Not very diligently, I admit, but the tree has been erected, and I have come up with enough lights, (I guess,) and it is ready for ornaments. Lights were something of a mystery. I normally, as they come off of the tree, take each strand, coil it carefully, and band with masking tape to keep it from tangling, and then mark the usage, (tree, etc.), and the year on the tag. Somehow, I cannot find the container with the lights used last year.
I have an abundance of lights, some dating back to living in the mobile home, in the early 90s. I think I had a total of 540 lights strung around the mobile, across the front porch, around the eaves, until they met at the back corner of the house. And that did not count the ones on the tree and various other places I chose to decorate, so there are a number of old sets still around. But they do not always light every bulb, when you check them, maybe a loose bulb, or an empty socket, so it has been a seek and find mission to get working strings located. The plastic bases of the minature bulb/socket sets are also not exactly the same size. Close, but no cigar at times, so considerable time has been spent making usable sets ready for tree hanging.
Now comes the fun of digging into three 16 gallon plastic storage containers, and deciding where to put the house decorations, as well as the tree ornaments, in the same storage boxes. Part of the fun is the memories that come out with certain ornaments, remembering who it was who gave them in the first place, or where they were purchased. Having enough lighthouse ornaments to decorate several fair sized trees, it becomes sort of a game to see how many of them can be hung,
before the tree starts to droop, or lean, or just runs out of hanging space. Doubt I could get away with getting a second tree, to use them all, so think I will pass on that possible option. (Besides, I don't want to find more working lights!)
Not very Christmasy outside today, and it was in the 80s, but another cold front is forecast before the weekend, so should get back in the mood soon. TV last night was at one street in WPB, well known for every house having large and elaborate displays, but with the economy as it is, many houses are less well decorated, and some are not decorated at all this year, to the disappointment of people who were driving by, or on bus trips, coming to see the lights. Could be a quieter celebration than normal this year, from the looks of things. Bummer.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
A rapid approach
Christmas is coming to us very quickly, it seems. Already, not withstanding having had black Friday, and sales ads galore, the local holiday parade happens this afternoon, Santa arrives at the end of it, and things are officially under way. Maybe the good part is taking the spot light off of everyones gloom over the economy, jobs, (or lack thereof,) housing, etc. The news today of 1 in 10 mortgages being in trouble is enough to mess up most anyone's holiday plans.
We try to keep our emphasis on the reason for having Christmas in the first place, celebrating the birth of God's son, Jesus, as God's magnificent gift to us, and not worrying about trying to spend all of next years spendable cash, just to make a large pile of gifts under the tree for Christmas morning. Actually, with no small children to deal with in the family, the adult population has decided to forego most exchanges, or at least keep them to a minimum, since total non-gifting is hardly possible. The new theory is, buy yourself whatever it is that you want, (and can afford,) wrap it for yourself and put it under the tree, if it fits, and then act surprised when you open it! Takes quite an actor to make this happen. Of course, there are sometimes 'gag' gifts show up in this family. Last year there was a rather heavy package under the tree at the last minute, with my name on it. It turned out to be pickled pig's jowls, a delicacy Pat found up in the back woods area of GA that he lives in! Seems I made too much of a fuss about finding packaged chicken feet, in a store up there. Anyhow, the jar was being stored, waiting for 'regifting', and fell from the kitchen cabinet and broke a couple of months ago, and the whole household felt so bad about it. If it was going to come to you, please accept our condolences. We will try not to let it happen again.
My blogger son in Utah, confirms that he has selected his personal Christmas gift, has it in layaway, and is well prepared. I have to say that mine has been selected as well, several weeks ago, but has been residing at home since the selection. It has been amazing, the increase in traffic at gun shows/shops since Obama won the election. If he thinks people are not listening to his speeches, he had better be careful about what he says. Local gun shops have been overwhelmed at the number of people looking, and buying, tight money or not. Nothing like being prepared, and locally, ready to protect yourself as needed.
I was watching TV last Monday, and heard a helo circling close by. Not sure if it was the Sherrif's, or Traumahawk, I stepped out the front door, to see the police spotlight being beamed down just a few blocks away, and patrol cars with flashing lights close by that area. As I was looking, I heard 5 very quick shots fired, and shortly thereafter, the helo left the scene. Seems a car thief had made a sudden move toward his pants/waist, while being ordered to exit the vehicle, and it was the last move he made. Nothing beats being very cooperative with law enforcement, if you wish to make it a pleasant experience. He had enough of a criminal history that he evidently had not figured that fact of life out, but he now has made his final mistake.
