Random Thoughts

Myers-Briggs Personality Test

2012-01-24T09:06:00.000-06:00

When a Facebook friend recently commented on herself, "Some days even I question my sanity!!!!", I'm thinking "maybe". Just a little humor there because if anything Mandy sometimes fails at filtering how she says thing which I find endearing as long as I'm out of ricochet range.

So, I'm sitting here trying to describe my recent visit to my mom who's in a hospice. It's more difficult than I thought to put those three days of confusion and contradictions into words. Anytime I can't find the words its a big clue that I'm neither comfortable with the words I want to use nor with what I'm trying to say.

This lead me to recall a few of us in the office a taking a personality test, the goal being to solidify team building by learning other's reaction to different office situations. Four of us shared the results with others.

Me?

Michael values close, personal relationships, and he will often put the needs and desires of those who are loyal friends ahead of his own needs. He is an even-paced individual who thrives in a peaceful, harmonious environment. Michael will work to avoid conflict and sudden changes in his lifestyle and finds joy in keeping tradition. Systematic and detailed, Michael focuses on the process. Others see him as practical and logical. He tends to be sensitive to criticism, but prefers to internalize his emotions rather than expose them. Michael likes to clarify expectations before undertaking new projects, because he works hard to meet the standards that are set for him.

Michael would prefer things stay the same, rather than to risk a new venture (unless it is proven and true) . He is typically peaceful and low key, and is usually seen by those around him as a good friend and listener. He tends to adopt a "wait and see" attitude about things, rather than taking charge of a situation, usually preferring to let others take the lead.

Michael usually avoids being the center of attention. He tends to pick his friends carefully and is usually cautious and not overly "open" to strangers. Michael may sometimes come across as being skeptical of what others tell him they will do, but once a person has proven their reliability, Michael is willing to invest more time and trust in the relationship.

Let's see if now I can describe my Iowa visit to say my final goodbye to mom. Its more confusing than sad since we've learned she won't be leaving us in the foreseeable future.

Weekend

2011-06-05T18:44:00.000-05:00

Grumpy Old Man Seeks Ann-Margret

2011-03-30T06:48:00.001-05:00

Perhaps not grumpy yet, but there have been moments. And, my youthful thoughts of dedicating my retirement to wine and women in thongs just isn't working out. Not having a job is affecting me more than I imagined, though unemployed/under-employed is the nature of writing military technical manuals. I've certainly enough interests (photography, music, motorcycle/bicycle, guns, bible study) to keep me busy, but the continuous motivation is difficult to maintain.

A recent discovery has helped. It seems that several universities (Yale, Princeton, and others) and educational websites (TED) offer free entry level, college lectures and symposiums . These have sparked my imagination and hopefully maintaining my mental agility above the level of bingo.

It's going ot be interesting to see how this plays out.

My Obituary

2011-01-31T01:30:00.000-06:00

No, this isn't a cyber prediction of my impending demise, but rather an intellectual exercise on how I be remembered. What will my obituary say about my time on this earth? What will others think on hearing of my passing?

Actually, this is a tool in a book on setting goals, which at 60 years old is pretty much limited to my admireable vices. Still, its an interesting game defining the high points of my family, work, social, and spiritual life.

I'll play with this idea for a few days, and then let is pass without putting anything on paper, and it'll be an interesting exercise. Who knows, I may find something important to devote my retirement to.

It Has A Name; Collaberative Consumption

2011-01-06T22:46:00.001-06:00

As so frequently happens when I post a video, my mind does hand springs about its content. The following is just another example. While I'm both intrigued and involved in this gal's economic ideas, there's a hidden agenda lurking in my mind to promote the ted.com website in general.

It was only after viewing this video that I realized the extent of the economic and sociological effects on us. I've seen this so often lately, but never until now connected the dots. Austin has the yellow bicycle program, Stephanie and one of her friends are sharing home schooling aids, there's website where I can loan/rent my power washer (guys know machines need to be used to stay in good condition), and the list goes on.

Most importantly, this post is a plug for ted.com, with its intelligent, articulate speakers talking on a variety of subjects for only a limited amount of time.

Forks in the Road

2010-12-24T08:44:00.000-06:00

Decisions - these are what defines our lives and the lives of others whether we like it or not. The year's end always brings thoughts of recent events which leads to lifes decisions in general. What if?

