Wednesday, 1-19-11

Not a bunch of news today, spotty items from the Sdad follow:

I am working on several projects at once. The iPhone is coming along fine; I learn a little more each day.  Hashimoto's Thyroiditis was my recent look up for trying to pinpoint  CKS's recent swollen bilateral supra-clavicular area (both sides of the lower neck).

The bike shop spaces are really coming together.  After 16 months, Jamie has the space looking better than it ever did when I had it.  He is rehabbing a 1937 Harley (his hobby/avocation) in the slow days of January. A small cadre of cyclists meet in the side room and view a training DVD as they spin on bikes/trainers. I'll take and post some pics soon.

I am in the process of reducing my VW herd.  Friend JCP will be taking charge of putting the '85 Wolfsberg Weekender Westy back on the road.  My first task is to find/reproduce the title.  John's helping me tow it from its temporary resting place near Fred's pond.  Nephew Ben and I towed it the day before from PMW, where it had sat for almost three years. I bought it from a kid who nearly ruined it before finally giving up and selling it to me for preserving until it could be worked on.

I have two running campers.  Now that he's retired, John can use one.  Go for it good buddy.  Note the birds in the background.

Waiting for the road. What will he name it?  The container on the top is anchoring the covering on the opening for the broken skylight. The grill pieces are inside.  The tires have held air since I bought it. The DeadHead artwork will go when the broken windshield is replaced.

 The body is in amazingly good shape for a 1985 Ohio Vanagon.

The chickens are almost on auto -pilot.  The threat of another 22 cal treatment must have been taken to heart. This week their output (literally) has increased to 3-4 eggs per day. 

Unca Mark helped me construct the coop before Christmas.  

Livestock panels in parbolic tension against the shed, with a tarp to keep it dry are my test coop.    If it works out, and it seems to be,  I will build a more permanent roof. 

The chickens are completely free range, not even locked in at night.  The real test will be as Spring arrives and the various nocturnal, chicken-loving critters appear from their Winter's sleep.

By confining them inside the wire for three days, I "imprinted" the birds to get them to indentify the coop as their new home. They barely laid for the next three weeks.  In protest?
The Rhode Island Red is the last of Fred's birds.  The "spotted" ones are Plymouth Rock Barreds.  They and the Rhodie have yellow beaks and legs. The black ones are Australorps. They have black legs and beaks.

 Here's one the A'lorp roosters. I don't know if this one is gone or it was his brother who met his demise.   The survivor is much QUIETER, whichever one it is.  They pick at anything and everything, even under the snow.  I can't wait to see how well they control the bug population in season.  The dogs and birds  have grown used to each other and not much flightiness is noticed even with several dogs around.  They are pecking around old Chinese elm logs that support my mushroom and fungai crop. There were lots of bugs in this pile, until now.

No news from Preston and A-stan for the last few days. The IED he found turned out to be a hoax.  He reports a 50/50, USA pro/con population in the border area that he patrols.

The kids beg for stuff and especially like pens. Tyler is going to be collecting pens for shipment to Pres.

Tyler and Spencer were both under the weather yesterday, but improving today.
Later.

Sunday 1-16-11

In my last post: "Spencer and I are prepping for a trip to a Hocking County cabin for a Cub Scout weekend outing.  Lots of snow will ensure a good, wet, cold time.   It looks like it will be dads and sons only; just like in the old Y-Guide days.  Relaxing, I hope."

It was GREAT!!  No electronics (TV, Wii, I-anything, etc.) per Dad Roger, the Den Leader, here-in-after referred to as the Outing Nazi(ON).  I have to state here and now that I have, in my twenty plus years as an  adult scout leader, seen  all types of  leadership.  And like the infamous Seinfeld  "Soup Nazi", it works IF you taste the soup. Following Kid/Dad made cold cut sandwiches, chips and water/milk lunch (no sugary drinks per the ON); we headed to the cars to drive to the site of the hike.  Nursing a broken rib, Dad  Frank, a Queens born and bred, third generation Neopolitano, stayed back to simmer his WONDERFUL homemade marinara sauce for a late dinner.

Half way down into the Rock Stall

The gorge was pristine and secluded, only a few others had previously been through the 6" of snow prior to our after-lunch hike. The boys tried to run ahead but the snow and slopes called for caution.  So did the Outing Nazi.  After several tumbles and slides, the boys heeded the warnings of all the Dads and we decended into a deep cauldron- like chasm.

A small waterfall in the side of the gorge

Spencer & Sdad at the head of the "Stall"

The ridge back up... a 50' drop to the right.

