December 25, 2009 - Christmas Day...

Well, it finally arrived! And now, it's almost over with. All the work and anticipation, the money spent, the increase in trash what with wrapping paper, etc., all over again for another year. Hard to believe, but glad it's over.

My wife and I bought ourselves a set of Rubbermaid bowls with attached, sort of, lids. Our oldest son bought us two gift cards, one to Panera Bread, and one to B&N, both of which will go to good ends, well, actually, two ends - the one on top, the head, and the other, the bottom, so to speak.

The sons have come and gone with the grandchildren. The table has been cleared, the few leftovers have been put away, and Ginny now is sitting and relaxing for a while. We will soon leave to go to the movie, tickets purchased yesterday. Today we will see the one with cousin George, 'Up In The Air'. Then sometime between now and whenever, we will see the other 5 we want to see, with several more coming out in the middle of January. It's nice, but irritating, that they come out all at the same time and we have to decide, okay, which ones will be on for the longest time, and then see them in our established sequence.

I have logged two story lines in the back of my head. Hopefully, when I have time to write again, which will be Monday, I will recall what I need to get started, and can go from there.

It's nice knowing I do not have to go back to work in an office Monday. I'm just really getting used to being retired. Hope to continue to enjoy the status for many years to come.

For New Years Eve and Day they are currently forecasting the chance of snow mixed with rain. I'd rather it be snow only. I survived the first storm with no known damage, and with the new gift cards it would be nice to sit in Paneras having one of their muffins and a cup of coffee and watching it snow. Their coffee is really good, at least to me, and since it's my money that means something... to me, anyway.

The snow we received a week ago is only about half melted, so technically, we had a white Christmas. The rain today will take care of much of the rest, as the temps are to rise into the 50s for the next few days.

I was looking at an e-mail I receive on occasion about what's happening in Paris, and hotel deals currently available. They have skating rinks this year scattered around the city. I would love to be able to be there over New Years. Back in 2001, we had rooms booked, plane tickets, and would have been there over New Years had not 9/11 happened. We were not afraid to fly after that, but not knowing what was going to happen within the country we decided to stay here. Had we gone, and anything happened while we were gone preventing our return, it would not have been a pleasant experience.

I can now see us heading over there sometime next fall, perhaps November or December. I'd really like to travel around and go to many of the Christmas Markets they have in Europe, and then return here before Christmas so we don't miss Christmas with the grandchildren. It would also be fun to return to Vienna and enjoy some brats, hard rolls, and mustard in the cold.

Well, not too much going on today other than what I wrote above, so I will sign off for now, and return another day, perhaps tomorrow.

December 24, 2009 - Christmas Eve

Things I'll never understand -

- Beautiful young women going out with guys who look like they were found under a rock, and the woman pays for everything. I knew of such a young woman way back when who was like that. We decided the only way one could get a date with her was if she saw you in the unemployment line and you hadn't bathed in several days.

- Guys who walk around with their pants almost down to their knees, using one hand to ensure they did not fall all the way and trip them. If the guy ever did fall he probably couldn't figure out how to stand back up.

- People who actually believe politicians mean what they say

- People who still have this fantasy that the US is # 1 in the world

- People who believe the government actually cares what they think

- People who think it's a good deal when their credit card company raises their limit along with their interest rate

- People who watch television because they like the commercials

- Over weight people eating thick, greasy, cheeseburgers, large fries, and drinking large soft drinks who say they're concerned about their health care.

- Auto companies building efficient automobiles but pricing them out of the range of 90% of drivers

- Build-a-Bear running a cartoon for children where Santa cancels Christmas because of the North Pole is melting and the polar bears, all 25,000 of them - up from a low of 5,000 at one point, will have no where to live. There goes the neighborhood!