Recovery/Repair Utility Rant

2010-06-19T19:48:00.000-05:00

I've been fortunate to see our computer technology evolve into what we have today. I got my TRS-80 Model 1 before there was an Apple; when Steve Jobs and the Woz were still sweeping up solder splash from their garage floor.

However, there's one area seriously lacking advancement. That is in software repair programs.

Let's start with my current problem and provided a catalyst for this rant. My Outlook address book is toast. Why isn't so much important as the dialogue box telling me the PST file is flawed and I need to run scanpst.exe. My problem is if Outlook sees the corrupted file and knows how to fix it, why doesn't it just execute the file for me? It makes probably thousands of other decisions without my input, so this should be a no-brainer.

Word Perfect word processing software is another example of inept recover/repair software. Firstly, all of you knowing I'm a technical writer, I use either Microsoft Word or Word Perfect about equally. Word Perfect has a problem with documents, say over 25 Megabytes, causing the data file to become corrupted and useless. Of course Word Perfect sees this and reports such back to me and then automatically executes a program where I'm to send the details back to the home office. Nice except the report never leaves my computer nor does the attempted repair ever work.

In my mind if a software company distributes a recovery/repair utility, it tells me two things. The company is aware of a defect in its application software and it either can't or won't fix the cause of the corrupted data file.

Frequent backup copies of files are the only reliable safety net.

Worm Alert

2010-06-14T15:23:00.003-05:00

Did you get an email titled, "Really cheap Viagra. area inaugural slipped Glock" from "Or"? Seems my Outlook has been invaded by a worm sending Viagra advertisements, with a Russian URL link, out through my computer.

There are a variety of problems here. The first is spamming friends and those that I have working relations with. Then there's ensuring with a high degree of confidence.this is not a continuing problem.

The bright side is that Facebook friends will enjoy my discomfort for a few hours. That, and I'm grateful the rogue email wasn't suggesting breast enhancement since most people who read this blog are gals.

Years ago worms were a big problem for emails so I created in my Outlook email a bogus contact called Worm (first name) Alert (last name) with my email address. Then if I ever received an email with this name I knew someone besides me was accessing my contact on Outlook.

I hope no one is badly annoyed by this while I get it fixed.

Motorcycle Ride 2010

2010-06-13T20:17:00.000-05:00

Plan A was to be back from my ride today, but since I never left.... :(

At the last minute before I was to leave, a must-be-done-yesterday project hit my desk. It probably won't be until August till I can get out of here now. Kansas and Oklahoma in August? GRUMBLE.

Youngest Doesn't Know How Funny He Is

2010-06-09T19:01:00.000-05:00

I just found this and wanted to share it because my youngest son, Tom, did a great "Urkel" impersination back when the TV show Family Matters was playing. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. *grin*

http://tv.yahoo.com/family-matters/show/73/videos/20207472

Holy Spirit Guiding Me

2010-06-08T17:31:00.000-05:00

Do you ever get the feeling something just isn't right so you don't do it, or maybe you do something spontaneously out of the ordinary and it turns out really well? It happens to me all the time, and I know its the Holy Spirit guiding and protecting me.

My job is slow now, down to about twelve hours a week, so I've been able to get more bible study (currently Isaiah) than is normal. To briefly paint that picture, looking over my shoulder you would see two or three bibles of different translations open, a dictionary, a concordance, and probably a commentary or two displayed on my computer. It can get a bit hectic and somewhat tiring staying focused while bouncing between all those references.

After a while my mind begins to drift and settles on "The New Covenant", a satisfactory understanding that's been avoiding me for years. I think Chris and I even talked about it briefly a couple of years ago. Being tired my mind starts cracking jokes about imagining God sitting in heaven accepting the fact his first covenant wasn't working at all, and a plan B is needed. (About now reading this He's deciding if I get indoor plumbing or not in my double-wide.)

I close the books, turn off the laptop, and head off to head. My stage for this story is now set.

After a few minutes its obvious I'm not tired. I get up, swallow some wonderful, sleep inducing drugs, and turn on my laptop to the Logos bible study software. Now the software starts messing up being very slow, unresponsive, and repeatedly displaying an error message. Like an normal person, I start rapidly and randomly clicking my mouse and hammering the Pg Dn or Pg Up keys. Eventually the softare catches up, only instead of Isaiah, I'm now at Jeremiah 31:31-34, a wonderful explaination of the second covenant. The Holy Spirit is definitely working here.

