Snow Way; Tell Me it Didn't!

Well; that was big mess.

Woke up to snow on the ground. each little daffodil was wearing a cap of white. And it wasn't pretty. The grass was a brilliant green; with white accents.

My High School colors were green and white; something I hadn't thought about in years. Until the combination slapped me in the face this morning. Along with the 30 degree temperatures.  It was about perfect too. Well, the green would vary depending on who was painting the poster or signboard, and what shade of green was leftover from something else. Officially it was Kelly Green and White. Just like the grass and snow.

I had to take the granddaughter to school this morning- because of the cold weather; weather that we considered NORMAL a few weeks ago. Gives us one 70 degree weekend and we all get soft. Soft I tell you!

But there were some fantastic pictures to be taken on the way to work. I missed the best one, trying to get my camera turned on. As we were starting up the hill the sun, which had not yet decided to hide its face from the sight of snow on the daffodils, lit up a hillside of evergreens wearing a white dusting. It was  Christmas Card picture; everything was brightly lit, we had enough distance to capture the whole hillside- and hide the guardrail. But it didn't take long to lose the shot at 55 miles an hour. By the time I had the phone camera ready to shoot, the was nothing to shoot.

By then the sun had decided it had had enough and went off to play somewhere else. Probably Southern Florida.

I did take some pictures, but none were really anything spectacular. Like the one at the top of the page. Not a bad shot, considering it was taken from a car going 55 miles an hour. While I was driving with one hand and snapping random pictures with the other. Yes I'm kidding. Or not; depending on how you feel about strict adherence to goofy laws. If you think I am a scofflaw who needs busting; I am kidding. If you think my braking the rules makes me a civil libertarian, then I'm not. Pick the truth you want.

Wow; this had been a long administration; it's starting to rub off on me it seems.

This shot was all I could get of the perfect shot. The sun had left, the clouds, which moments before formed a brilliantly lit backdrop now looked more like a seldom washed wife beater. and instead of  panoramic view, it looks more like I am crowding my neighbor's yard.

Seconds; the difference between a immortal shot and and immaterial one.

 

A Spring Day

Today has, so far, been everything the weatherman promised. 70-some degrees; sunny, and with just enough breeze to keep things from getting sticky.

I just finished cutting the grass for the first time and now I am relaxing on my porch swing with a beer and my laptop. Blog time.

I have tried before to describe a day like this and failed miserably. I don't think it was my word craft that was at fault; I just don't think the right words exist. Its easy to describe things that comparisons exist for. Like cute as a bug, or busy as a beaver. Some one can be described as horse-faced and you instantly know the look.

How do you describe the blue hue of the sky on a day like this? It has a shade of blue both light and deep, that carries its own iridescence. It blue of the sky isn't covered, but somehow enhanced by the white and indigo of the clouds. If I was sitting under this sky I would swear i was part of the sett from the Wizard of Oz. Do you remember how when we were young- and color TVs were rare- when on Easter (i think it was) they would show the Wizard of Oz on TV? Remember how that shade of blue of teh sky when Dorothy opened the door in to Oz?

Yep; that sky.

And the grass has that shade of green reserved for early spring and movie sets. It s the dark shimmering green you only see this time of year. And in fertilizer ads. There are still patches where some of the blades are behind schedule, and if you look close you can see them stretching and yawning, trying to come to life.

Its not just the sights, but the sounds. every kind of bird is perched in one tree or another; calling greetings back and forth, with the occasion screeched curse thrown in for good measure.  The wind chime is joining the chorus, followed closely by the bark of an agitated squirrel and the distant slamming of a wood screen door; sounds that are the soundtrack of summer, but here in a supporting role.

And we can't forget the smells; what does fresh cut grass smell like? We all know the smell, and we know what it means. but what combination of ingredients comprise 'Fresh Cut Grass'? One of teh smells of summer we can't do without, but couldn't describe if our life depended on it. Intermixed are the pungent smell of gasoline, and the faint smell of daffodils. Flowers are the interloper they will be later in the yer; now its just a hint in the background of floral presence, like the hint of sugar in a glass of well made sweet tea.

There is also the smell of supper cooking inside. Potatoes cooking in the oven, and a thick steak cooking in the cast iron skuillet, adding a sound of its own as well; a sizzle and pop distinctive to beef on the heat.

