Pictures

I have been a bit lax in not posting some pictures to go along with my ramblings, so here are a few shots to go along with some of the last couple posts. Try clicking on the shots to see them actual size.

The first one is a shot of a bridge on the northern end of the Natchez Trace taken with some fall colors showing. The next one is me standing in the atrium of the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Following that is a shot of the exterior of the Nashville Art Museum, an exact replica of the Parthenon in Greece built for the 1888(?) TN Centennial Exposition.

The next shot is the exterior of our log home lit up for the holiday season.

And finally, a shot of the Christmas Tree from the second floor landing.

December thoughts

My last couple blog entries have been a bit boring, whining about politics. Transplanted Lawyer (TL) commented as did the Orange Phantom, and their comments were right on. Today, TL commented that Republicans seem to have forgotten what "conservative" principles are. Thanks, TL, that's a much better way of capturing why I have been so disappointed with the politics lately. No one is being conservative. No one is promoting a conservative agenda. The current administration's agenda seems to be focused on making the Presidency as autonomous and powerful as possible, and the sacrifice of our constitutional rights on the way is just so much collateral damage. Is there a true conservative candidate for president? If so, I would like to support that person.

On a more personal level, we have been starting to prepare for the holiday season. Last week, we drove to Nashville and met friends for a couple days of fun and doing touristy things. We saw the Radio City Rockettes Show at the Opryland Hotel. Good show, lots of fun, although a bit heavy at the end with an overacted Nativity scene. While in Nashville, we also toured the art museum which is housed in an exact as possible reproduction of the Parthenon in Greece. Very nice. We also took a luncheon cruise on a riverboat and were entertained by the country music show. The food was less than memorable, though. It was also great fun just to spend time with our friends who recently moved from the San Diego area to northern Georgia. Talk about a change in culture!!

We put up the outdoor lights and the tree, so our house has lots of Christmas cheer. There are a collection of Santas on display upstairs, and another collection of snowmen in the basement rec room. Strands of garland line the staircase. In a few weeks we'll take it all down again, but I'm glad its on display.

Where do they get their funding?

Before the current "wars" in Iraq and Afghanistan, we were supposed to have declared war on drugs. I think we are missing an important thing that affects our country in a very negative fashion. I am especially thinking of heroin and those drugs related to the opium poppy production. We were supposed to be helping Afghani farmers come up with an alternative cash crop to opium poppies Instead, the Taliban is doing everything they can to encourage poppy growth and the subsequent opium and heroin production. Some of the money spent in the US on drugs ends up in the hands of organized crime, and much more importantly, some of it ends up in the hands of the Taliban. They use it to finance their terrorist activities in Afghanistan, and it wouldn't surprise me to find out they help support Al Qaida in Iraq. So in essence, US citizens are financing both sides of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. How bizarre. Support our troops on one hand, and help kill them with the other.

I haven't heard anything from any of the candidates on this subject, but probably because its just not a fashionable thing to discuss anymore. They have touched a bit on the medical uses of marijuana, one even admits to inhaling. I don't have any substantive data, but it wouldn't surprise me to find out that opiate sales are on the rise. Combating this trend has got to be better for us in the long run than many domestic programs being proposed.

Let's bring home our troops from some of the 170 locations they are currently deployed, and use their talent and strength to stop the flow of illicit drugs into our country. Let's also take a harsher look at the penalties associated with this activity. Do you know what happens to druggies, drug smugglers, and dealers in Muslim countries? Usually the punishment is death. They just don't tolerate it. We need to move in that direction.

November thoughts

The weather has started to get cooler, and we had a good rain storm blow through last evening. The trees have turned some lovely fall colors, and contrary to what we feared, the leaves are staying on for a bit for everyone to enjoy. To be sure there are a bunch to rake up and put on the mulch pile, but its a nice time of year.

A few days ago, I went to the marina to get the boat cleaned up. The hull was a bit gunky with algae build-up, so I pressure cleaned it, and now the boat is in in-out storage instead of being in the water full time. I took the Bimini top and canvas cover home to clean up, as they were both a bit mildewed. A 50/50 solution of bleach water cleaned everything right up. I rinsed them good and allowed them to dry, and they look almost new again. The only piece of canvas I'm a bit unhappy about is the boot or cover for the Bimini top. The zipper will not release, so I have to unbolt the aluminum frame to remove the cover from the top. Later this winter, I'll replace the zipper. I do plan to boat on nice days during this cooler season, and in-out storage makes that as easy as a phone call. So far, the TVA has not announced plans to lower the lake to "normal" winter levels.

I find myself a bit dismayed at the "front runners" for the presidency, and more and more attracted to the fringe candidates like Ron Paul. I believe our country is pursuing a futile foreign policy in the Mideast and throughout the world. We are trying to press our own vision of what the world should look like, instead of allowing other countries to determine their own destinies. To be sure, we are doing this because we believe we are right, God is on our side, and truth justice and the American Way will prevail. Can I get an "Amen"?