The formation was named by the locals after a tale about "Morgan's Raiders" and the need to hide livestock from the Rebels during the Civil War.
The ice encrusted ferns, moss covered rocks, cliffs and waterfalls were magical; eerily inducing images of elfin figures and hairy toed hobbits.

After the hike the Kids and Dads played board and card games for several hours.  We followed the ON's timed agenda for the duration of the weekend...  sounds a bit harsh but it worked well.  The entire den went to a nearby small village for Mass at 1730.  It  was interesting to see Spencer react to the Catholic rituals.  He and I had never been to a Mass together.   Remembering his four years at Bishop Flaget School, he was respectful and followed the boys in all the responses except the genuflections and kneelings.  I believe we were the only non-Catholics in attendance and perhaps he felt a bit awkward at our non-compliance to the staid service.  We were not offered communion. It was a beautiful country church,  Protestant feeling except for Holy water founts, the kneeling boards and stations of the cross.

Back at the "cabin', we all put together a great dinner of pasta, Frank's sauce,  tossed salad, garlic bread and more water/milk.  The host, Dad Joe Herlihy, set two bottles of wine out and he and I had some from one, no others did. The stories flowed and we howled at some of Frank's NYC tales.

After clean up we all suited up for after dark sledding on a nearby dam backslope. It offered a clear downhill run of 100 yards at about a 20º slope. Fast down and sloooow up. The kids played on a huge snow fort built during the day at the base of the hill by several teenage sledders. After two hours, the dam(ned) hill  and the wind whipping off the lake at it's apex  put us all in the mood for hot chocolate,  lots of marshmellows and a good night's sleep, tucking in just after midnight.

Sleeping throughout the host's bedrooms, we woke up slowly to be treated to the ON's  huge multi-fruit pancakes.  Cleaning up and re-arranging the furniture, everyone pitched in without complaint. We headed home around 1030... an hour and a half ahead of the ON's schedule.

On our return home my new iPhone 4 buzzed as we entered a service area, telling of the need for 6 then 3 more call-ins for a structure fire on N Walnut Street.   Too late, I checked in to find that one of our guys fell 8' off a roof and another had slipped on a tailboard on the ice... both are home and okay... thank God.  Evan was understanding of my missing the fire... I still feel bad about it... S'okay, I guess.

On line I, once again, caught a chance to chat with Preston. He had just completed his first mission in A-stan, within a few miles of the Paki border, on foot. He is safe but they discovered an IED within 10' of the area that they were installing some technical devises as part of their road clearance duties.  He's back out today as I type this.   PHS STAY SAFE.

At the cabin: The new auto feeder and a water de-icer installed Friday, worked great over the weekend with production steady at 2-3 eggs per day; a little more than 20%, maybe we'll have to have another 22 caliber demonstration. I did a little clean up from Friday's Bonding time.

Parker has been schooling me from Brooklyn on this new iPhone.  I appreciate his help and patience.
I get to work tomorrow, MLK day.

Arbeit Macht Frie

Get something, anything done.  In the last few days I have tied up lots of small, loose ends:

Rigged a light for the chicken coop.  Shovelled the walks.  Returned a power washer hose that should have been returned in November.  Shovelled the walks. Ordered parts for the wrecked and soon to be salvaged Jetta Wagon.   Handled a few small plumbing issues at the Temple.  Installed Snow Leopard on my Mac®.  Shovelled the walks.  Worked on Vera P's trike for her Bday.  Created 500K jobs, thus solving some of our Nation's economic woes... LOL, just seeing if you're still reading.

Spencer and I are prepping for a trip to a Hocking County cabin for a Cub Scout weekend outing.  Lots of snow will ensure a good, wet, cold time.   It looks like it will be dads and sons only; just like in the old Y-Guide days.  Relaxing, I hope.

Tonight, in a hurry,  we had left over baked steak, roast potatoes and carrots.  Last night I fixed it for the Meyers (next door neighbors/friends) and us.   They are in the middle of a kitchen re-decorate job.  We owe them a bunch of meals. Anyway,  Colleen had a Repub Women's meeting, so I stayed home with SPS.  I missed spin class. The next session is at River's Bend 0845 Sat morning...  I'll miss that one, too.  

I promised myself that I would wait until February to say this BUT, I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL SPRING!

Still holding at 1 # under.  It's 2100,   I am headed to the Keys (on a vacation day tomorrow).  We'll see how the beer count goes... so far so good on that one, too.