How can we forget the tastes? Or right now, just taste? Cold Beer; a Rolling Rock; the only possible reward for a quality mowing job? Crisp; just a touch of tang to sizzle the tongue on the finish. Cold as last month; with a smattering of ice crystals floating on the top of the can.

When it is all said and done you can't describe a day like this; it has to be experienced. and once it has been experienced, nothing is comparable.

A Small Project

The weather is starting to get warm and nice outside, so I have been wandering around the yard looking for projects.

Okay; that's not exactly true. I am wandering around the yard trying to figure out what project has priority and will fit into the budget.

That shortens the list considerably.

For instance, I would love to redo the front wall, but it would be a summer long project, and the wall is serviceable as is. Not perfect mind you, but serviceable. and there are other, more pressing issues to deal with. Rebuilding the wall is, in some ways, a vanity project. It would allow me to show my wall building skills, would be rather labor intensive and would probably be quite a work out. And would not be a budget buster.

I also need to divide my peonies; the only one of my perennials I didn't divide last year. It is something I need to do, wouldn't cost a dime and would improve the look and health of the flower beds. But any damfool can divide a bunch of peonies; I would rather build a wall.

I also have some brick edging to put in. I have the bricks and it would be a budget-less project. It would make the mowing and mulching easier, and clean up the line between lawn and bed. I had my sons do some of last year, and they proved, quite handily, that not every damfool can do a brick edging.

But it is pretty low impact really; it wouldn't do anything for the curb appeal, and is a lot of stoop work. Not like rebuilding that front wall. It would really have an impact. And I would only be bent over for the first few courses.

I do have to plant a few annuals. I usually work from seeds and don't go for anything flashy. Morning Glories; I like Morning Glories. Last year I harvested the seeds from my vines. I think (yes THINK) I had a heritage version, and not a hybrid), so they should grow. Time will tell.

Unlike the wall; which I am sure will grow, stone by stone as build it.

But I don't have the time for a wall now. I have to get things in the ground. Walls don't need time to grow and bloom; they are an all weather thing. Well; except maybe July and August. I don't think ANYTHING grows in July and August. So I better be sure my wall is done by then, right?

Maybe May and June. All of the hard work will be done in the flower beds; it will just be the occasional trim or weeding, and I should have time for a wall.

Of course, by May I may have lost interest in the yard. And will postpone my wall until next year.

Again.

Today

I can’t let today go by without mentioning two things: One; if you will recall my post from the other day; I won a dollar. Ain’t much, but better than a kick in the teeth, right?

Dad would always use another part of the anatomy, but hey, teeth will work.

Second, today is the day I lost my Dad, 11 years ago now.

I could say more, but I have made mention of this anniversary many times; hopefully those posts will suffice.

February has always sucked. The weather is bad and there is nothing left to look forward to but spring. And February keeps reminding us it isn’t spring. It does tease us, like yesterday, today and tomorrow (62 degrees! Dang near swimmin’ weather. If I actually went swimming. Which I don’t.), but then the return to what February actually is (next week’s forecast is for the 30’s as highs and more $^@&;*%$ SNOW) is actually even more cruel.

Like that time on Christmas when you got the toy you had been begging a year for from Great Aunt Grace. When you went to thank her, she looked at you like you had two heads. Then handed you another package, took the toy back and announced that now she would have to re-wrap Cousin Freddie’s gift, this idiot kid unwrapped it.

And then you found socks were actually your gift.

Yep; February treats us like that; year in and year out. We stoically push on; dreading the next few weeks, hoping we can make it. Feeling gratitude for each little harbinger of spring we see or feel, and cussing each backslide into winter.

From here on out February is a 10-step program; each day another step we need to make toward our goal of getting out of this month with some shred of sanity left. There are also other hallmarks of some other programs.

Like apology; we are constantly apologizing to people for these random outbursts of “ARRGHH” whenever we need to open a door, and we still see snow.

There is guilt; guilt because know better things are right around the corner, and things have been worse recently. But we still hate today. And tomorrow, just for good measure. For that we feel guilty.

Then like any good multi-step program, we feel satisfaction; the steps have been completed. The program is complete. But that step is still is still 9 Steps away.

Today I still need to deal with *%&# February.

The picture? No that isn't today. I took that in February of 2009. I used it just as a reminder.