There is a divide in Iraq that existed for centuries between the Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds. Our policy is to force them into a secular and united Iraq. Unfortunately, this condition can exist only under the leadership of a totalitarian regime, like it was under Saddam Hussein, or like Yugoslavia was under Tito. Each of these sects wants self-determination. And they will seek it the moment they are able. Unfortunately for the Kurds, though, the Turks seem to be set on committing yet another act of genocide buy wiping them out, like they tried to do to the Armenians. And unfortunately for the Shiites in Iraq, the Sunni majority in Iran will take that same route when they can, to insure that Iraq becomes a Sunni-led theocracy. The only way we can prevent this is by maintaining a huge military presence in-country. Thus the current war policy has a hugely flawed exit strategy.

The American public is losing its stomach for staying in Iraq. But history says it will be a long time before we politically force our government to leave Iraq. Only after we lose somewhere around 50,000 GIs, do we as a nation finally say "Enough." Korea and Viet Nam finally ended after that number was reached. I am terribly dismayed to contemplate our unnecessary loss of yet another 46,000+ American lives in a foreign country that will fall into a civil war the moment we pull out. The only way I can see a victory is for us to escalate this whole thing into a regional conflict involving Iran, Syria, and possibly Saudi Arabia and Israel. That will, without a doubt, draw Russia into the mix as well. All in all, a very undesirable solution with results that still could end up in the establishment of theocratic governments afterwards. We have no business in the Mideast with the possible exception of trying to keep Israel intact. We are pursuing a foreign policy based on ignorance of how the Mideast thinks and wants to be.

One more thought on our over-deployed military. Do you realize that we are militarily deployed in 170 different foreign locations? Why are we doing this? Why are we still in Germany and Japan? I am not criticizing our troops. They are following orders, doing their duty, and I have the highest respect for their patriotism, courage, and sense of duty. I am trying to understand why we think we are responsible to run the planet and dictate what happens or not.

I want a president who will show some respect for the other people who live on this planet and relinquish to them the responsibility to govern and take care of themselves. I want our president to defend us, not to take offensive measures against other countries.

At long last, some closure

The carpet installers got here at 7:45 this morning, and were done at about 1:45 this afternoon. They cleaned up after themselves, were exceedingly polite, and did a good job. We are pleased with the work, still unhappy about the 6 weeks it took to get the job done.

The saga of the basement continues....

I called Lowe's this morning, because they were supposed to install the carpeting (at last!). They said something about glue, and were going to be here in a while. Well, the installers showed up, ready to glue down the carpeting. I said, no, we had ordered installation with pad & tack strips, and I thought the glue was for the stairs. After some discussion, the installers left and I made yet another trip to the store.

After some discussion, the manager of the installed sales department decided to go ahead and comply with my request to do the job as we had asked for it to begin with. Supposedly, it is costing the store an additional $432 for padding and tack strips, but I have paperwork on my side to support what we had originally asked for

Anyway, the installers are going to come out yet again, on Monday morning. Maybe it will actually happen this time.

Visitors and stuff

My brother visited two weeks ago. It was a fine time, we had a chance to hang out and talk about just stuff. That's something I miss but is unavoidable in our family, as we all live so far apart. One of the things Bob does for fun and expression is to jam with his blues trombone at local joints. When he's going somewhere, he surf's the 'net to find bars that have jam sessions. Sure enough, there's one here in Maryville: Brakin's. We had a good time, there was a variety of talent, and everyone played the blues with enthusiasm and sometimes too much volume. (Maybe that's just me getting old...)

We also went out on the boat one day and viewed the scenery on Ft. Loudon Lake. The next afternoon, I had the boat taken out of the water, and Bob and I cleaned the bottom with my pressure cleaner. The boat ran a bit faster afterwards, but when I gave the helm to Bob, we hit a submerged chunk of wood that made a clunk, but did no damage. All in all, we had a great visit.

The day Bob left to go back to Milwaukee, another couple friends came for the weekend, Bob from Pleasanton, CA, and John from the Illinois side of the St. Louis area. We played golf a couple times and revisited memories from their visit to us when we lived in Germany. Our golf games were not great, but very much fun.

This week, we will go visit some friends from CA who have recently moved to north Georgia.

The basement saga continues

The carpeting was supposed to be installed last week. And our favorite home improvement store called about the time the installer was supposed to be here to advise that the carpeting we chose was unacceptable for installation on stairs. OK, that's fine, but why weren't we so advised when we selected the carpet?

We had to go into the store and select a new carpet, not so easy, because we had already painted a color based on the old choice. We found another carpet that will work, and are now waiting for the call to advise when this can be installed.

The basement update project

I have been pretty busy lately with a new project: updating the basement. When we bought the house, the basement was finished in rough sawn cedar, applied to the walls in board & batten style. Very rustic, but also dark and sort of "Grizzly Adams". We have discussed it for several months, and decided to start.