COLD at 12º tonight.  This morning, after getting off work,  I went out on chicken duty. They are still laying 2-3/day.  I expect that they will stop if it stays this cold.  Great views of the sun in the ice covered trees along the creek and in the fields around the cabin.  Four or five cars were out driving the creek road early looking at the same. It was odd to have traffic out there.  I don't like sharing my private place with strangers.

For breakfast, I fixed home fries, sausage gravy and biscuits along with eggs-to-order.  Evan came over to eat with us.  At noon Colleen, Spencer and I took Parker to the airport for his flight back to NYC.  At Easton, we cruised the aisles at Barnes and Noble and then Trader Joe's; not a normal Sunday for us.  SPS had a chapter book finished before we got home... four more to go.   He's a reader! "Hey, Dad,  those banannas are 19¢, so we could buy 2 for 38¢"; but he froze on his times 5 math quiz last week.  Go figure (pun intended).  "Hey, Dad, will they trade us stuff for the groceries?" No. "Then why do they call it Trader Joe's?"

Parker did a quick 400 mile trip in the TDi yesterday to Huron on the Lake to interview the head of the Ohio Falconry Assn.  He was impresssed by the guy's seriousness and exacting tenacity, as he is handicapped and walks with a cane... sustituting his immobility with the freeflight of a Red Wing Hawk.  I'm not quite sure how or where Park is going to develop the storyline.

This afternoon I went over to Evan's house and helped him correct some electrical outlet problems.  Tomorrow I will troubleshoot a hot smell on the fourth flooor of the Temple.
I may borrow an infrared heat camera from the CFD and go hunting.  I would like to do the same to a certain friend's front room, as I am sure he has a hot wire somewhere in a wall.  I smell it every time I go in there.

Last night around midnight, I was on FB between calls and was SURPRISED when Preston popped up on "chat".  He was in Kyzrkistan on a stopover before entering the combat area of SouthEast A-stan. He and his troops are acclimating to the time changes and altitude.  He has been in touch with his FOB (forward operating base).  It has wifi and when he is not outside the wire on operations, he should be able to communicate with us.  Incidently, today Sayre is online, too. Seems that they have internet to his OP (outpost) now.  So after 7 months of little to no communications, he will be able to reach out and touch some of his loved ones.  Great news, the Army is catching up with the Navy.

A relaxed day today.  Evan has convinced me to try melatonin for promoting normal sleep when not on duty. If it works it may change my insomniacal habits of over forty years. AND effect the times that I post. LOL.  I'm down a pound and the beer consumption halving is still extant.

A Flight In, A Flight Out, Three Eagles in Flight

Preston and I said our vaya con Dios earlier this evening. "Fair winds and following seas" was appropriate for Navy partings.  This Army thing seems to always have me stumbling for the right word or acronym or nomenclature. The wait is over.

I'm putting my watch back on at midnight tonight after a year or so hiatus. I will set it to near Afghani time. "Near" in that Afghani time is 10.5 hours faster and I want to at least be able to look at the minute hand in East coast time.  So either 10 or 11 hours faster.  I'll use it as a reminder to think and pray for PHS and all the troops serving there.  I still don't have the 550 cord wrist band, so the watch will do the same in a more personal way.

Today my old friend and fellow bike rider, John Payne called.   I had been teaching a class in pediatrics for the FD in the morning but had some time available before I had to be at the Temple doing preps for the Annual Inspection. Anyway, we both had a little time to waste so we watched his DVRecorded "Restrepo"; the National Geograhic's movie following an Army platoon in Southern Afghanistan. The movie revolves around "OutPost Restrepo" in an area between where John's son,  J. Sayre, has been since early summer and where Preston will soon be.  "Restrepo" is a gutsy, cinema verite´ look at the platoon for a year.  I recommend it, though it's not for kids or the faint of heart.

Sayre, Preston and Parker were raised together and are still closer than many brothers.  Sayre had the distinction of being the only kid around that could handle both the twins, together. That is, he and they could play, wrestle or just mess around without the situation becoming a two-on-one, in any combination.  Pres and Sayre are both married now to beautiful women, serving as Army officers following ROTC at OU and OSU, respectively.  Sayre serves as an infantry platoon leader of a heavy weapons crew.  Preston as an Engineer in charge of an IED road clearance team. Both are Army Rangers on the tip of the spearhead or in harm's way as we used to say in Navtalk.