Remembering When

Memory can sometimes be a fallible thing. What we recall as Gospel truth may be just a figment of our imagination.

Not on purpose, but because things remembered are usually remembered to our best advantage. For instance, I remember the winter of 1977-1978 being the coldest, but it was actually the year before that we set the all time low of -25 degrees. How could my memory have failed me?

Probably because the Winter of 77-78 affected me personally, and because 35 years later things like that tend to run together. Like when you remember a Christmas when you got several things you absolutely remember getting because of the joy they brought you.

Then you drag out the old pictures to prove it, and find out that those toys came over the course of several years, and not all at once. The pleasant memories enjoyed each others company and congregated together, forming one memory, instead of several.

Does that mean all memories are wrong, or at least incorrect?

I don't thing so. As has been pointed out several times, we will always remember where we were when we heard the news on 9-11, or of the Challenger explosion, or of JFK's assassination. Or remember that feeling of standing in front of our families and friends and saying two simple words.

The important, life-changing events are usually etched indelibly into our memories.

Unless you are John Kerry.

The famous 'Christmas in Cambodia" incident isn't really a fair comparison; since the life changing event never happened, the memory was bound to be faulty.

There are certain things I remember about the day my first son was born. Like the trip to the hospital; the several conversations I had with her doctor, in the hallway, outside my wife's room discussing the issues she was having and the various ways to work around them; the risks and rewards associated with each.

And making decisions; decisions that would affect the life and health of both my wife and unborn child. 

I also remember the delivery room. And I remember the Doctor calling out a time of birth.

But I don't remember the time.

Memories are funny things.

Is a Polar Vortex a Rock Band?

I hate to constantly blog about the weather, but right now the weather is a hot topic, no pun intended.

Few days ago we had a high of -10 degrees. Today we are looking at a high in the low 50 degree range; a sixty degree difference in less that a week.

Almost like I had hopped a plane from Alaska (which was actually warmer than Kentucky last week) to northern Texas. I went from sweating how I would pay my heating bill to sweating inside a light jacket.

What a January this has been. And it is supposed to be chilly again this coming week, as the Polar Vortex swings back into town.

I want to be on the committee that sits around and dreams up these names, I swear I do. Okay; I'm not certain there is a committee, but I'd bet there is. Not bet the farm certain, but bet a strawberry milkshake certain.

How else do we wind up with meteorological terms like Polar Vortex? Or Wintery Mix? Or my personal favorite: microburst event.

I mean seriously; Polar Vortex? it sounds like a movie title, for a cheap James Bond style rip-off. Or maybe a Captain Video style Saturday Morning Serial Hero.

I can hear the snorts and laughter in the background; So I think I could do better?

Yes; I think I could.

Just off the top of my head, how about:

Cold Snap

It describes the weather event, conveys all of the information the listener needs to know and doesn't require anything more than a free phone app to understand.

Of course , it does fail in some ways that really don't matter.

It can no way be connected to "Global Warming"; "Global Cooling" or even "Climate Change".

Which I don't actually consider a fault.

Isn't that where these newfangled terms come from? I mean it is Really hard to connect a cold snap to any Man Caused Global weather change. My Great-Grandma lived through cold snaps.  My Dad knows what a cold snap is. They were common when I was growing up. Nothing new about a cold snap.

BUT a Polar Vortex; that is something new. We have never had cold weather caused by a Polar Vortex before. There just might be something to this "Global Weather changy-thingy" after all.

But I would be willing to bet that every cold snap this area has ever lived through was caused by the same phenomenon that is now gloriously called a Polar Vortex.

This may sound like a meaningless issue, but it isn't. Language has to mean something. Not just once, but consistently. And it has to be free.

The idea that a cold snap can suddenly become a Polar Vortex means some part of the language has lost its meaning. How far is it from the point where language is controlled to the point where language is forbidden? And then the concepts behind those words forbidden?

We have a lot of freedoms in this country, but the freedom from being offended isn't one of them.

Unless you happen to be in a legally protected group. As a male Christian, I am not in any protected group. I am legally not allowed to be offended by anything, but am legally bound to not offend anyone that may disagree with me.

So I think a Polar Vortex is a cold snap, dressed up in a borrowed tuxedo, and I dare you to disagree with me.

Arguing about the weather is still the one area we can discuss without me causing any offense. At least it was the last time I checked.