I removed all the battens, leaving the 1 x 12 cedar boards attached to the walls. To those, I attached 24 sheets of 3/8" drywall. Then I mudded, sanded, mudded, sanded, and primed. We put on a top coat of a caramel color flat interior latex, and highlighted the division between floor, walls and ceiling with white shoe molding and white crown molding respectively.

Next, I removed the traditional light fixtures, and installed a lighting system we brought back with us from Germany. The system consists of two wires or cables that are suspended about 5" apart and stretched across the room. The wires carry 12 volts DC from a transformer. The transformers we had from Europe are for 220 volts and wouldn't work here, so I bought two new transformers intended to power 12 volt yard lights. These transformers are much less expensive than the decorative ones at the lighting store, and have much higher wattage ratings. In our log home, there is a utility space between the ceiling of the basement and the flooring of the first floor. That's where the plumbing, electric, and HVAC systems are transported throughout the house. So I was able to get the transformers mounted there, hidden from view but hooked up to the same circuit as the old light fixtures.

Next week, the new carpeting is supposed to be installed, and then we can finally put the furniture back and start using this area again.

Das Boot

Last post, I wrote at the very end that the boat was broke. A shaft was what I suspected at that time. It turned out to be a close guess but not quite. The Mercruiser Alpha One Outdrive is driven off the back of the engine by a plate that is bolted to the flywheel. The plate has a splined receptacle (a hole with grooves running the length of the hole) which receives a splined shaft from the top of the outdrive. The shaft is made of hardened steel, and the plate and receptacle are of aluminum, a slightly softer material. The reason for this is so that if you hit something, like a log, the receptacle will shear its grooves, saving the crankshaft of the engine.

Unfortunately, the plate is a bit difficult to replace. The outdrive must be dropped (the easy part) and then the engine must be unmounted and slid forward so that the bell housing can be removed, exposing the flywheel and the plate. Then the plate is replaced (part cost approx $200) and it all goes back together again. Labor cost was about $200 also.

I also had them clean the hull, as it was growing a lot of green fuzzy stuff. They scraped it all down, and then washed the hull with Muriatic Acid. That removed the staining. I took it out for a test drive afterwards, and was quite pleasantly surprised. The boat came up on plane much quicker, and went quite a bit faster than it had ever done before. The hull must have been dirty from when I got it. Less drag means more speed, and easier cruising.

The guys at the marina did the work, and I must say, they did a nice job. The boat runs great. I am gradually getting everything sorted out, and when this oppressive heat wave calms down at the end of next week (hopefully) we can start to enjoy the water again.

A second trip to Wisconsin this year

We had a great time a month ago or so, and decided to return for a couple weeks. We left TN on Friday July 27, and headed to southeastern Indiana. We spent the weekend with our friends Joe & Joyce. They have a really neat set up for weekend camping: their very own campsite with a travel trailer, utility shed, gazebo, etc. in a park set up for just that purpose. It is located near the Brookville Reservoir, a man-made lake that is quite large with fishing, skiing, and water sports in general. We also met Joe's brother, and had a great relaxing weekend. The picture shows Joe & Joyce on the porch of their camper, and the other is a shot of the mill at Metamora, a restored village from the turn of the century. Thanks, Joe!!

On Sunday afternoon, we meandered to Milwaukee, via Lakeshore Drive in Chicago. A traffic mistake, but quite lovely despite the traffic jam. Our main mission was to install some wood laminate flooring in the mother-in-law's house which we had ordered a couple weeks prior from Lumber Liquidators. The flooring didn't make it until the following Saturday, so we tried to find ways to keep occupied until then. The Wisconsin State Fair opened, and I went to that. The roasted corn-on-the-cob, bratwurst, cream puffs, and beer were just as good as my memories of them from 30 years prior. The people were great, happy, friendly, and the music was much better than I remembered.

Saturday, Sunday, and into Monday, we labored on the floor. It turned out very nice, and many thanks to my lovely wife, sister-in-law, and her husband for their help. Also, a tip: Buy a good set of knee-pads. The investment is well worth it. My knees and legs actually felt okay after the job was complete. Here's a section of the finished floor:

I also had a chance to see my brother a few times. Most notably on Wednesday evening at Conway's Bar on 23rd and Wells Street. He plays at a blues jam session there regularly, and it was a good evening for the music. Three of my army buddies accompanied me to this evening, very nice because the four of us were all drafted the same day in February 1969, and experienced basic training together under the harsh tutelage of Sergeant Spangler.

We had a picnic one day on Lake Michigan, the picture shows a couple little girls playing on the beach under a roof made of driftwood. I checked with their mother before taking the picture. You can't be too careful these days.

And it wouldn't have been a complete report without a picture from the mother-in-law's garden. Click on any picture to see it larger.

So life returned to normal when we got back. Its hot here in TN, and very dry. I had to mow the lawn, and catch back up on a few tasks. The boat sheared a shaft somewhere in the outdrive today, so that's going to get fixed in the next few days. Oh well.....