- People who believe that big, corporate leaders are really not getting any bonus's this year or next

- People who believe that the next BIG THING will be built in the US and create jobs for millions instead of in China

- People who believe that any new thing will be built in the US versus China

- People who think their congressman or senator is honest it's the rest of them who are lying

Things I wonder about -

- If we were sold on global competition keeping prices low, why aren't they?

- If so many qualified people are out of work, why are companies requesting an increase in the H1B1 visas to being more aliens into the country to work?

- If global warming is true, why hasn't the average temperature risen in the last 10 years?

- Why is it freezing here and we have snow on the ground?

- Why do parents allow their young daughters dress in skimpy clothes and then worry about child predators?

- Why do clothing stores for young girls only sell clothes that make them look cheap?

- Why can't children be left alone to be children anymore?

- Why does everything in life have to be competitive? Why can't people do what they love?

- How can people read a book that isn't?

Speaking of books, I'm reading a book titled "August 1914 - The Red Wheel". I spoke of this book in an earlier blog. In the front is a listing of each chapter, and a very brief outline of what is covered in each. I did not pay much attention to this section until I had read almost 200 pages of the book, and realized that it was difficult to follow all the characters, who was speaking about what, where, and when. Then, I thought of the chapter outlines at the beginning of the book. Once I began reading those before starting each chapter, I am now able to follow the story, and the characters. Interesting way to write a novel.

This evening we are planning on attending a Celtic Christmas Service held in a beautiful little church at the corner of Three Chopt and Grove Avenue. We went last year, and I was taken with the Christmas decorations and the structure of the alter. It reminded me of the Catholic Church I grew up in in Marion, Indiana. The church had been around for many,many years. The alter was Gothic Style, all white, and reached towards the heavens. During Christmas time there were red poinsettias all over the alter, and against the white, with the many candles that were lit, it made a beautiful site! I also like the Celtic service because it is quiet and filled with the joys of life.

There is a Christmas display in front of a nice, small house on the street named West End. It has a Santa figure kneeling in front of the baby Jesus. That, to me, defines Christmas!

With that said, enjoy the remaining snow, prepare for the next one, and what ever you do, have a very Merry Christmas!

December 22, 2009 - T'was three days before Christmas...

And all through the house...

Not a creature is stirring.

Why not, you may wonder?

It's too damn early to stir...

The coffee hasn't even been made yet!

Yesterday went well. We actually finished up yet another granddaughter's gift purchasing. Only one to go with a few extras here and there and we'll be ready for the BIG day, the day when all the work of wrapping culminates with the tearing up of all that work, stuffing it in a trash bag, and realizing there are just 365 shopping days until next Christmas.

We have decided that next year we are going to purchase one of those already decorated trees so all we have to do is put it together and plug it in. I'd like to find one on wheels so once put together we could roll it over and stuff it in a closet somewhere until the next time. Efficiency!

The snow continues to linger in the yards here, so I think we will actually have a white Christmas this year, the first in a long time. The weather is not supposed to be very warm until Christmas Day when the temperature is to rise into the upper 40s, and the day after, into the 50s. Then, back down into the lower 40s.

I really think we will have several more snow storms this winter. It's really needed around here to counteract the global warming coming from all the hot air blowing out of Washington, DC to our north. Those arrogant know-it-alls up there are the biggest bunch of elitist, egotistical, blowhards I have ever had the misfortune of being governed by. They should all be on posters supporting term limits! Nuff said!

Went to the bookstore yesterday and was heartened to see that people were actually in line with stacks of books they were purchasing that they were going to read, or give as gifts. I know the trend, so they say, is for the publishing of actual books to be on it's way out, but I hope not.

I sold a painting a few days ago. First one in some time, but then, I haven't really been trying. We dropped off several paintings in June to a new store to see if any would sell, and one has. Better late than never. I am going to pick up my check today so we can eat the rest of the year. Ginny sold a small one down at ArtWorks, that we know of, and so there will be a little more bread money for January.

This time period reminds me of when we were first married and had our sons. Ginny did not work outside the home, which was great. At least until Jimmy Carter became president, and inflation was running upwards of 11%. Then it became necessary for her to go to work in order for us to survive.