Well, That was a Big Bust

Well, that was a big to-do about nothing, wasn't it?

They were predicting 4-6 inches of snow for yesterday. All of the TV weather talking heads and hands have been talking about nothing else for DAYS. The Bengals game and the commute home afterward were going to be a flat mess because of the SNOW. Kroger's has been swamped since Friday; sold out of milk, eggs, bread and bathroom tissue.

The wife and I went shopping Thursday and got two loaves of bread. She was out again Sunday morning, and wanted to pick up BREAD, because of the snow. WHY!?!?!? We have two unopened loaves in the kitchen already! But the SNOW she says. What if were snowed in? Long enough to eat two loaves of bread? Not hardly.

And what did we get? 50 degrees and rain. Lots and lots of rain. Probably 2 inches of rain.

Not that I am really complaining mind you; I would rather have the rain. It's a lot easier to deal with. I have never in my life shoveled any rain off my driveway.

It's the disappointment; I was promised SNOW bygawd; DEEP SNOW. And I got nuthin'.

Well; its only January. we've still got a few weeks to get dumped on.

But here is my question; will any of these TV 'experts' explain WHY we didn't the storm they have spent a week hyping?

My guess is no. Why won't they? Is it because they won't own up to the error, and will dump this whole episode down the memory hole, or is it because they don't know why we got 2 inches of rain instead of 6 inches of snow?

I sometimes think I could do as good a job as any TV weatherman.

After all; I've got the free app on my smart phone.

Yeah; About That Global Warming Thing

It snowed last night. Not a lot; about an inch and a half here, but it was a wet, sticking snow. The kind that lands on the branches and barbed wire fence and gives everything a white frosting that makes the world look like a real-life Christmas display.

I love that kind of snow.

At least until I have to scrape it off my windshield and then drive in it. Like I had to do today.

And then it got COLD. not cold, or even Cold; but COLD. Single digit all day cold. It isn't COLD yet, but they are forecasting it. Another 29 days of this and the river might freeze again.

Don't tell me you are young enough that you don't remember when the river froze? Back in '77-'78? 'Course that was back in the day when it got COLD. We went an entire month below 0 degrees, and two months below freezing. and the half mile wide Ohio River froze over. Froze to the point that people walked on it. One young idiot even drove his car across from Ohio to Kentucky. It was a Volkswagen, but only a Beetle, so it wasn't like it was an expensive car, but still.

But, I digress. I was talking about today, not 35 years ago.

I took the picture on my way to the car this morning, just before I found the doors frozen shut. Yeah; that improved my mood alright.

And then, after find one door that would open (passenger side rear) and climbing through the car to get the driver's door open, then getting the car started I reached for my new $10 ice scraper (that I have used twice) and couldn't find it. Struggled to get the trunk open- yeah, it was frozen shut too- and still no ice scraper. For some reason it had migrated from the front seat to the back seat.

So by the time I did get the windows scraped and ready to go I was already in a foul mood. The snow that had looked like a fairyland frosting now looked like a salt encrustation  from the Dead Sea.

But I had a decent day while I was out, and coming home I grabbed some good Friday Night Beer, and went through a few back roads to get home.The road did look like a fairyland tunnel, withe the snow still on the trees and the snow covered branches reaching across the road toward each other like long-lost relatives at the airport.

And the road was clear; that really was the thing that improved my mood.

They are forecasting more snow for the weekend. With luck I will be able to enjoy it.

By staying home with a glass or two of bourbon.

Start of the Post-Holiday Let Down

Today starts the Winter Blues Period in earnest. Nothing else to look forward to except Spring.

And that is 3 months away.

Christmas is officially over. I was at the store today and all of the holiday displays were coming down, and they were back to light rock on the music.

All of the holiday specials are off the TV and tress will start appearing at the curb in the next few days, right after the last of the bags of wrapping paper are picked up.

And today it's snowing. Not much, but enough to be a nuisance, if it starts to stick. Right now it is just hundreds of large flakes, making a great aerial display, but melting into oblivion as soon as they hit the ground.

The Winter Blahs; short, dark days; long, cold nights. Everybody is partied out and the world seems more dreary compared to the last month of constant motion and whirlwind activities. Everybody runs flat out for the month of December and then just drops flat for the next two months; poking a nose out into the world every so often, like Puxsatawny Phil looking for a shadow.