This Holy Spirit intervention happens to me frequently, though usually on my motorcycle (avoiding high overpasses in strong, gusty winds) or in interacting with people. One of the most overwhelming events occured a few years ago when I was taking a break at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church pavillion. Taking a break during a ride, I stopped to read and do a little praying. After an hour or two, the Holy Spirit told me to get back to my ride where my prayer was answered.

Chris, buddy, I still say the bible isn't the only book you need. *grin*

Just Bored Today I Guess....

2010-06-03T06:08:00.002-05:00

Amy Grant

2010-03-09T23:04:00.002-06:00

Saturday Night Fun?

2010-02-14T08:50:00.006-06:00

My clothes dryer finally died, or at least worried me enough to react. That squeaky bearing/bushing, after months of annoying noise, finally transitioned from a high pitched squeal to heating the dryer almost too hot to touch. So, last night at 7:30PM, had to make a run to Sears to get another one. Now the fun begins!

After a leisurely stroll through the Craftsman tools, I take ten minutes in the appliance area to find the make (Maytag) and model (minimal decision making knobs) and join the gaggle hovering around the two sales people at the register where one lady is grilling the sales person about every line of whatever they are looking at. I finally make eye contact with a guy who was obviously her husband. He had the typical "shoot me now and put me out of my misery" look. I sometimes wonder if gals know they do that to us guys.

Anyway, a third sales guy showed up and we closed the deal in ten minutes, with delivery on Tuesday. On my way out, I made eye contact with the just-
shoot-me guy who could only shrug his shoulders in resignation.

He can suffer in quiet desperation....I"m going to go look at a drill press. :)

Don't tell me I don't know how to have fun on a Saturday night. LOL

A Long Ride Is Way Over Due....

2010-01-22T08:00:00.003-06:00

...but, until spring this will have to do. I badly need a road trip!

Willie P Woods - Making a Difference

2010-01-01T09:41:00.000-06:00

Where are you, Willie? How's your life?

Turning our calendars always brings to mind personal memories. The media documentaries of the people and events of the previous year are interesting, but its our personal events which mean the most.

Thank you, Hilde, for your first post on "making a difference".

All of us experience success and failure with our immeditate friends and families. But for me, its the "what if" for previous friends and acquaintances that consume my thoughts.

I hadn't realized how important these people were to me until I left the Air Force and, after time, received infrequent emails from the folks I worked with. Just a few...

Phil in the Dakotas, while short in stature, was a giant as a mentor and supervisor.

Kathy, a Cubbies fan, went on to make a significant contribution to our Middle East military effort. Our going our seperate ways hit me harder than I could have imagined. Our last contact was her telling me she finally married and had twins, and I'm not even going to try and describe my joy in that.

Steve who's now married, has kids and is a teacher.

...and so many others...Kirby Jesky, Roy Holifield, Sharon, Darrel Beford, Hank, Tony Del Sorbo, Claire (man eater), Mike Mezual...the list goes on.

But, Willie, how did you fair?

Except for my post here in the not too distant past about the Vietnam-era rifle, I've avoided talking about my military work. Yet, when I think back to those 20+ years, Willie is my first thought.

How a kid from a New York City ghetto (?), with no mechanical aptitude and never even having a drivers license got into aircraft maintenance still boggles my mind. But, he did and I was assigned to teach him the job.

To this day I don't understand how or why, but the other technicians who also worked for me irrationally decided Willie wasn't good enough. This both pissed me off that they had this opinion and that I was now challenged with trying to keep a good maintenance team working together.

No need going into details, but Willie proved after a couple of months that he was pulling his weight and a bit more.

Willie, you made a difference in my life. Thank you.

Unexpected Vacation

2009-12-29T13:33:00.000-06:00

There's no work in the office, so I'm taking this week off.

Since the weather is too crappy with cold and rain for a ride, guess I'll be putzing around in the kitchen. First thing after I finish this, though, is making some beer bread. Then some Cajun Crab Wontons need fixed for being too salty followed by a pot of pasta sauce for two or maybe three lasagnas for this weekend.

I know that's not as much fun as sitting in a chair modeling silly string (I'm still laughing at that pic, Mandy), but cooking is one thing I do for fun. Also thinking about shooting some photos of rain on plants...usually interesting if for no other reason than trying to keep the camera dry.

