paced it as 197 yards to the middle of the green. My 197 club is my 7 wood. I had it re-gripped this season but I still almost always hook it. This time was no different. I swung easy and my ball landed on or in front of the green and then disappeared over the back edge. I figured it was probably in the pond. John pushed his tee shot way right and after peeking but not walking in the wheat, I gave up and went to look after my own shot. Thankfully, it was NOT in the pond. It stopped about a yard short. The pin was toward the back of the green and there was a big hump I had to pitch over with downhill terrain between the edge of the green and the pin. I used my 60 degree lob wedge and popped the ball up on that hump. As I scrambled up the hill to view my ball, I was just able to see it travel the last two feet INTO THE CUP!!! That was the holler you heard while we were on number four. BIRDIE TWO! And I'm even par again. After my inquiry of John, I found that the event on number 5 was not long drive so I promptly hit a good one. I'm not going to outdrive Tripp on a bad day for Tripp so I have no more illusions there. My drive was long and to the left and I was disappointed to find it still down in the gully and not even on the upslope. I hit a terrible three-wood next. I left a two inch divot before the ball and pushed it way to the right. But pleasant fate was my mistress again and the ball bounced off a pine tree toward the fairway. The event was closest in four so I wanted to be on the green on my next shot. For reasons I can't remember, my next shot came up short of the green. I hit a great chip shot with my pitching wedge but it was outside the marker for "closest in four". I did make the putt though for a five and I'm still even par. Tripp and Bob were standing in the middle of the fairway on number 6 and I figured I was never going to out-drive Tripp (It was the long drive hole) so I blasted away. It was my best drive of the day. Tripp later commented that he barely noticed my ball rolling back about 20-30 yards but I nailed it and it was in perfect position even with the sand trap in the middle of the fairway. My gap wedge was pulled a bit and my birdie putt came up short and to the left so I made a 3 footer for a par. Even par after 6. The seventh hole is a BEAR to par. That goes without saying. I hit a very good drive but it was more to the left than I wanted. I either had to draw the ball or carry several cedar trees to even aim at the green. My seven wood from about 200 yards went straight over the trees and landed 20 yards short of the green. Again, I made a poor approach shot and left myself a 15 foot putt. My line was perfect but I left it about two feet short. I settled for a bogey. Now I'm one over with two easy holes left to play. The groundskeeper was once again not our friend as the tee was as far back on number 8 as I have ever seen it. I normally hit 8 iron on that hole but at 150 yards, I chose a 6. I hit it a little out on the toe and it ened up hole high but off the green on the right. Another sweet lob shot and I was 4 feet from the cup. I sunk the putt once again with the Scott Cameron Futura that I again started using yesterday and I was one over going into nine. Again the tee was back on the ninth tee but that was no concern to me. I decided to hit four iron off the tee to try and keep the ball anywhere in the fairway. I was fairly confident I could hit the green with a short iron so just being in play was my main goal. I hit a marvelous four iron. It was high enough to clear the trees on the right and ended up about 75 yards from the middle of the green. I paced it from the 100 marker. I hit full lob wedge and it was a beauty. It landed and settle about 10 feet above the pin. The putt was downhill and broke about 8 inches left. I hit it right on the correct line and left it 1 foot short. I made the one foot putt for a round of 36, my best nine hole score in memory and probably my lowest round played in the SNC league ever. I thought maybe it deserved a blow by blow description here because there were so few blows. And to think I wouldn't have even been on time had I not run into John Frohliger in the Cofrin IT office at 2 p.m. I was not even going to leave until 3 p.m. thinking our tee times at Hilly were ALL at 3:45 p.m. for the rest of our weeks there. Ah, but God had much better things in store for me yesterday. Thanks Lord!! I hope you enjoyed my wonderful round even a little. Now I'd better get some work done. -- George

My Delight!