And the incipient arrival of the holiday bills doesn't help either. Visa, Discover, Mastercard. And the one from the Electric Company. Unbelievable how much it costs to run a few small bulbs, ain't it?

Stepping on the scale is definitely not a day-brightener either. How can eating a couple of pounds of ham equate to 10 extra pounds on the scale?

Trying to keep a car clean in the next few months is always a pain in the whatsis. Mud; snow; salt and slush. Everything is either dirty, wet or both. A five minute trip to the store means a 20 minute cleanup when you get home.

All I've got to do is get through the next two months. Once the flowers start to poke their green little noses out of the earth I will brighten up.

But that is two long months away.

A Busy Saturday Morning

This morning I am sitting on my back porch, listening to the rain hit the roof. I like sitting on the porch in the mornings, drinking my first cup of tea and enjoying the waking world. Usually I can watch the birds flitting about on their birdy business, and watch the squirrels run along the trees.

But today the weather has kept them indoors, or at least they're not playing out in the rain.

The weather almost kept me in as well. It is about 60 degrees, and when the breeze blows it feels a little chilly. But I have my tea to keep me warm. And the battery from my laptop.

I like a covered porch. Like this morning, I can be sitting on the porch swing, watch the breeze shift the tops of the trees and see the rain hit each leaf as the drops head to the ground; feel the cool damp air and feel like I am a part of nature.

While being dry and comfortable. Better than camping out.

It took me all summer, but I finally have Morning Glory blooms. I don't see them most mornings; I'm always in a rush to get to work by the time I leave the house. No time to stop and see the Glories. There is most likely a metaphor there, but if there is I'll let you work it out.

But this morning the rain has dampen their spirits some. each bloom is hanging down, and not stretching out to reach the morning sun.

I planted them late, around Memorial Day, which explains why I didn't get my first blooms until almost Labor Day. I also must have been mistaken, or planted the wrong variety. I believe my Dad had some Morning Glories planted on the sunset side of the house, and they would open in he evenings, when the full sun hit them. Mine are on the sunset side of the house. I was hoping to have a grand display of blooms every evening, while I was rocking on the porch with a cigar, and enjoying the end of the day. But, it didn't work out this year.

Really, otherwise, why plant a flower you can only enjoy 2 days a week?

As Usual, I Got Lost On the Internets

Out and about on the Internets, I found this.

UH; What?

Okay, I understand the show, and understand the reason why folks would want to watch the running of high steel.

That's not my problem.

But what does this have to do with weather?

I mean any more so that any other outdoor job? I would think a show about farming and farmers would be more apropos on the Weather Channel.

I guess they're looking for diversity.

Maybe they should change their name to the Whether Channel?

Sunday Night at The Fair

The Sunday before Labor Day is always our day at The Fair. I say THE Fair, as if there is no other fair in the world. Around here, The Fair is more important than the State Fair, any other County Fair, or even a Worlds Fair. When you are asked in Campbell County if you are going to The Fair, everybody knows what you mean.

The Alexandria Fair and Horse Show has been running since 1856. It was cancelled 3 times in it's history, during The War, in the 1860's. It's still pretty much the same. The horse shows run all 5 days, and are  prime draw, and make The Fair unique. Other Counties have demolition derbies or tractor pulls. The Fair has a world class horse show.

Outside of the Horse Show, The Fair is pretty much like any other fair. A dozen rides or so, the hustler games lined up outside the rides and the food booths. And Beer; gotta have a few cold beers.

The food booths are as varied as the people at the fair. Over here you can get hot dogs, brauts- with sour kraut and horseradish-and hamburgers and cheeseburgers. In the mood for Chinese? Around the corner, next to the Pizza trailer. Philly cheese steaks? A couple of booths over, between the booth with the big alien drink containers and the one selling deep fried everything. And I do mean everything. Deep fried Twinkies and Oreos? Old hat now. Deep frying has gone healthy. How about a serving or two of deep fried green beans?

Yep; deep fried green beans. They taste like a deep fried onion, but look kinda like a french fry. Proof I guess that you can improve the taste of anything by deep frying it.