Life is exciting, isn't it?
We try to keep our emphasis on the reason for having Christmas in the first place, celebrating the birth of God's son, Jesus, as God's magnificent gift to us, and not worrying about trying to spend all of next years spendable cash, just to make a large pile of gifts under the tree for Christmas morning. Actually, with no small children to deal with in the family, the adult population has decided to forego most exchanges, or at least keep them to a minimum, since total non-gifting is hardly possible. The new theory is, buy yourself whatever it is that you want, (and can afford,) wrap it for yourself and put it under the tree, if it fits, and then act surprised when you open it! Takes quite an actor to make this happen. Of course, there are sometimes 'gag' gifts show up in this family. Last year there was a rather heavy package under the tree at the last minute, with my name on it. It turned out to be pickled pig's jowls, a delicacy Pat found up in the back woods area of GA that he lives in! Seems I made too much of a fuss about finding packaged chicken feet, in a store up there. Anyhow, the jar was being stored, waiting for 'regifting', and fell from the kitchen cabinet and broke a couple of months ago, and the whole household felt so bad about it. If it was going to come to you, please accept our condolences. We will try not to let it happen again.
My blogger son in Utah, confirms that he has selected his personal Christmas gift, has it in layaway, and is well prepared. I have to say that mine has been selected as well, several weeks ago, but has been residing at home since the selection. It has been amazing, the increase in traffic at gun shows/shops since Obama won the election. If he thinks people are not listening to his speeches, he had better be careful about what he says. Local gun shops have been overwhelmed at the number of people looking, and buying, tight money or not. Nothing like being prepared, and locally, ready to protect yourself as needed.
I was watching TV last Monday, and heard a helo circling close by. Not sure if it was the Sherrif's, or Traumahawk, I stepped out the front door, to see the police spotlight being beamed down just a few blocks away, and patrol cars with flashing lights close by that area. As I was looking, I heard 5 very quick shots fired, and shortly thereafter, the helo left the scene. Seems a car thief had made a sudden move toward his pants/waist, while being ordered to exit the vehicle, and it was the last move he made. Nothing beats being very cooperative with law enforcement, if you wish to make it a pleasant experience. He had enough of a criminal history that he evidently had not figured that fact of life out, but he now has made his final mistake.
Life is exciting, isn't it?
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Miserable passwords
Actually, had tried several times, in recent days, to post a new message, but had forgotten the password to get here. This new site does not always work the same each day, and with several passwords for different things, it got lost. Finally went in today and redid the password, and I promise to write it down this time, somewhere!
I got a bit older since the last post--had a birthday last Sunday. My wife surprised me by inviting my son and his lady down for Sunday dinner as my 'party'. We had been to church, my first time since my latest surgery, and I had come home and located my recliner while she was fixing dinner. I was not paying attention to what, or how much, she was fixing, actually expecting leftovers from a birthday supper she had fixed the night before, for a lady friend from church who was turning 94. When the doorbell rang, and Tim was there, it was totally unexpected. We had a good meal and visit to celebrate.
When they left, Tim and Rhonda forgot their digital camera, and we did not find it for about an hour, and they were almost home by then. So Tim and I made arrangements to meet sort of midway, after he left work on Monday. I drove across WPB, and he came down from Ft Pierce, and we met at Gander Mountain sporting goods in NPB. (Hey, had to meet somewhere!) Of course, we wandered around for an hour+ when we met, so as not to waste the trip. I was pretty tired by that much walking/browsing, but the driving was not a problem, other than not being able to get onto Northlake Blvd, due to traffic. Thought it must have been practice for Black Friday! So I went the other way, and took a side street all the way back home.
Overall, I am doing pretty well. We had Thanksgiving with friends, a total of 12 people, and we also had a couple over Friday night and played bridge for a while. I am taking it pretty easy, lots of sitting and reading. I did get started with Christmas lights on Friday, got them out, untangled, and a couple of strings put up around the front door. Still will do some more, in the next day or so. Rain forecast for today, which we need, so not likely to get to do any today. Also, cooler temps forecast for a couple of days. Most of the tree decorations, etc, are stored rather deeply in the storage shed, not sure how soon I may feel like digging to them, and getting them out. Maybe a little each day will make it. Let you know later.