Taking out the trash

I am a bit dismayed at NASA. They allowed trash to be dumped into orbit, and wrote it off by saying it will fall back to earth and burn up. http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/07/23/space.station.ap/index.html
This is not a good example for us to see or read about. Why wasn't the ammonia tank stowed on board the shuttle along with the camera mount for disposal on earth? They claim these items are not a navigation hazard, and even better, they think "most" of the tank will burn up during reentry, and the remnants will hopefully hit open ocean. Personally, I think it would be wonderfully ironic if a remnant chunk hit the responsible NASA Official's house and left a smoking hole the size of a Volkswagen.

This reminds me of another issue: disposal of nuclear waste. I have often thought that one of the best long term solutions for this problem is not storing it in a gigantic deep tunnel that needs constant monitoring to make sure the stuff isn't leaking. Rather, we should consider sending it into space via unmanned rockets, to fall into the sun. This method is cheaper by several orders of magnitude than the untold zillions we and other countries have already spent on other less effective schemes. Further, there is no lingering radioactivity. The stuff would just vaporize and we wouldn't have to worry about it again. And it keeps aerospace companies in business, but much more importantly, gives NASA a real mission. Their current course seems to lack any long range goals except to provide an alternative to a fireworks display when they launch.

I believe the exploration of space is important. I also believe NASA needs leadership from a non-purely scientific source. NASA needs a real purpose to exist. If we are unwilling to give it a purpose, then dissolve NASA and let private companies explore the necessity and profitability of space exloration.

Rescreening

This past weekend I rescreened our porch screen room. The wear & tear of a couple years and the poking of various dog noses had taken their toll. And there was a tournament at the golf club, so this little task finally rose to the top of the heap.

The battens covering the screen staples didn't hold up during deconstruction, so they were replaced with pressure treated lath sections that I painted in exterior latex before installing. The screening I used was black nylon mesh. The hardest part of the job was pulling out the old staples and nails, and making sure the new screen was laying as flat as I could get the 4' x 7' sections to lay before stapling. I used an 18 gage pneumatic nailer with 1" nails to put up the new battens, so that went pretty quickly. I will rescreen one of the screen doors later this week, and finish painting to match both doors and door trim.

Afterwards, I was a little sore from going up & down the ladder, but I was satisfied I had done a reasonably good job of it.

A week in Milwaukee

The last week of June, the wife and I decided to spend some time with her Mom, and where we grew up in Milwaukee. We left the dog with her Aunt, and took a day and a half to make the trip. It would have been fine to do it all in one day, but since we have no pressing schedule, why push it?

The trip was also a chance for us to visit with her sister, my brother, and some friends. We arrived around noon time on Saturday the 23rd, and I scoped out a couple home repair tasks that I could handle with the tools I brought. We also couldn't help but notice her garden. All the flowers were in bloom and were fun to see.

Monday evening, I went to the Brewers game with my sister-in-law's husband. The Brewers are hot right now, and they beat the Astros 6-1. The new stadium in Milwaukee is also pretty impressive.

I spent some time with my brother to watch him and listen as he jammed on Sunday and Wednesday evenings at a couple local taverns. He plays trombone, and hangs in there with the other jammers, pumping some nice tone and style on blues and jazz. It was a lot of fun, and I could tell he really enjoys this outlet of personal expression.

We also had a chance to go out to dinner with my wife's sister and brother-in-law for our mutual wedding anniversaries on Thursday the 28th. We had a nice dinner at Kil-O-Wat restaurant in the Intercontinental, followed by a comedy presentation at the Marcus Center by a local talent named John McGivern. Mr. McGivern's show centered on growing up in Milwaukee, and brought back lots of enjoyable memories of the local area.

As the week ended, so did the list of little tasks get completed, and we bid our good-byes and drove back to Tennessee. We plan to return in just a month or so, to tackle the larger job of replacing some tired old carpeting in the mother-in-law's house with some laminate flooring. We also hope to sample the corn-on-the-cob and cream puffs at the State Fair, and maybe even attend a race at Road America in Elkhart Lake.

Mike Nifong

To be sure, the DA Prosecutor Mike Nifong went over the line in his prosecution of the Duke University Lacrosse players. He has since been publicly humiliated, and most recently, disbarred. He can no longer practice law in North Carolina, and is probably notorious enough that he will not be able to practice anywhere else. I cannot imagine him being able to speak publicly (for a fee) or write a book that anyone would buy. His professional life has essentially been ruined. It seems to me at least, that justice has been served.

In today's CNN.com, there was a small window to vote whether he should be criminally prosecuted. When you vote, you get to see the results of this unofficial poll. I voted that he should not be criminally prosecuted, thinking he will undoubtedly be sued by at least one if not all three of the wrongfully accused Duke Lacrosse players. I was quite surprised to see that over 80% of the respondents voted for criminal charges. Are we Americans so vengeful that the ruination of a life is not a fitting enough punishment for what he did? Does he have to go to jail too?