Last night was a typical Sunday night at The Fair. We usually go on Sunday night because of a competing event down on the River that draws most of the idiots. It makes the rides more accessible and the crowd is a little more genial. Last night we were able to take my grandsons for the first time to The Fair. They couldn't wait to hit a few rides and play a few games. They each caught a fish at the Fish Pond, and took home a stuffed Elmo, and rode the Merry-Go-Round twice. Number 1 and his Dad took a ride down the Big Slide, and it was hard to tell who was grinning wider; My Boy, or his.

They were just starting to go up for a second ride when the rain hit. a light sprinkle at first, so we abandoned the rides and went to find shelter in the Beer Tent, and then the Grandstand. The rain wasn't too bad, but all of the sudden we got hit with the remnants of Issac. Wind started blowing tents over, and started driving the rain up under the roof of the grandstand. Luckily the wind quit before the hard rain fell. Buckets of hard rain. It was time to hit the road. Through superior planning on my part we were close to the gate we parked near (it is also close to the beer booth; what can I say?), so we sent the too oldest boys out to fetch the cars, and we bailed with a minimum fuss and rain.

It wasn't quite a regular The Fair night.  We didn't see any of the Horse Show (the picture is from a few years ago), and missed stopping for a pair of Funnel Cakes on the way out. And we were home in time to watch The Fireworks in TV. The Fireworks are a lot like The Fair; we have the only ones around.

But that is another story.

Old Times I Ain't Nostalgic For.

Well, I think we are finally getting the Spring weather we should have gotten in May. It has been flat beautiful around here lately.

Temperatures have been normal, but the humidity we normally have in August has lit out for parts unknown.

We had our family reunion last weekend, and for the first time in recent memory I didn't sweat off 10 pounds just standing around in the shade. (Damn the bad luck; now I'll actually have to work it off.) And last night I spent a couple of hours reading on the back porch, and my book didn't turn back into a sweaty pulp like it normally does this time of year.

And we haven't had to run the air conditioner; money in the bank my friend; money in the bank.

But I am a realist. I know eventually the weather is going to change. First its going to get hot and humid, and then its going to start getting cold. And the snow will start. If we're lucky it will hold off until after the Fair to snow. Hell, it was only a couple of years ago we had 5 inches of snow in the middle of October, I remember several Halloweens where everybody's costume was a coat, gloves and ski mask.

My biggest fear is another winter like 1976- '77 and 1977-'78; the nastiest winters in recorded history in the Cincinnati area. The Ohio river froze solid, and people actually walked across it. It was COLD. We went an entire month without a temperature higher than 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

And the snow; 53.9 inches over the winter. Almost 4 and a half FEET of snow.

So why am I dredging up horrible old memories?

Because I have seen ONE long range forecast for this year, and it is calls for a repeat of the late '70's.

Ain't it bad enough we have to suffer through another Carter Economy; do we have to suffer through Carter's weather too?

Some Memories Just Won't Die

You know I let an anniversary slip by yesterday. It was July 22, 1982 that I became a civilian, after 4 years and 4 days of military service.

It's hard to believe I have been a Civilian that long. Hell, at the time I got out I would have sworn I had already spent 30 years IN the Air Force.

Today; 30 years later, I still don't get through a week with remembering something about that 4 years. I of course have mementos around, but usually it is someone, something or some event that triggers an old memory.

Just tonight I was driving down a suburban street and ran across a sign that said 'SPEED BUMP", and a couple of home-built speed bumps. It put in mind of the Trailer park that once (maybe still is? Yep. Still is) outside Grand Forks Air Force Base. The one gravel street down the middle of that park was nothing more than a series of ruts and potholes. A friend of mine lived over there, and I can tell you it was terrible. Everybody complained about the condition of the road. The guy who owned the place had a solution though. He just put a Speed Bump sign and went about his business.

Every time I had to do some small repetitive task at work I recall some of the things I had to do as part of my job. Paperwork. My God, Napoleon believed that an Army moved on its stomach; The Air Force believed it was pushed by its mountain of paperwork. From after form after form. And all of them had numbers. And effective dates. Heaven help you if you used and outdated form. Or used a 1356b, when the 1357a was actually required.

I still recall the first form I was introduced to in Basic Training (3743 BMTS- Basic Military Training Squadron. MOTTO: Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way {amazing what the minds remembers, ain't it? But don't ask for my cell phone number}); the 341. And no, I don't remember the suffix letter. I don't believe there was one. A 341 was a disciplinary record. the form itself had to folded just so; I think in half length-wise, and then in half again, then the top half inch was folded over and that tab was used hold the form under the flap of your left breast pocket, left side of the pocket. This way when an infraction was committed, the 341 was 'pulled', filled in by your MTI- Military Training Instructor- and then became part of your 'PERMANENT RECORD'.