Up until that time, we never had a lot, but we always had enough. When some extra money was found, you could be sure something was going to break, or someone get sick, and that would take care of the "extra" money. But, unlike many, we always had a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food on the table, even if it was only hamburger mixed with whatever else we had. We did eat, and we did survive.

I guess you could say that our financial life peaked several years ago when we were actually able to start taking trips to points far and wide. When we took our fist big trip to Hawaii and Seattle, we had no money. But, we did have credit cards! We charged everything!

We had some breaks, as well. In Hawaii, our son was stationed there in the Marines, and he set us up with a concrete block house on a beach of sorts. It had three bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. It was furnished with the necessities, which was all we needed. The best part, it was only $45 a night! He arranged it through the Marines. They have places for families to stay, or did then, while visiting.

Our last night there he arranged for us to stay at the government run hotel on Waikaki Beach. (I think I spelled that right, but not sure). This hotel was beautiful! The entrance was open to the weather, as were most along the beach. It had several pools even though it was right on the beach. The interesting part was that the rate was based on rank. The higher the rank, the more it cost. For enlisted men, it was really low. Our room was $65 for the night.

The next morning, we enjoyed the beach, the water, and watched as a rainbow rose out over the water as a rainstorm passed by. We had a great view of Diamond Head from the beach, as well.

We were in Hawaii for a week, visiting Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. On Oahu we were privileged to tour Pearl Harbor, and take the boat tour all the way around the harbor, something regular tourists were not allowed to do. We were because our son was in the military. There were places where one could see holes made in the walls from the bullets of the strafing Japanese planes. Seeing Pearl Harbor was an emotional experience, especially standing on the memorial over the Arizona and reading all the names of the men, many whose remains were buried below where we stood. It gave me a feeling of incredible pride at being an American, and at the same time, a feeling of sadness because what they fought for is now so freely being given away.

The island of Kauai was very tropical. One doesn't realize when looking at a map that the islands are several hundred miles apart from each other, and have very different climates. The island of Maui was our favorite. The temperatures were very moderate. We ate at a place called Mama's Fish House, recommended by a friend of one of our other sons. We thought this place was going to be a little dive hidden down an alley somewhere on the island. Wrong! It was a beautiful restaurant on the beach. The food was incredible, and the price was reasonable, considering. We were able to sit where we had a view of the beach. Off to the far side of that beach were a large number of windsurfers, bright coloured sails reflecting the setting sun as they skimmed over the waves. Nice entertainment for our dinner!

Honolulu is a BIG city. The people go to work about 4am so they will start about the same time as the people in California where it is three hours later. Huge traffic jams at that hour. Amazing! I thought it was interesting that they had interstate highways, considering there was not really anyplace to go.

While on one of the islands, I can't remember which one, we went to the beach and into the water. They sold fish food on the beach. We thought that was really neat, to be able to walk into the water and go out far enough to see the fish swimming around you, and feel them as they nipped lightly here and there, expecting you to feed them, which we did. They were a beautiful shade of blue and yellow, about a foot long, and seemed to be somewhat transparent. I suppose I could find the name if I wanted to, but never did. Perhaps I will now that I think of it.

After a great week, we rose early, and made our way to the airport to fly to Seattle. On the way onto the airport I saw a couple sitting in the airport. They were both huge, being considerably overweight. Man, I thought, I feel sorry for the person they sit next to! Well, I ended up feeling sorry for myself. The man sat next to me. He could not fit into his seat, and when he tried, the armrest was pushed down onto my lap. I know he couldn't have been comfortable, and there was no way I was going to be with all that weight pressing into my side. This "pleasure" lasted for 5 hours! He and his lady friend, wife, whatever, are prime examples of why airlines need to have rules governing how much space one can take up before they need two seats. Politically correct or not, having some humongous creature sitting on you for 5 hours is not fun.