There were no trips this holiday because of the allergy/sinus/cold I've been dealing with. The next trip will probably be in February for my mom's birthday. I'm toying with driving up to Des Moines with my sons, and then letting them drive back alone while I fly into Amish country for a few days. We'll see.

There's two concerts coming up in March....Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift. I"m leaning toward Taylor Swift. What do you think?

More later. I want to have that beer bread ready for dinner.

Cya

A Quote

2009-12-17T06:10:00.000-06:00

Tradition: sit with husband in a room lit only by tree lights and remember that our blessings outnumber the lights. Happy Christmas to all. ~Betsy Cañas Garmon

Of course Santa is jolly. He knows where all the bad girls live. ~Dennis Miller

Jail and Bail

2009-12-06T09:09:00.000-06:00

Almost a week has passed since my Facebook post mentioning my day last Tuesday getting my oldest son, Rob, out of jail. I purposely delayed this post to more balance reason and my frustration with this problem going on for two years now.

There's more to this story he's not telling me, but last Tuesday he was arrested and jailed for probation violation. Not having any information to make an informed decision on what to do, I put on my "Dad Fix It" hat, and spent eight hours and several thousand dollars to get him freed. For all this my thanks was, "Thanks, but I figured I'd just wait out the time till my court date in jail." I was so angry I couldn't see straight, but its a gift I've a very calm exterior.

Rob was dicharged from the Air Force for failing an alcohol rehab program. And, I think that was his goal to be kicked out. From what I've seen since his return, he abused alcohol, but wasn't addicted. Another factor in his discharge was his injuries incurred in his military work climbing poles to install wiring. He'd fallen a few times really screwing up his shoulders making it impossible to continue in that work.

Because of his work injuries, he was working through the Veterans Administration beauracracy to get a medical retirement, finally coming though a few months ago.

His first night home, and after I had gone to bed, he took my truck to go somewhere at 2AM. He drove maybe a block down the street before hitting a neighbors parked car. The police conducted alcohol testing finding Rob was well under the legal limit for DUI, but the arrested him anyway, finally issuing a citation for blocking a thoroughfair or something ambiguous like that.

Their action is similiar to drivers flashing their lights warning oncoming drivers they are approaching a speed trap. While the flashing light warning in most states isn't illegal, some police issue "Impeding a police investation" citations for it.

About now the story gets murky because Rob will lie to avoid confrontation in facing reality. You may recall my refering to him as a 32 year old juvinile.

He was put on probation and orderred to pay the probation costs on a monthly basic.

Rob's first year at home was curious and a little disturbing. He's never had a sense of family, so his spending most of his time in his room wasn't too much of a surprise. After the first year and my pressing to find out what was going on in his head and why he hadn't found a job yet, it came out he'd burned through $20,000 savings with basically nothing to show for it but drinking, playing online video games, and reading fantasy novels.

I'm almost finished, but I have to tell you the irony of this whole thing. Tom, my youngest son, has schizonphrenia and I always assumed it would be Rob to care for him after my death. Turns out Tom is quite self sufficient, living about a mile away, working as a security guard which he likes, going to school to get his electricians license, and living his own life. Could it be Tom that ends up taking care of Rob in small ways?

So, the bottom line in all this with Rob? We had a talk, with him getting weepy.

If he screws up and I lose that bail money, I'm handing him a tent and sleeping bag and wishing him well as I send him on his way. No, its not the money, but his not fulfilling his adult responsibilities.

Lastly, he has a year to become self sufficient, getting a job to live his own life. December 2010 he's gone living with the life he's accomplished during this next year.

I"ve rightly painted a negative picture here of a girly man, but he's a real nice guy willing to do anything to help others. He just needs to learn to help himself.

Pears - Sweet With The Texture of Sand

2009-11-29T06:26:00.000-06:00

I'm sitting here with my morning coffee and chasing the rabbit trails in my mind as I do most mornings. This morning started with boning up on bread machine baking since there's no such thing as fresh bread in Austin at the typical supermarkets. You can find fresh, specialty breads at the high end, yuppie grocery, but stopping there is more of a nuisance than I care to deal with.

Last nights evening snack was a slice of freshly baked bread. It was almost an event sensing the taste and texture as if for the first time. That's why the title of this post, from a favorite movie in a scene of one actor trying to describe the taste of a pear to someone who has never tasted one.