This picture was taken over Easter weekend. Liz and I ate lunch last Wednesday at Bubba Gump's Shrimp Co. in Charleston. When I saw the shirt, I just had to have one for me and my cherubic grandson, Conner.

Ciao babies!

Post #2 from Charleston

The tour of Ft Sumter was pretty interesting. Fortunately, we sat downstairs inside the boat and not up on the top where it's open. Lots of people who thought it would be nice to be out in the open air quickly decided that seats inside were much more appealing. It was too cold to be out in the wind.
Ft Sumter is now a National Park. There are still unexploded shells from the Civil War that are embedded in the walls. After we got back, I took a nap. Being out in the wind makes a person tired. Liz and I ate supper last night at Vickery's Bar and Grill. We had to wait about 20 minutes to get seated but it was worth it. This is another restaurant on Shem Creek and the view of the creek and surrounding marsh was very "nautical".
Liz and I tried out the whirlpool bathtub last night. No, not at the same time..... It was relaxing.

Today, we drove to downtown Charleston and then walked for the better part of an hour before we realized there were no "breakfast places" on the route we had chosen. We ened up at a little coffee shop that I had failed to tell Liz about when we arrived on the street from the parking ramp. Heh...

Then we did the following:

1. Tried to get on the "Charleston's finest" tour bus as I had reserved a tour on that bus. We were told we had to go inside the Welcome Center to pay.
2. Waited in line until an agent was ready.
3. Found out that they had made our reservation for Monday and not Tuesday. (The phone kept cutting out when I was making the reservation on Sunday night. It was on their end and not mine.)
4. Got on a Grey-line tour bus for the 90 minute historic tour of Charleston. George, our tour guide was very pleasant, entertaining and informative.
5. Caught "Charleston's finest" bus for the afternoon tour of the Magnolia plantation.

The tour of Magnolica Plantation was also very nice. It has beautiful gardens that held many plants that are blooming even now. We also got to see lots of aligators in the wild. They are pretty dormant right now and not feeding. There was one that had to be 13 feet long or so but we didn't see any aligator move at all. The ones we saw were laying on wooden ramps that they have placed in some of the ponds.

Arriving back at the visitor center (I didn't catch what our tourguide Jerry meant when he said we'd be stopping at the Vista center. I thought, "What the hell is the Vista Center?") we drove back to the hotel and had supper in the Reel Bar. This is located in the hotel and has lots of antique fishing equipment used to catch sailfish and such in the ocean.

Now we are watching TBS on our plasma TV. Very funny!

Tomorrow, we are going back across the Ravenel Bridge, the longest steel cable bridge in the world at 3.5 miles, to downtown Charleston to do a little looking around and more touristy stuff.

I'm too lazy to upload any photos....maybe later.

Ciao, babies!!

Spring Break in Charleston SC

I write this as I sit in our 4th floor room overlooking the Charleston harbor at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina.  We arrived last night after a two day drive during which we drove through snow in Indiana, rain after that and a 40 minute hangup on I-26 north of Charleston yesterday afternoon while road crews removed debris from the highway after strong storms ripped the area the day before.

We stayed Saturday night at a Days Inn in Renfro Valley, Kentucky.  Charming little place with a 24 hour Denny's and an Arby's right on the property.  Y'all have a nahce day now!

We decided to splurge and pay $25 per night for a harbor side view and then were upgraded to an even better room when ours had a wet floor.  OK, just a little corner of it near the window was wet but that's enough to qualify for AN UPGRADE.  All the world is looking for an upgrade, isn't it?  We went from a cheesy CRT tv to a room that has a plasma in the wall, a fireplace (which I have no idea how to operate) and a whirlpool tub.  WooHOO!

We ate last night at the Shem Creek Bar and Grill in nearby Mt. Pleasant.  I had the Seafood Spectacular which featured scallops, shrimp, mahi-mahi and Devilled Crabcakes.  It was yummie!

Today, we are soon departing for a cruise to see Ft. Sumter.   

Ciao, babies!