Fortunately, I survived, a little flatter on one side, but still able to move, even if it looked strange, and we made it to our next stop, Seattle! It was nice that no one asked why I was walking sideways....

December 20, 2009 - The "incident" at Starbucks

Today dawned bright, clear, and cold! During the hours of darkness, the county once again plowed our street, shoving haphazardly piles of frozen slush in front of my nice clean driveway! So, once again I donned my snow whuppin' uniform and stomped out to do battle with those very same chunks!

Well, it was no contest. I slashed and swung, lifted and dumped, shovel after shovel of that insolent slush, unrepentant at the cries of the victims that wanted nothing more than to last a few more hours before the sun melted them into dirty water.

"NO!" I said. "You're not going to get the chance to refreeze tonight, you nasty crystals!"

Little did I know they would have the last laugh, as after my heroic battle it was all I could do to stand up straight, my back aching from bending over, straightening up, bending over, again, again, and again! Even now, as I sit poised over my laptop writing these words, I know that when I go to stand the room will be filled with the sound of grunts and groans until I find myself upright.

Sunday afternoon, one of the days we retire to Starbucks to sip and read, finally came. We had our friend with us, so the standard order was expanded to three lattes, and three snacks. When the young lady told me how much, I kind of wondered if she had charged us for all of the drinks. She assured me she had, so I let it go, still thinking the bill was a tad too low.

Well, as things turned out, our friend drank his first latte and wanted another. This is an obvious sign of a non-trained latte sipper, one who is able to nurse a single drink for several hours. When I went to the counter to order, the young lady looked at me and said...

"You were right. I didn't charge you for all three drinks. I wasn't going to tell you because I'm supposed to be good with money. At least my money, what with, you know, budgets and things. But, then I thought, well, if I don't say something, the next time you come in you might wonder why your bill was higher than this time, so I decided to tell you."

"No problem," I replied, smug in the knowledge that for one of the few times in my life I was right! I have to keep track of those times, as there are not many of them.

"I should be more careful," she said. "I have enough trouble with my budget, what with paying bills, and what not. When you grow up and mom and dad take care of everything, you're not aware that things cost so much. Why don't parents tell you things are so expensive?"

"Because if they did, you wouldn't leave home," I replied.

"I wonder if people who have a rougher time growing up have a better understanding of how tough it is on your own?"

"They probably do."

"Well, I think schools are letting us down as well. They should teach us that things are not as they seem to be, and that it's not cheap living on your own while going to school."

Fortunately, everything turned out okay. She said she charged me for a Grande instead of the Tall Latte I ordered to make up a bit for the one she missed. That way, she didn't have to charge me for two drinks, but still recouped a bit of the expense.

I found it interesting that she said what she did about wondering why mom and dad don't tell their offspring what life is like, money wise. I thought, well, we tried, and what good did it do us? The only people our sons listened to were people outside of their mom and dad. I guess maybe we should have secretly hired a life tutor to go over all those things as they grew up.

I remember when our oldest son was getting close to wanting his driver's license. I told him he better take Driver's Ed in school. Of course, that took the road less traveled, speeding right through the tunnel between one ear and the other, and out the other side.

Then came summer, and the plea, "Can I take Driver's Ed this summer?"

"It costs $130, and since I told you to take it in school where it was free, I'm not paying for it. You'll just have to wait until next year."

Telling a teenager that they have to wait to get their driver's license is just not what they want to hear, and will go to incredible lengths to prevent it.

"What if I get a job and pay for it myself?"

"That's up to you," I replied.

Next thing I know, he comes home and announces he has secured a position at Burger King. Guess who had to take him to work and pick him up at 3am when he got off? Right. Yours truly!

Well, he works long enough to save up $130, and then quits. Boy, he learned a lot with that attempt to teach him the value of money, and working for what you want, I thought.