Parker was to board a plane in NYC but was held up for a later flight, arriving in C'bus around 1730. The fresh 1" of snow wasn't an issue today, but it may keep him from doing a planned shoot of a falconer chap in Huron near Lake Erie on Saturday.  Incidently, he told me of this shoot just a few minutes after I had returned from the cabin and "chicken duty"... 3 eggs today!  On the way out I spotted a young adult Bald Eagle in a tree across the creek.  I had stopped the car to walk back to get a pic but he spooked when I neared... I snapped a fuzzy shot, maybe next time.

Last night at work was a typical East end tour.  Multiple calls after midnight (3-4 ?), spaced out to insure no more than one hour's continuously uninterupted sleep.  Still, we had lots of laughs and a couple of life saving calls for the day. That makes it worth the "gomer" runs. Several good people were in the ER and I was able to visit with two old friends; one  from Carlisle Hill and one from the Lodge.  Breakfast and lunch were eaten in various stages of microwave states.  We all pieced around for supper.  On the weekends we tend to cook a little more often. 

Issues at the Temple today (aside from the preps).  Emergent electrical work in the Red Room on the lighting reostat discs, which are OLD style theater lighting models.  I had them rebuilt last summer but last night's practice team reported a hot smell emitting from near them. Bad news!  NO solution today.  I will run them in test mode tomorrow AM well before the Inspection.  Tonight, during a 60 year pin presentation at an ALZ facility to Harley Thomas (who I relieved as building manager only four years ago), I got a call from a second floor tenant. She had inadvertantly locked herself out and I had to break in to her apartment as she had the dead bolt on safe when she went out earlier. One hour later, after being on a frozen fire escape, out in the cold,  I head home and recuperate with a diet Coke™ (not a single malt).  Shortly afterward,  SPS and CKS are in bed and I get to retreat to the iMac, my head phones and this blog.

The snow should bring at least a two hour school delay in the AM.  SPS will enjoy playing on the organ in the Blue Room as I test the Red Room lights. Evan will get off work for the evening to serve as Steward for the Inspection. Looks like Cabin time will be abbrieviated as well.

Physical state: 179.5 lbs this morning. NO beers in four days.  I did an hour of spin class for the first time since 2009.  It was nice to spin with friends at OU-C, watching the snow come down.  Seven of thetwelve riders were SVRoadies.  Bringing home Hook's pizzas for dinner, there were three cars in ditches... all females driving SUVs.

It's midnight.

Two Eagle Scouts, one Bald Eagle. Flying free.

As predicted, I didn't go down to Ft Knox today to see Preston.  Yesterday he had an issue with one of his troops ( DUI, non-deployable and potential BCD) that set him back a little on his time... AND I would have had to high-tail it back for Lodge tonight.  But he and I have had several good phone cons and that seems to have quelled my impatience and angst, a bit. 

He, on the other hand, has a lot of stuff to fill his mind.  He is the loading cordinator for his Battalion for the flight out; planning shipped weight, equipment and personnel issues for the whole group. Today he had another small setback with yet another troop (a failed traffic court appearance), but that one seems to have been resolved.  All of these pre-deployment flair ups remind me so much of my days in the Nav when we had saliors with severe drinking problems (then, even among the senior NCOs), missing movement and Article 15s, etc. .  It seems times haven't changed that much.  The responsibilities of being a junior line officer in the military was one of the most challenging and fulfilling experiences of my life.  PHS, NOWHERE will there be so much heaped on your head and so much expected at such a relatively young age.  DUTY HONOR COUNTRY.

You go Preston!  Do your best.  Keep yourself and your men safe.   Bring them all home.

Up early today, I went out in the dawn light to inspect the patch that I put on the koi pond yesterday.  Still holding... yea!  Either dammed ice, one of the dogs or SPS knocked a few border rocks into the pond during the week between Christmas and New Years. One of the rocks broke open the liner about 5 inches long, right at edge of the pot shelf.  We kept our eyes on it until we had lost about half the water before the hole revealed itself.  Draining it even lower to dry the liner and patch it with epoxy, I got to get wet and sticky; all while leaning in and over the ledge to see the hole to insure a good patch. It was a nice sunny day above freezing and after two hours and a re-fill to about 80 %,  it held overnight... Yea! ( I know I already said that.)

Parker, in particular, as he drives it when home from Brooklyn, will be pleased to know that I finally fixed the S-10 door today.  No more flying open or slamming endlessly to try to shut it.  The old rental property truck just keeps on going; just like the Energizer® bunny.

At the cabin:  Paint Creek is up and flowing freely, bank-to-bank for the first time in months, with the Corps apparently opening the upstream dam (the reservoir must finally be above the winter pool).