One slice of good bread...no sugars and no grease. I was satisfied.

Unless pressed, I won't go into the twists and turns of my convoluted logic, but this reinforced a long held belief that our bodies know what it needs and will keep up the craving until satisfied. To put that another way, if we're deficient of vitamin/mineral (insert name here), and the only food available has a shortage of this need, we'll keep eating until that need is satisfied.

Yeah, I left a lot out, but its time to be somewhere else. Cya.

Cell Phones - Really a Media Entertainment Center

2009-11-28T07:52:00.001-06:00

My thought processes really zig-zag here, so I hope you can keep up. While I'm talking about my phone a lot, this is really about technology.

An article over the internet inspired this thought, a foreign language teacher incorporating cell phones into her class room assignments, sending them assignments in Spanish to their phones. That's pretty cool when you consider all the attention lately being given to kids sending inappropriate pictures and sexting. If you don't know what sexting is and you have kids, I'd suggest getting smart on this real fast.

I'm on my fourth phone now after getting a Blackberry Tour a few months ago. The BB was an impulsive purchase since I left the house to get a replacement battery for my two year old Sanyo flip-phone. Yeah, I love this thing and I may start using it as a phone one day soon.

The GPS navigator has gotten me out of some tough spots three times now. Each time I found (lost myself is a better phrase) myself without a clue where I was, I activated the navigator, spoke where I wanted to go, and had a map with turn-by-turn directions to my destination within seconds.

The camera is pretty good especially eliminating taking notes about something I've found on store shelves.

The media player works really well for listening to my favorite CDs by Carole King, Point of Grace, Amy Grant, SRV, audio bible and George Strait. Oh yeah, and You Tube works great.

Something bears repeating here. If you were following my Facebook comments with either Hilde or Cher and you noticed I mentioned You Tube to see how easy deep fried turkey is to do, there's a video with some guy using a step ladder. Let me say that if you think you need a step ladder to deep fry turkeys, you have no business messing with hot oil over a propane burner.

I haven't yet figured out how many books this thing will hold, but I'm reading Freakonomics on my phone now. This makes resisting the Kindle pretty easy. BTW, if you haven't heard of Freakonomics, its seems to be about (I dislike this outdated term.) "thinking outside the box". My favorite story (not in this book) about this involved a university who hired an architect to build a new building. When the building was finished, but no sidewalks were installed, he left. After a year, he came back, saw where the grass was worn away by foot traffic and that's where he put the sidewalks.

Finally, but not least, is its connectivity to Facebook and Yahoo IM. This is pretty neat though I'm puzzled why folks text when just calling seems so much easier. Come on...who uses all of their phone minutes anyway.

Perhaps waxing sentimental, but I can't help thinking back to the first personal computer I used, an Altair 4000. The link is to a 8000 because I couldn't find one for the 4000.

It's going to be fun seeing what's around the next corner.

Deactivated Facebook

2009-11-20T18:56:00.000-06:00

FB was getting to be a real distraction taking up a lot of time, so I deactivated it tonight. Leaving it open and unattended would only cause to people to wonder why I was ignoring them. This way everyone knows I'm not online there, at least for a while.

Cooking Recipes

2009-11-16T06:04:00.000-06:00

Cooking is relaxing and gives me a chance to do for others since I make way too much food for just me. Looking at the dozen or so cookbooks on the bakers rack to my right, I think there's probably no more than two or three recipes I use out of each. Even my favorite cookbook, a Better Homes and Garden copyrighted in 1956, doesn't get the attention it deserves.

Long ago I promised Heather I'd forward a recipe that called for "ten cents worth of baking soda", and I"m still looking.

Thanksgiving brought all this to mind, trying to decide what to take to the annual dinner gathering with friends. I'll end up cooking something from Soul Food and Southern Cooking, the best collection of recipes I've found.

George Strait

2009-11-10T17:57:00.002-06:00

The Man In Love With You

If You're Gone

2009-11-08T20:59:00.001-06:00

Joyce Meyer Houston Conference 2009

2009-11-08T17:08:00.001-06:00

Joyce Meyer used to be kind of a stick in the mud disliking people wearing jeans in the office and avoiding lights, smoke, and rock in her conferences. She finally relented when her staff (family) asked her if she was trying to appeal to the (older) folks who already follow her or younger generations searching for life in walking in the light.