The Duke Lacrosse players were hurt to be sure. But they have since been cleared, and we now see them as victims, good boys that didn't do anything wrong. They will in fact recover from this, and the good-ol'-boy network of the south will absorb them into its protective network. They'll get good positions, and in a few years the oft-retold tale of the evil Mike Nifong will result in appreciative nods of the head, and the water-cooler talk will fall back to other collegiate sports.

I am not proposing that Mr. Nifong be exonerated, rather, I am observing that he has already received swift and sufficient punishment for his sins. He will undoubtedly be sued and be forced to provide some financial consideration to the three Duke lacrosse players. Let's not tie up the criminal courts for a case in which punishment has already been administered.

The dog's first boat ride

It was a great idea: Get the dog used to the idea of being on a boat. I had worked on the boat this morning, and it was a nice day. A Saturday, to be sure, with lots of boat traffic on the river, but I wasn't intending to go fast. So I got the leash, and the dog was VERY excited. She knows the leash means we will leave the confines of the fenced part of the yard.

The wife didn't react as positively, in fact, she said, "Its a bad idea, but go ahead and try. I'll be here at home when you get back."

So the dog & I trundled off the short drive to the marina. We walked down the floating piers, and just before we got to our boat, she squatted and did her business. I had to pick up the warm pile and when we reached the boat, put it into a paper towel. I tied her leash to a cleat, and went back to the water spigot to wash my hands. As soon as my back was turned, the neighborhood stray dog, a big old mongrel, snuck behind me and started to check out poor little Jasmine. I didn't know anything was going on until I heard her fall into the water as she was trying to evade the big dog. So I shooed the big dog and fished out my soggy little Yorkie. This was not going so good so far....

I put her into the boat, and she had a hard time waiting for me as I pulled down the canvas and prepared for a short ride. Twice she jumped out and onto the pier. Finally, I was able to untie the boat. At this point, I was bound & determined to run this mission to completion. I ran the blower for a few minutes to insure the engine compartment had no gas fumes, and started the engine. She jumped again, but at least she didn't leave the boat. We rode out to the river at slow speed and she seemed to be enjoying the wind blowing through the open section of the windshield. We turned around, the Saturday traffic on the river was intense as I thought it would be. (Probably the only reasonably sound decision of the afternoon) We motored slowly back to the marina, and I was able to successfully secure the boat and get the dog back to the car without further incident.

The picture shows the stern of the boat and if you click on the picture and magnify it, you'll see her poking her wet head up just above the name of our town.

Boating on a Sunday Afternoon

My wife and I decided to go for a boat ride yesterday afternoon. The weather was very nice, warm and sunny. We left the marina and entered the main channel of the Tennessee River near the house, Fort Loudon Lake. The water was a bit choppy, due to the wakes and remnants of wakes left by other boats. We proceeded up river, meaning the red channel markers were on the right, green on the left. As we proceeded, the boat was running fine, and cruised well on plane. We approached the area around Concord Park and Concord Marina, and the water became noticeably choppier, and we spent most of the rest of the time running much slower, not on plane. We got bounced around quite a bit, and both of us decided we would avoid Sundays in favor of weekdays. The picture is a bit of an exaggeration of what we actually experienced, but there were moments that felt like this.

A Boat Ride

It rained the last couple days, but today looked pretty good. So we called my wife's Aunt, and invited her for a short ride. We didn't go too far, or too fast, and the three of us enjoyed the breeze coming through the flip-open windshield.

Most of the houses on the river are impressive and very nicely manicured. Some are incredibly huge, and we wonder sometimes where all the money comes from. But once again, my wife reminds me there is an amazing number of Doctors and Lawyers in the area. (Probably some Indian Chiefs too, but they're not nearly as plentiful.

A Boat!

Father's Day came a little early this year. Yesterday, we bought a boat. It's an older one, but in great shape. Specifically, it's a 1987 Sea Ray 21' Seville Mid-cabin Cruiser. It's powered by a 205 HP 4.3 Liter V-6 Engine with less than 400 hours and spins a prop thru a Mercruiser outdrive. The boat has a raised cockpit, a forward vee-berth, another berth under the raised cockpit, a stand-up head with a pump out holding tank, a small fridge, a sink with a pump faucet, depth finder, VHF radio, AM-FM Radio with cassette player, and a series of canvas top pieces that form a bimini top, full cover, and side curtains for inclement weather. It also has a full width swim platform on the stern. (Check out the use of those nautical terms!!)

We answered an ad in the local paper, and bought the boat from a retired lawyer who can no longer see well enough to operate the boat safely. He is the original owner, and the boat held a lot of good memories of his family for him. I promised him to take good care of the boat and generate some good memories of our own.