The welfare hens must have gotten the message after losing one of the non-productive Australorp roosters by Friday's firing squad.  After over two months of low to no output,  I harvested three eggs today!  Maybe Evan can go out and check on them tomorrow when I'm at work.  Fred is ramping up his barn area in anticipation of the new ewes' arrival in early February.  Moses, the protector donkey, is following him around inside the new fenced in manger area like a puppy.  We both mourned over Hank the Tank's grave today.

I registered today for the Feb 10 CFD Promotion test... again.  After no advancements for nearly four years (and me being first in line for the entire time),  I get to take the #@%^ test ONE MORE TIME.  Enough complaining, I love my job and enjoy going to work, even with all the ineptitude in so many areas above the line.  I understand why Pop never wanted to leave the shift and become a Chief.  BTW, one of my Masonic bros is an uncle to the family of the house we saved on Akron Street.  They are going to rebuild and are thrilled that they did not lose it all.  He said he was across the street as we entered it and couldn't believe that three guys could make that big of a difference.  He thought it was lost for sure. No brag, just fact.  I wish City Council would realize this.

I need to get some sleep before work in the morning... see you next time.

2011 Day One: Angst

I have been trying hard to control it.  I won't go into the Kierkegaard existenial arguments... but I try to control the worry inherent in parenthood.  Internet probing of the Khost-Gardez Road didn't help.  90 km of mountain road through the Paki border passes will be on my mind for the next year.  I pray that the Spring thaws will be late and Pres' men ready.  I have ordered, through Evan, a handmade desert tan 550 cord woven deployment bracelet for obvious reasons.

Enough of this.

RESOLVED: I have decided to cut my alcohol consumtion in half. AND to lose four more pounds, coming down to 176 winter weight and 172 summer. Hand-in-glove on these two... I just have to do it.

I did get on the bike yesterday for my one and only December '10 ride; a fast ride to the cabin and back.  16 miles, µ of 16.1 which included a quick chat with neighbor TJ and a stop at Fred's burn pile.  Cloudy, threatening to rain,  50º and winds of 15 out of the SW.  The hills reminded me how out of shape one can get by not riding for a month.  Hence I will be taking the mag trainer and a bike over to the bike shop where Jamie has set up the side room as a trainer gym for the Winter.  I HATE riding trainers. BUT  I am going to increase my miles back up to at least 2500 (2093 for '10).  

After the ride,  I loaded Jack and two bar stools in/on the TDi and headed back out to the cabin.  I swapped out the EA stools that have been in place at the farm house for nearly 18 years for the Red Lobster one's Jeff S gave me, putting mine in the cabin.  Later, Evan and Nick H made THE BEST Scottish eggs yet. Parker and Clint dispatched one of the roosters with my 22 rifle. One rooster is enough... maybe one too many.

Sadly, it was the last time we were to enjoy Hank the Tank.  Nephew Ben's mastiff died late last night, of no apparent reason. Throughout the day he had appeared a bit mopey and Evan even found him in the cabin curled up, all 130 pounds of him, in a recliner, snoozing.  He was a great dog.   I am sure that Ben grieved his New Year in.

Spencer and Aunt Connie were both under the weather after ringing the New Year in at Meyer's last night. We had played Left-Right-Center and a prolonged game of  Scrabble (Gretchen won) before the midnight toasting with bubbly (Spencer and Leila had non-ETOH).  This morning I went out for meds and my chicken rounds in the cool rain... no New Year's Day ride for me (sorry Rails to Trails Triangle group... maybe next year).

Parker came around noon and he and I drove to Tyler's for pork and kraut. Tomorrow he will fly back to Brooklyn for four days and then return here on the 6th for Intiation into the Order.  He will be our annual Inspection candidate.  It should prove interesting.  As the SD, I will have an active part in his entrance into the Fraternity.

I discovered at Tyler's another excellent radio streaming program (KCRW) to augment my steady diet of WCBE and WOUB (listening to it as I type this). Over the headphones, I just heard the drop of the upstairs commode seat. I had put SPS to bed at 2130 and told him he could read for a half hour.  At 2330 he was pleased to announce that he had finished Weetcha the Raccoon. "I read over 100 pages tonight, Dad."  He reminds me of my mother. She would sometimes read through the night, napping into the dawn.  He must be feeling better.

Work tomorrow: Sunday schedule. Studying for the upcoming promotion exam... again.

I would like to drive down to Ft Knox before Friday... doesn't look like I can make it though.  Line officer's meeting Mon,  regular meeting Tue, work Wed, Pediatric teaching Thurs, and the Inspection Fri.