I got a bit older since the last post--had a birthday last Sunday. My wife surprised me by inviting my son and his lady down for Sunday dinner as my 'party'. We had been to church, my first time since my latest surgery, and I had come home and located my recliner while she was fixing dinner. I was not paying attention to what, or how much, she was fixing, actually expecting leftovers from a birthday supper she had fixed the night before, for a lady friend from church who was turning 94. When the doorbell rang, and Tim was there, it was totally unexpected. We had a good meal and visit to celebrate.
When they left, Tim and Rhonda forgot their digital camera, and we did not find it for about an hour, and they were almost home by then. So Tim and I made arrangements to meet sort of midway, after he left work on Monday. I drove across WPB, and he came down from Ft Pierce, and we met at Gander Mountain sporting goods in NPB. (Hey, had to meet somewhere!) Of course, we wandered around for an hour+ when we met, so as not to waste the trip. I was pretty tired by that much walking/browsing, but the driving was not a problem, other than not being able to get onto Northlake Blvd, due to traffic. Thought it must have been practice for Black Friday! So I went the other way, and took a side street all the way back home.
Overall, I am doing pretty well. We had Thanksgiving with friends, a total of 12 people, and we also had a couple over Friday night and played bridge for a while. I am taking it pretty easy, lots of sitting and reading. I did get started with Christmas lights on Friday, got them out, untangled, and a couple of strings put up around the front door. Still will do some more, in the next day or so. Rain forecast for today, which we need, so not likely to get to do any today. Also, cooler temps forecast for a couple of days. Most of the tree decorations, etc, are stored rather deeply in the storage shed, not sure how soon I may feel like digging to them, and getting them out. Maybe a little each day will make it. Let you know later.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Time to catch up
Guess it probably is past time, actually, but the last week has been a royal "pain". I had rather extensive hemmoroid surgery last Thursday, and they wound not let me blog from the hospital. (No sense of humor.) It has not been a fun week, to put it mildly. While I was in the hospital, I had the luxury of a bedside pump, (morphine?), that was at the command of a push button pinned to my gown, and relief was just a touch away, but part of being released to go home, was getting off the pump, and handling the discomfort with pills. I have been getting by, but the pills are not as easy as a touch of a button.
There have been some other problems, which I will not go into here and now, but I am feeling better, and hope to have all of this 'behind' me shortly!!
There have been some other problems, which I will not go into here and now, but I am feeling better, and hope to have all of this 'behind' me shortly!!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
I found Tuesday's missing lines--------------
and I am sure they were a direct result of the voting earlier in the week. Tim and I went to the local gun show today, and there was a mob there like never before. And not just looking or browsing, either. They were BUYING, big time. I never saw so many cases of ammo being carried out the door, and practically every booth had buyers working with the sellers, doing the paperwork and getting cleared by the state. I think the prices were showing a bit of an increase as well, and people with assault weapons, or anything that even resembled an assault weapons, were pushing them as an investment, claiming they would be worth MUCH more, once Obama managed to get them banned.
I managed to get there 10 minutes before the doors opened this morning, and there was a line probably 150 feet long at the ticket windows, and probably 200 feet long, of people with tickets, waiting for the doors to open. By the time Tim got there, just a couple of minutes after 9, the line at the door was minimal, but the wait at the tickets windows was more like 300 feet long, (and 3-5 people wide, as well.) It was shoulder to shoulder inside, and hard to get down the aisles and see things. We wandered around until about 12:30, making a couple of purchases on the way, and most amazing of all, when we left, there was STILL a line of people buying tickets to get in, that was probably 150-200 feet long! Not that the ticket people were dragging their feet, the lines were moving quite smoothly, but the crowd was unbelieveable!
There is another show yet this year, (and pre-inauguration!,) on Dec 20th, and I'll bet it will be just as well attended, Christmas week or not. And I am sure the prices will not be falling any in the meantime, either. Told Tim I thought we needed to look into reloading equipment, in order to be able to keep shooting at a reasonable $$$ amount. Unless we can get 'big brother' to keep a supply coming, via Fed Ex, or Pony Express, or something. We would be glad to pick up our brass and return it to him for recycling, just to do ur part. OK, big brother???
I managed to get there 10 minutes before the doors opened this morning, and there was a line probably 150 feet long at the ticket windows, and probably 200 feet long, of people with tickets, waiting for the doors to open. By the time Tim got there, just a couple of minutes after 9, the line at the door was minimal, but the wait at the tickets windows was more like 300 feet long, (and 3-5 people wide, as well.) It was shoulder to shoulder inside, and hard to get down the aisles and see things. We wandered around until about 12:30, making a couple of purchases on the way, and most amazing of all, when we left, there was STILL a line of people buying tickets to get in, that was probably 150-200 feet long! Not that the ticket people were dragging their feet, the lines were moving quite smoothly, but the crowd was unbelieveable!