Reflections on being retired

I am staying busy with various activities. Jobs around the house, consulting, helping my wife's aunt with her house, and golf. But I am still somewhat unsatisfied with the challenges of my existing life. I am considering whether to return to the workforce. The extra money would be helpful for some other big projects we want to pursue, but more so I am feeling like I'm just floating along. I need some additional purpose. The consulting could do that, but so far isn't as time consuming as I had thought it would be.

I submitted an application to Oak Ridge National Laboratory this morning for a position as a Senior Program Manager. Let's see if anything develops....

Post vacation recovery

We had a great trip to California. We arrived in Sacramento right on time. Thanks, United! We took the rental car bus to the rental car agency complex, and I stood in line for my turn, and finally got to the counter. I realized shortly afterwards I was at the wrong agency's counter. My wife tried to tell me, but I am apparently a slow learner. Anyway, I got back in line again at Dollar, the agency with whom I actually had made a reservation. By the time I got to the head of the line, they were out of regular full-sized cars, and I ended up with a Lincoln Town Car, so big it had its own zip code. (At the time, I was relatively pleased about this turn of events, but after I had filled the gas tank a few times, I wasn't quite so happy.) We had no trouble stowing our bags in the cavernous trunk, and off we went to Pleasanton, a drive that took only 75 minutes. Traffic was flowing quite well, and I must say, California drivers cruise right along. Our Town Car cruised very comfortably with them.

We arrived at the Sheraton Four Points Resort, got our room, and prepared for the evening's festivities. We found the Wente's Winery in Livermore and proceeded to have a fun evening at the rehearsal dinner. No, we were not part of the wedding party, but apparently the out-of-town guests were invited along with the wedding party to this gala event. We met a couple old friends, made some new acquaintances, and had a wonderful evening.

Saturday morning, we had promised to help our friends (the Bride's parents) serve lunch to the female side of the wedding party. Right around noon, Bob and I went downtown and ordered and delivered sandwiches and drinks to the bride and her entourage, who were ensconced in a suite at the Rose Hotel. The hotel is delightfully understated in elegance. When we went into the suite, Bob & I were greeted by a bevy of beautiful women who were in various stages of getting their hair done and make-up applied. It was strange for me, both fascinating and intimidating. I thought this is what a harem must be like, an environment so female, where a male would not necessarily feel unwelcome so much as completely out of place. Anyway, we made sure there was nothing else the ladies needed, and we retired back to Bob's house to feed the rest of us lunch, including my wife and Bob's sister and mom.

Late Saturday afternoon, my wife and I got dressed in our finery, me in my new tux, her in her new gown. I think we looked great. We boarded the luxury tour buses that had been thoughtfully provided for the wedding guests, and went to church. The ceremony was well-attended, meaningful, and blissfully short. The bridal party remained behind for pictures, and we all got on the buses again. But many of the bus riders were also predictably relatives, and had to be in pictures. But after only a short delay, we went on to the reception. Again, at a winery special event center in Livermore, a beautiful venue decorated in an abundance of flowers, most noticeably orchids. The food & drink were served and enjoyed. A nine-piece band provided appropriate background music during dinner, and shifted smoothly into dance mode as the evening progressed. It was a very nice evening, one we'll remember for a long time. Thanks so much to the parents of the bride and groom.

We spent Sunday with Bob & Sarah, and their family, in an open house kind of brunch atmosphere. It was casual and friendly, and Bob & I had a chance to catch up on each other's lives. Monday morning, we checked out of the hotel and drove to southern California, to visit our son (Transplanted Lawyer) and daughter-in-law. The week sped by, and we enjoyed every moment we had there. We had a chance to visit a couple other friends, and I even made a business call on a company in Victorville, a follow-up to the conference I attended in Atlanta a few weeks ago.

We flew home on Monday the 14th of May, and although our flight from Sacramento to Chicago was on time, the flight to Knoxville was delayed by a couple hours. I guess three out of four legs is as good as it gets these days.

The grass had grown significantly during my absence, and it took most of Tuesday to get the lawn back in shape. Our new little dog, Jasmine, was happy to see us. Thanks very much to my cousin for house-sitting and dog-watching!

The rest of the week was spent catching up on all the details of life, reading mail, paying bills, and all the rest of the things we need to do. It was fun to go, but it feels good to be back home.

Spring is back

The rhododendrons have been blooming for several days, but this morning our irises finally opened up. It has been warm for a few days, into the 80's. Everything is getting green. Some of the plants seem to be recovering from the late frosty weather, but a couple still haven't made up their minds about it yet. I hope they come back, especially the magnolias at the driveway entrance. We recently put up a new hummingbird feeder, and the birds discovered it within an hour or two. The hummingbirds also like the rhododendron bush as well. So far, I haven't been able to capture the hummingbirds on my camera.

The other day I was drinking my morning cup of coffee, and saw a raccoon on the bird feeder. Now I finally know why the birdseed disappears so fast. It wasn't the squirrels, they can't put away the food like a raccoon. Now I have to figure out how to prevent the raccoon from devouring the birdseed.