This is Joel Osteems' Lakewood Church, a renovated sports stadium, capable of seating thousands of people at a time. The size of this church doesn't really impress you till you see the twelve page booklet decribing its different ministries and the various maps to found your way around the church and the numerous parking garages.

Her message is always good, but I have to admit her various CDs, DVD, books, and website downloads offer the real meat of her teachings.

Caught Up In Tiger Mania

2009-11-04T18:21:00.001-06:00

Pay Pal Scam

2009-11-04T02:28:00.000-06:00

Has anyone ever received an email that wasn't intended for them?

I received a Pay Pal Receipt in my email today which was more than a little odd. I haven't used Pay Pal in maybe eight years, yet this receipt is for a DVD movie I wouldn't like, from a store I've never heard of, and shipped to a person and town I don't know. Clicking on the various links in the email sends me to a very official looking Pay Pal website, but none of the links imbedded there work, returning a "Page Not Found" error.

Thinking this whole thing curious at best, I accessed Pay Pal from an internet portal page and accessed my long unused account. There was no account activity, so I'm wondering if this Pay Pal receipt was some kind of scam to gain my account information.

Quick Trip to Massillon

2009-11-03T04:52:00.004-06:00

I had a very relaxing few days in Massillon last week. Mountain Vision Ministries invited me to their Saturday party celebrating sixteen years of feeding the body and soul of our Appalachia poor. So, I flew in on Thursday, Oct 30.

The flight into Akron was good with the plane only being half full. I got into Massillon about noon on Thursday, and after getting settled into the Hampton Inn I had lunch at Top of the Viaduct. After that it was a trip through Dalton up to Orrville to check out the fall colors.

I suppose about now I should explain I wanted the trip to be low key to avoid folks upsetting their weekend plans to hook up. I expect I'll hear a few words about that....I'm guessing.

We in Texas take our high school football seriously, but nothing like what I saw in town prepping for the McKinley game. This whole thing looked so much fun that I bought a ticket. It was then while talking to the gal selling tickets and a guy in front of me that the game was in Canton. Crap, there's no way I could both go to the game and make it to the Mountain Vision party. I kept the ticket and even went over to Tiger Rags to get a new hat and windshirt.

Friday afternoon was spent at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It was in a small way like reliving my youth seeing the names of these players I watched as a kid.

The Mountain Vision party Saturday night was really nice. I finally met Mike Thompson, the director, face to face. We'd talked on the phone a few times this past year. After looking through photos of past mission trips and having a pulled pork dinner with some very nice people, the show started with two songs by Fran (didn't catch her last name), but I know her from her "Beautiful In Its Time" CD as Fran Zupp.

If anyone can tell Fran I left her a Facebook message, I'd appreciate it. You couldn't miss the similarities between Fran's singing on the CD and now, but what I heard Saturday was so much better. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the party, but she was incredible.

Following Fran was maybe an hour of personal testimonies from people relating their stories and experiences be associated with Mountain Vision. I know what being poor is, but I hadn't expected the stories of successfully helping families escape abusive situations. My mind is still trying to grasp the story of a man keeping his family together by locking his wife and kids in a chicken coop while he was at work. Then there was the woman who after being rescued by Mountain Vision went on to owning her own business.

My trips always have surprises and this one was no exception. During my trip in August, I arranged to meet with Sis and Ernie in Fredericksberg, and I was pleasantly surprised when Jason and Mandy joined us for coffee. This trip was no different.

Besides seeing Fran in person (I bought her CD several years ago, having to call her at home to get it.), I saw Facebook friend Karen across the room at the party. She was at a table full of people, so I didn't go over to say "hi". Then, after getting back, another Facebook friend, Candy, spotted me downtown, but wasn't sure it was me until we chatted after I got back.

I flew out Sunday morning, but not without a little bit of drama. When I picked up my rental car, the Hertz clerk told me I could refill the gas tank at either exit 109 or 111. What she didn't tell me was that 109 had both a "A" and a "B" exit. Naturally I took the one without a gas station and ended up on a highway with no turn-around. Now being lost and terribly late, I grabbed my new phone. (I love this thing!) I fired up the navigator, voiced that I wanted directions to the Akron airport, and I was there within minutes, but still very, very late.

The Delta ticket clerk must have called the plane telling them I was on my way, because they closed the door behind me.

It was a very good trip.