There is another show yet this year, (and pre-inauguration!,) on Dec 20th, and I'll bet it will be just as well attended, Christmas week or not. And I am sure the prices will not be falling any in the meantime, either. Told Tim I thought we needed to look into reloading equipment, in order to be able to keep shooting at a reasonable $$$ amount. Unless we can get 'big brother' to keep a supply coming, via Fed Ex, or Pony Express, or something. We would be glad to pick up our brass and return it to him for recycling, just to do ur part. OK, big brother???
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Thank you, early voters--------
for standing in line for up to 4-6 hours, to get done early.Carol and I just got back, and had to spend 12 minutes, from parking to being back at the car! And it took longer for her to get signed in and vote--I was done in 8 minutes. Poll worker said they had about a 30 minute rush when the doors opened, but there was NO line when we got there. Walked right to the lady waiting for us to sign in, and right on thru.
Hope your day is as productive, and 'goodbye' TV commercials!!!
Hope your day is as productive, and 'goodbye' TV commercials!!!
Monday, November 3, 2008
I'm here-----------
just glad we are getting to the end of this political harrassment. I still think they need to drastically restrict the length of the process, AND the amount of $$$ that they are allowed to expend in the process as well. It is obscene to be spending the amount of money, both for traveling, and TV/print/mail advertising that is being done. And every other pollster needs to be either shot on sight, or deported--or inducted into the armed forces and sent to do something productive for their country.
The lines, and the time being spent in them, for early voting, are unbelieveable! People spending up to 6 hours yesterday, and 4-5 hours rather common. They only had 10-2 to vote yesterday, but people were showing up at 2, and then waiting 4++ hours to finally get inside. Seems like another lost opportunity---go down the lines giving away free coffee, and then come by later with 'pay-to-use' jiffy-johns! I wouldn't want to stand in line that long, with or without free coffee. They are figuring that about 35-40% of the votoers have either voted at early spots, 11 in the county, or used absentee ballots, and that the lines tomorrow should be short and manageable, or virtually non-existent. Hope so.
Missed a few days of blogging last week. Our modem for the DSL went away, sometime on Tuesady. It had worked in the morning, but had failed by afternoon. After thinking AT&T may have been doing something, on Wednesday, Carol spent an hour or so on the phone with the Tech Support people, doing and redoing the steps they suggested, and they finally decided to send us a replacement modem, (3-5 days shipping time,) which arrived by Friday noon. I was able to use, the enclosed CD, walk thru the installation, and get us back on line again. Now just have to close up the box and return the old modem. Glad it was relatively simple redoing the modem installation. Did the initial rework while bypassing our router, which meant Carol's laptop was not online, but once we determined that the new modem was OK, I plugged the router back into the system, and everything is working again.
Hope everyone gets out to vote tomorrow, and hope MY candidate wins!!!
The lines, and the time being spent in them, for early voting, are unbelieveable! People spending up to 6 hours yesterday, and 4-5 hours rather common. They only had 10-2 to vote yesterday, but people were showing up at 2, and then waiting 4++ hours to finally get inside. Seems like another lost opportunity---go down the lines giving away free coffee, and then come by later with 'pay-to-use' jiffy-johns! I wouldn't want to stand in line that long, with or without free coffee. They are figuring that about 35-40% of the votoers have either voted at early spots, 11 in the county, or used absentee ballots, and that the lines tomorrow should be short and manageable, or virtually non-existent. Hope so.
Missed a few days of blogging last week. Our modem for the DSL went away, sometime on Tuesady. It had worked in the morning, but had failed by afternoon. After thinking AT&T may have been doing something, on Wednesday, Carol spent an hour or so on the phone with the Tech Support people, doing and redoing the steps they suggested, and they finally decided to send us a replacement modem, (3-5 days shipping time,) which arrived by Friday noon. I was able to use, the enclosed CD, walk thru the installation, and get us back on line again. Now just have to close up the box and return the old modem. Glad it was relatively simple redoing the modem installation. Did the initial rework while bypassing our router, which meant Carol's laptop was not online, but once we determined that the new modem was OK, I plugged the router back into the system, and everything is working again.
Hope everyone gets out to vote tomorrow, and hope MY candidate wins!!!
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