I had the dubious pleasure of having a 341 pulled one Sunday morning while I was on Dorm Guard. Which reminds me of another funny story. Each training squadron was filled with Flights of 50 men or 50 women. Some thing I don't recall- so maybe I never knew- was how many flights were in each Squadron. But any rate, each flight had what was called a sister flight, so you had a group of 100 that went through Basic together. Did I mention that the 3743 BMTS was a training Squadron for women? Yep; 900 women, or there abouts, and 100 men. And the US Air Force did their level best to keep us separated.

But I told you that story to tell you this one.

Because we were in a female squadron, our flight had one male MTI, and one female MTI, as did our sister flight. Our female MTI was Airman First Class (A1C) Budd. I am fairly sure that she was not issued a first name.

Any rate, there I am on Sunday morning doing my stint as Dorm Guard. There is a knock at the door. I look out the window in the door to see who is beating the door down on a Sunday morning. It's A1C Budd. I knew who it was. I had seen her everyday for the last 4 weeks. But regulations required I ask for an ID. So I did. As usual, she began some tirade about 'Don't you know who I am; how can you not recognize your own MTI and so on. But I knew the drill, and stood my ground. She produced her ID, which I examined through the door, and then let her in.

As I stood back and opened the door A1C Budd entered the dorm. As she came abreast of me, she looked at me with an inquiring look. "Aren't you supposed to say something?", she asked. Basking in the glow of my recent success with the ID procedure, my mind went temporarily on vacation. So my mouth took over control. I said, "UH.... Good Morning Ma'am?"

And I had a 341 pulled. The one that I had folded Day One of Basic, 4 weeks ago. And had been in my pocket through 4 weeks of July and August Texas heat. It had lost some of its shape. Hell, it had lost MOST of its resemblance to a solid object. I'm not sure I could have even been unfolded. She accepted the 341 and marched to the MTI office. I don't know if she ever filled it out or not.

What was my infraction? As a warning to men in my Flight I was required to shout "Lady Entering the Dorm" when ever we had females in the dorm. But Hell; she wasn't a Lady.

She was my damn Drill Instructor.

The Heat Ain't Just From Miami

What is there to blog about?

Obamacare; The Heat; Libyan Elections; THE HEAT; the Zimmerman deal down in Florida; THE HEAT; the Western wild fires; THE HEAT; Unemployment; THE....

But I guess you get the idea.

I have about as much interest in stepping out ot my air conditioning as I do voting for Obama.

Twice.

On the same day.

But what can you say about the Heat? More importantly, what can you do about the Heat?

Well, nothing that ain't been said already, and flat nuthin'.

Interestingly enough, did you know that you cannot make cold? Cold is simply the absence of heat, and is created by using the Law of Convection (heat will always travel from a warmer to a cooler object).

Basically, you chill a refrigerator, or a room, by using something cold to suck the heat out, and them dumping that heat somewhere else.

Where am I going with this?

Elephino (say it real slow). The heat blew me off my train of thought five paragraphs ago.

I just got home from a work related function, and I am toasted already. I stopped at McDonalds for a cup of their ice tea, and I don't know what happened, but the guy in front of me took forever to pick up his food. So I sat and fried and got madder and madder.

I have got to get the AC fixed in that car.

Damn this heat wave. It's uncomfortable, dangerous for man and beast, and worst of all it's ammunition for the damn Global Warming idiots.

That's it. I'm done. I need to find a cold beer and a cool seat in front of a few dozen fans.

And maybe a good John Wayne movie. One where its cold.

Island in the Sky might just be the ticket.

Hot Enough Fer Ya?

I mowed my lawn today.

Well, I ran my mower around the yard anyway. About all I really did was knock down some tall weeds, clip the heads off of a bunch of white clover  and vacuumed up the leaves.

Yeah, all of the boxwood trees are starting to drop leaves already. About the only way I knew where I had traveled with the mower was the track of missing leaves.

I has been hot. This is I think our 8th day in a row of over 90 degrees. And July just started. This is August weather, not June weather.