Next weekend I'll be in Houston for a Joyce Meyer conference. :)

The weekend after that is a motorcycle show in Dallas which I haven't decided on yet.

RULES

2009-09-23T12:27:00.002-05:00

I have a lot of fun, and I imagine gals are tired of, "Rules Men Wish Women Knew". Well, seems the gals have real rules. Lifting this from Yahoo, I thought it'd be fair to the gals to give them equal time.

(The Frisky) -- We're not mothers yet, but we're at a point in our lives when we're thinking about our future families. We know an awful lot about women and how to treat and please 'em, so we plan to pass that knowledge down to our sons.

Young men should be taught to find out his girlfriend's favorite flower.

We hope to rid the male sex of all the things that make us rant by raising boys with balanced male and female perspectives. Here are the 18 things we'll teach them.
1. Pick your battles.
2. Walk on the outside (closer to the street) of your female companion.
3. Saying "You're being crazy" is never an appropriate response, unless you want her to go postal on you. The Frisky: How to keep the crazy at bay
4. Cooking, cleaning, and taking care of kids are things men can actually do as well as women.
5. Keep backup supplies of quality chocolate in the house for her to raid.
Don't Miss
The Frisky: 5 things I'd do differently in single life
The Frisky: What future father will teach his son about women
The Frisky: 5 things I'd do differently if I re-lived my single life
6. Buying tampons and other feminine products shouldn't embarrass you --everyone knows they're not for you.
7. Women like compliments and gifts. The Frisky: Is chivalry sexist?
8. Earning less than her shouldn't be emasculating. The Frisky: Why marrying for money isn't a totally bad idea
9. Be on time, even if she usually isn't.
10. Don't be a pouty puppy when shopping with her.
11. Find out what her favorite flower is. The Frisky: 5 easy chivalrous moves to get the girl
12. If you like her, then don't buy her shoes; it's bad luck.
13. Smiling and nodding aren't the same as listening.
14. It's OK to cry in front of her, but keep the blubbering to a minimum.
15. Personality goes a long way.
16. At some point she'll be more important than your mother.
17. You will never completely understand women.
18. Oh yeah, and no woman will ever be good enough for my baby!

Aaron Tippen

2009-09-17T18:48:00.003-05:00

Aaron Tippen

Hatch Chilis

2009-09-13T07:06:00.002-05:00

Summer is over with mid day temps in the mid 90's meaning the start of chili season here. Now that the backyard is mine again (son is almost finished painting the house he started in May), its time to fire up the dutch ovens trying out new recipes. This year will be interesting with my discovery, thanks to a friend at work, of the Hatch Chili Festival. They have a unique flavor, and like most chili peppers work in just about any recipe...well, maybe not pancakes.

This friend brought into work a huge cassorole consisting of hamburger, cream of mushroom soup, cheddar cheese, hatch chilis, and tortillas. Googling "hatch chili" is discovered a culture probably rivaling our famous Terlingua International Chili Championship.

With all the weekend rain, there's no way keeping charcoal briquets lit, so I fired up the indoor stove for a Green Chile Casserole.

If you try any of these recipes, I'd like to hear what you think.

2009-08-16T20:32:00.002-05:00

Looks like this isn't my year for riding Amish country. I finally got out of Texas and I'm now settled in for the night in Wichita, KS. I had hoped to travel farther than 547 miles shown, but I was dehydrating too fast, having to stop for water more often than every hour. I may have to look into one of those camel packs if the weather continues this hot for the rest of the trip.

Ever since I had the steering bearings replaced a month or so ago, the bike just hasn't been the same. Today I learned it runs okay till I hit 100MPH (161 Km/H for Hilde) when the steering bar violently shakes and wobbles. Not good, but I can live with it. Then later today I lean into a right curve going a bit faster than I should (maybe 80-85mph) and the wobble comes back. I can't wait to see how it steers in the heavy winds of a midwestern thunderstorm.

Tomorrow I get to spend some time with mom and family, and that's what this trip is all about. :)

Kids Books

2009-08-09T18:41:00.002-05:00

I was just reading about Kellen on Stephanie's blog when i remembered one of my stories that started with him a few months back. When I kill time chasing internet rabbit trails I usually start for a know URL. This one night I was on Kellen's and ending up some kids learning or encyclopea site. It was interesting, but what really caught my eye was the rave reivews a certain book publisher had received. With my curiosity whetted, I checked this out on Amazon and found three titles that I had been wanted to revisit; "Taming of the Shrew", "Tom Sawyer", and "Treasure Island". Ten bucks a pop seemed a bit steep for classics, but what the hell. Anyway, a few days later they arrived....probably the finest quality comic books I've ever seen. I hope the 10y/o kid of a friend at work is enjoying them. I really do have to stop internet shopping after midnight.