Getting prepared to travel

On Friday of this week, May 4, we will fly to Sacramento CA. We return after a week or so. The purpose of the trip is to attend a wedding in Pleasanton, CA, and then to drive to Palmdale, CA to visit our son and his wife. We will see some friends in the Antelope Valley as well. We lived there for ten years.

The wedding should be interesting and fun. The invitation said "black tie optional", so I used the opportunity to buy a tuxedo, the first I've ever owned. There will be some other formal events to attend in the near future, so I thought it would be worthwhile. The bride is the daughter of good friends, and we met the groom the last time we were in California a couple years ago.

We are really looking forward to our visit to SoCal, as its been months and months since we saw our son and his bride.

My cousin will house-sit and watch the dog while we're away, so we have no worries while we're gone. I've been mowing the lawn and getting a few honey-do's scratched off the list so the house should be fine.

MRO in Atlanta

I am currently doing a little consulting for a firm in Texas. The firm makes jet engine testing equipment, and is run by people I have known and liked for years. So last week I attended the Aviation Week MRO (Maintenance Repair and Overhaul) Conference in Atlanta. One of the firm's engineers attended as well, and we canvassed the floor for potential new business for the firm. It was exciting and refreshing for me to see quite a few people I knew from my career, and think about how to generate some new business for the firm.

The tragedy at VT

The news has been filled with the details of incident and the aftermath of the shootings and murders at Virginia Tech. Friends of ours have a daughter who is a senior there, and she is fine. She was in another building when the incident was happening. But it is only by chance that she wasn't directly involved, and it gives pause that any of us are just an instant away from something as terrible as this. There seems to be a lot of focus on the young man who wielded the guns and his loneliness, reports of stalking, bomb threats, and other "signs" that things were not right.

It seems impractical and unconstitutionally intrusive that some sort of government oversight and intervention of anyone who is troubled could prevent these kinds of things. Ideally, when someone exhibits behavior that tends to make them reclusive and antisocial, we as society would shower some attention on that person and get them to feel included again. But that is admittedly a bit pollyannish as well. My feeling is that a better system of gun control is a step in the right direction.

Looking at the German system, I see some positive things that could have precluded this and other similar incidents. To own a gun in Germany, you have to be a member of a club or organization that is involved in a sport or organized activity, like target shooting or a hunting club. You have to become certified as knowing how to handle guns and be safe. You have to demonstrate that you have a safe and secure place to store the weapons. In other words, the German government takes a couple steps to insure that you are a responsible gun owner. You might argue that these steps don't do anything to preclude a depressed individual from committing a terrible crime. But I would counter that the mandatory membership in a club or organization and the related instruction and certification is inclusive in its very nature, and tends to foster a sense of social responsibility in anyone who is exposed to the rules and the societal norms taught and practiced in these clubs. So the thing that would have happened with this student if he had had to join a club and get instruction, and be with other people who were enthusiastic about the hobby, is his depression and feelings of being left out would have been eliminated. He would have a group of people he regularly associated with for normal and healthy expression of feelings.

I am not trying to advocate elimination of gun ownership, rather a method of insuring more responsible gun ownership.

Saturday musings...

It has been a few days since I posted any thoughts. Not to say I have been thoughtless, just nothing major or terribly exciting has happened.

My sister-in-law's husband had an operation this last week. We spoke to him on the phone later in the day, and his spirits were good. He had a problem with a herniated disk in his spine. I'm glad he has had this fixed, as I know it was bothering him. He is an avid, and very good, golfer and getting this out of the way should make for a good golfing summer for him. When the wife & I travel to Milwaukee later this year, I hope we get to play. He knows a lot of good courses.
Speaking of golf, I played yesterday at the local club, where we are members. It was a bit cool, and it was seniors day, as it is every Friday. But I didn't go until just after noon, and played alone. I managed to get around the course in just under 3 hours, and shot a respectable (for me at least) 94.

Earlier in the week, I received some not so pleasant news about a friend and fellow work mate of mine who was diagnosed with a Stage 4 cancer. He too, had recently retired, and is of a similar age to me. The news was initially pretty bleak, but the prognosis is now not as hopeless. There are some experimental treatments out there that may offer some help. I am keeping him and his family in my thoughts and prayers.

Birds, feeders, and squirrels

We have a couple bird feeders set up in the yard. They consist of two cloth bags and a tower to dispense Niger seed to finches and other small birds, a suet station, and a general bird seed feeder on a pole. The latter one attracts cardinals, starlings, finches, doves, and woodpeckers, among others I can't name. It also attracts grey squirrels. Squirrels have a place in the scheme of things, to be sure, but they can sure pack away a lot of bird seed. Within a day of filling the bird feeder, the squirrels rediscover it, and start gorging themselves. I raised the feeder higher, and put a squirrel baffle under the feeder itself. I would have been better off investing that $7 in a dollar machine at the Indian casino. I have considered some other methods of trying to deter the little rodents, but I can't bring myself to harm them. So I guess they get some bird seed once in a while....