I said all winter that we would pay for the mild winter we had; I just wasn't sure how we would pay for it.

I think I know how now.

We are planning on having a little family get together here on the Fourth, and the last few days of getting things ready has been pure Hell. I am getting about half of what I wanted to get done accomplished, because I am spending half my time recuperating from heat stroke.

But we will be party ready, come party time.

At noon tomorrow the preparation stops and the party begins, I won't have everything done, but I'll be the only person that knows that.

Unless I tell the Young'un.

Then EVERYBODY will know what didn't get done.

Cheers to a New Beginning! again...

Late last month I decided I would try to do 31 posts in July. Yesterday I wrote a excellent post.

And then forgot to post it.

Yeah, life is like that.

Any rate, here is yesterday's post. Today's will go up later today.

I figure its a good time to pick up blogging again. Times are becoming interesting.

The election coming up will without a doubt be the most important of the last 60 years. It will determine whether we will remain a (semi) free country or descend into socialism.

I am hoping the pendulum will reverse its 70 year swing to the left and start back right again.

I am also looking at the weather for blog topics. It is the first of July, and we are August hot and dry. What will August be like? 110 degrees and NO rain?

And then the coming winter the forecast I looked at said to get ready for 77-78 again.

It's not bad enough we have the Carter economy back again, we have to put up with his weather too? And I can't wait to hear the weather wizards explain how 25 below zero and 4 feet of snow all over the Midwest is just more evidence of severe Global Warming.

Interesting times; Interesting times.

I am also looking to make this blog a sort of diary of the next 4 months. My reactions to the things that are happening on the campaign trail, both Presidential and Congressional, the economy as it 'recovers', the housing market, as it 'recovers' and anything else that catches my fancy.

I think it is safe to say that grand changes are on the way. The question is whether they will blow right or left.

Hopefully I'll still be standing when the wind stops in November.

Yet Another Limitation on the Electric Car

I found this article through Instapundit Sunday morning. I am linking to the Washington Post for two reasons: 1) this article backs up a lot of the things I have been saying about electric cars; and 2) CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS ARTICLE IS IN THE WASHINGTON POST!?!?!?

I am wondering about the repercussions. Obama says: 'Battery Powered cars are good'; the Washington Post says: 'Well, maybe not so much, for 60% of the country'.

What next? Will the Post be charged with blasphemy? Maybe lose their press pass?

One other interesting point. The Post printed this article in the Opinion Section. When I read it, i figured it would be in the Science section. Or maybe the Family Section, or whatever they call the part of the paper with the Comics, the Crossword Puzzle and recipes.

Apparently this writer- like me and millions of others- is not a fan of paying $40k for an economy car.

Amazing that he can say so AND still keep a job at the Washington Post.

SNOW DAY!!!!

Not that it means the same thing as when I was a kid. I don't get the WHOLE day off, but I do get to work from home, so no fighting the traffic and slick roads.

Of course, it also means I have to be cooped up inside while the kids are outside making merry in the snow. All day I will hear the sledding reports and the blow-by-blow of the snowball fights, and not get to participate.

I do get to participate in the tracked-in snow, the piles of wet clothes and cold drafts caused by the back door being constantly either open because somebody is going in or out, or because whoever went in or out just flat left the door open.

I stepped out onto the back porch and took a couple of shots with the camera this morning; this is one of them. Snow is pretty when it's falling.

Provided I don't have to go any where in it.

Sometimes a Little Rain Will Fall

And then some days A LOT will fall. I estimate we had 4 inches of rain yesterday.

In an HOUR.

Rumor was this was the same storm that caused the flash floods in Arkansas that killed 9 people.

The picture above is the crick in front of my house during a normal rain. A lot of times it is dry this time of year. The one below is the same view, but at the height of the flood.



I have a little fire pit down in a bend of the creek. The water got a little too deep to enjoy a fire yesterday.



The storm also created a water feature in the flower bed in front of the house. This was just water that was running down the sidewalk next to the house.



After the rain quit, and I could walk down the driveway instead of swim, (I tried to post a video here, but Blogger had an ISSUE) I went to the main road and got a couple of pictures.



Between the two guardrails is the road. The creek is normally 4 FEET below the road level.



The water on the road is about 14 inches deep, and down stream spread out to cover a two acre field.

Yeah, we got some rain.