FINALLY....Week of August 17, 2009

2009-08-05T04:54:00.003-05:00

FREEDOM OF THE OPEN ROAD

EASY RIDER

I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE, MAN

Walter

2009-07-06T18:57:00.006-05:00

Spark of Insanity #1

Spark of Insanity #2

Spark of Insanity #3

Walter and Jeff Dunham #1

Walter and Jeff Dunham #2

Walter and Jeff Dunham #3

Walter - My New Office Toy

2009-06-30T20:37:00.003-05:00

I was messing around on Facebook and its upload video feature, and thought the upload time was too long. Comparing it to the upload time on Blogger...they seem about the same.

Two Internet Browsers

2009-06-29T21:35:00.003-05:00

Most everyone knows I'm not a computer power user, but I do use a lot of computers during most of the day. Now that I've established some basis of authority....everyone should have two internet browsers loaded on their computers.

In case my Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) fails to work, I have Google CHROME, a free download, to fall back on to effect repairs of IE.

With so much of our computer use being web-based, such as new software installations, troubleshooting, software upgrades, doesn't it make sense to have a Plan B in case your only access to the web is corrupted?

Flirting

2009-06-24T05:26:00.002-05:00

There's a lot in life that passes me by or I don't understand, and I don't mind really. The original Star Trek TV series had been in reruns for a couple of years before I learned it existed. Just a few years ago I heard the term "going commando" and had to ask co-workers what it meant. Perhaps if I watched more TV....

I don't understand flirting. Last week it was mentioned in an off hand way that I flirt with someone in the office. If it wasn't for being accused of that in a very negative way last year I wouldn't have given it a second thought.

You'd think a 60 year old guy could joke around and tease without be accused of amorous undertones.

While I might think twice about spontaneious comments (that statement doesn't make sense...kinda like having random thoughts in alphabetical order), I doubt I'll stifle myself much.

Too Hot Too Paint The House

2009-06-20T14:51:00.006-05:00

Annual Motorcycle Ride Update

2009-06-04T00:10:00.002-05:00

Crap, I don't know when I'll get out of here. Its looking like late June or the middle of July now. I had hoped to join Mountain Vision on their June trip to Webster Springs, but meetings here precluded that.

I need this ride in Amish country because I hate city life.

Canal Fulton, as well as Fredericksberg and Berlin, are definitely going to get a lot of my attention this trip. The Massillon Independent has had a lot of articles recently on Canal Fulton, and they don't mesh well with what I saw there.

Flashback to Viet Nam

2009-05-28T04:51:00.002-05:00

This post is so out of character for me because I've avoided all attention to my year in Viet Nam, for no reason other than it was something had to be done then and others are doing it now in other places. There was a lot of talk back then about returnees experiencing flashbacks, and now I'm wondering if Cheryl's O.S. has any.

I've had only two, in my minds eye. The first was my first weekend back and taking a nap on the sofa before lunch on a Saturday. My former wife was making lunch when the monthly test of the disaster horns were tested in Des Moines. Hearing a commotion from me, she saw me wake and dive under the kitchen table. Its funnier now.

The second was twenty years later. I was working in an office building and walking down a hallway. Walking ahead of me was a gal, with short blonde hair, I worked who that day was wearing a matching loose fitting top and pants made of black silk. For what seemed much longer than the few moments it lasted I was back in Viet Nam walking through the cities and riding helicopters delivering radio equipment to fire bases.

I wouldn't have mentioned any of this, but for last night I found myself sitting on my bed holding an AR-15 rifle, the Viet Nam era assault weapon. All of the memories came back...the rocket attacks, the "interesting" helicopter rides, visiting the local orphanage, playing frisbee in a typhoon, walking on a white sandy beach...all that I haven't thought of until last night.

My youngest son needed money so he brought the weapon to "Dad's Pawn Shop, Laundromat, and Car Care Center". Its sitting in my gun rack now, looking quite ugly standing next to the traditional rifles and shotguns.