Lats night, we spotted an unusual bird, the Pileated Woodpecker, as shown in the picture. My wife has seen the bird several times, and she called me to look at it last evening, when she spotted it again. That is a surprisingly large bird.

Our new little dog, Jasmine the black Yorkie, is fascinated by birds. She runs after them in the yard, and watches intently as they fly away after she scares them. This morning, however, she was startled when some Canadian Geese flew overhead and started honking. It brought a smile to my face as I watched her follow the birds in flight, honking at each other.

Spring takes a short break

As it happens most every year, a cold snap has interrupted the warming weather of Spring. It was preceded by some pretty violent thunderstorms that blew through our neighborhood Wednesday evening. We even had a little bit off hail that added quite a tattoo to the sound of the driven rain on the metal roof of our home. No frost has formed yet, but its supposed to get even a bit colder this Good Friday evening. It will warm up again after Easter, and allow us to enjoy the outdoors in shorts and t-shirts again.

We enjoyed a visit from some friends yesterday afternoon. They live in Cincinnati, and were taking a short vacation to Asheville, NC, and decided to stop in to say hi on their way south. I met them over twenty years ago on a visit to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, when I covered the SR-71 engine program as a field rep. We remained friends and stayed in touch, despite the distances.

We are looking forward to visits from other good friends this month as well.

The Natchez Trace

Friday afternoon, we decided to take off for the weekend. I had done some heavy duty yard work the previous day at my wife's Aunt's house, and we both wanted to see some new scenery. We packed lightly, put some water, soda, and fruit in the cooler, loaded up the dog and her stuff, and away we went. We took mostly non-Interstate roads to get to the Natchez Trace.

The Trace is a roadway or parkway operated and maintained by the US Park Service. It is 440 miles long and runs from just south of Nashville to (you guessed it) Natchez, MS. The road's origin and historical significance is that it was used in the late 1700's through mid 1800's by people who manned the riverboats and barges floating down the Mississippi River. After reaching the gulf, they would walk or ride by horseback back to where the work started again. The path they took was the Natchez Trace. The roadway is similar to the Blue Ridge Parkway, but not nearly so heavily traveled. There are many historical sites and things to see along the way. The speed limit is only 50 mph, and it was a very relaxing and beautiful drive. We got on the trace just north of the TN border (mile marker 375) with Alabama, and followed it to Jackson, MS (mile marker 90). We will explore the two ends of the Trace on separate trips.

The pictures show a bridge across the Tennessee River, some Indian Burial Mounds, and some wildflowers (red clover) we observed along the way.

The new kitchen

One of our first big projects around the house has drawn to a close. My wife and I have worked the last several weeks to update our kitchen. We hope someday to build an addition to the house for a "start-from-a-blank-sheet-of-paper" designed kitchen, but for the time being, this will do nicely, I think. We started by sketching a design that added a couple base cabinets to form a peninsula, added a wall cabinet above that, and shortened the one over the 'fridge to match the width of the new 'fridge. We painted the base cabinets a flat black, distressed the edges and corners, and protected them with a satin polyurethane finish. The wall cabinets were painted a cream color, and then had the edges and details highlighted with a brown antiqueing glaze, followed by the same satin polyurethane finish. The old tile countertop was removed and replaced with Santa Cecilia Yellow Granite. The old, but still serviceable, sink and faucet were replaced with a single large bowl stainless sink and distinctive faucet set. We are both pretty pleased with our handiwork, and with the new look in the kitchen.

Spring time in TN

My first Spring in Tennessee is very nice. I am amazed at how early in the year it has started, but am certainly appreciating the warm temperatures. The Bradford Pears have bloomed and are leafing out, the Dogwoods and the Red Buds are still getting started. I've had to mow the yard twice already this year. The weeds we have that stand in for rel grass are doing well, although the clover is growing thick enough to slow the blades on the mower.

As I drive around, I am also noticing how many people are fishing in the lakes created by the dams of the TVA. I read in the Knoxville newspaper that the Crappies are what are being fished. Good eating. But I also read that the TVA said we've not had very much precipitation this last winter, I am wondering whether that means the water level in Ft. Loudoun Lake will stay low?

The new dog

My wife has wanted a new dog since we moved last year. We have told ourselves we enjoyed the freedom to go when we want, but the desire to have a dog again remained. My cousin's youngest daughter told us she was unable to keep her dog and we agreed to adopt it. We picked it up a couple days ago, and she has proceeded to adopt us. Jasmine is a 2-3 lb black Yorkie, about a year and a half old. Very cute and full of personality.

Slight correction: Jasmine is actually 9.5 lbs, according to the scale at the veterinarian's office.

What me blog?

When I first heard of blogging, it seemed strange to me that someone would share diary-like thoughts to the world. Way too personal to be out there for public consumption. But as I read the blogs of my son, his wife, my brother, my nephews, it occurred to me that it is indeed an effective communication tool. So here goes....