Moral of the story is: No matter what you try to teach your children, you will end up paying in some way, no matter what it is. For him? Well, he took the driving class, got his license, and we then faced the next hurdle... what was he going to drive? Stay tuned. If I stop grinding my teeth as I think about it, I'll write more some other day... The good part is, he actually trains police officers how to drive now! Wonder if their parents pay for that course...

December 19, 2009 - Digging out... almost

We ended up with around 13 inches of snow, I'd say, but then there's a chance for a few more inches tonight. When they plowed the road, they plowed the middle and piled it up in front of driveways far enough out that in order to be able to get out of ones drive, they would have to shovel out to where it was clear.

Shoveling went slow. The bottom of the cover was wet, and that makes it difficult to lift, so, I took my time, spending time to dig one area three times, getting closer to the ground each time. I took many breaks along the way. I shoveled off the van as well as around them. (There are two here right now because we have a house guest, our friend from Denmark, who will be here through Christmas.

We had thoughts about going to the bookstore, but by the time we finished shoveling, there wasn't much time left, so we put that off until tomorrow. I'll have to clean the vans a tad again tomorrow, as I saw some more snow headed our way on the radar. But, it won't be as bad as today, that is for sure.

Right now they are forecasting another storm for Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, but it is supposed to be rain. We'll see. If it is, it won't break my heart. If it isn't, and turns out to be frozen precipitation, it might break my heart.

I really feel that this is but the first storm of the winter, and that there will be more for us to deal with over the next few months. So much for global warming. I am tending to believe what that Russian scientist said a few months ago... we should be stocking up on thick winter wear. I saw someplace where they were saying that the last ice age occurred came about in a manner of months, not hundreds of years. Could it happen again? I guess we'll see.

December 18, 2009 - Part II

Home from shopping! Amazing! We finished the shopping for one granddaughter, and did some for the other two. As for the grandson, it's difficult to decide what to get a young man - 2.5 years old - that already has about every toy there is for boys. Maybe we'll buy him his own baseball team...

We are going to the bookstore later today so will check out books for him and some for one other granddaughter. Then, once they clear the parking lots, hopefully by Monday, we'll try to finish up before Christmas. Not buying much this year on request of the parents, which is fine with me. The less, the better! Bah Humbug! Off with ye, ye little wallet drainers! (Joking... I think...).

It is getting darker here which means the cloud cover is thickening up, which means the snow will begin any minute. Can't wait! NOT!

I am on a diet. Why? I'm a tad bit overweight, and I'm hoping that by losing 20 pounds I will be able to lower my blood pressure enough to stop taking the BP medicine. The less I fork out to pharmaceutical companies the better I like it. If I can stop taking the meds, I'll be med free! Plus, I have pants upstairs, hardly ever worn, that I will be able to start wearing once again. If I succeed, I will have more energy, and thus be able to do more for less.

Had dinner with some friends last night. They are headed to Italy. He, on the second of January to take a month long Italian immersion class to learn to speak the language better, his wife to follow in mid-February. He already speaks 6 different languages. Last year he went to Russia for a month long class on Russian. This was all paid for by the company he retired from because they "redeployed" him at the same time as he was going to retire. Part of the redeployment package was a nice sum for learning a new skill. He likes to travel, and so opted to go to two different countries and learn their languages.

He is originally from the Czech Republic, having escaped there back in 1962 at the age of 22. He lived for 25 years in Switzerland before coming to the states with his American wife, and settling in Richmond.

He went back to Europe a few years ago and visited a friend of his in Berlin. I asked him if he went into what used to be East Germany while there. His reply was that not only did he go, but he found the hotel he had stayed at in the early 60s while looking for a way to escape.

When he finally did, he left his family, everything he ever knew, behind. He did not return to Czech until long after the wall was torn down as he was afraid that if they found out who he was he would be arrested for deserting the army back then.

So, readers, whoever you be, be thankful for what we have, and be vigilant. So many men and women have given, and are giving, their lives so we might still be free. Don't make their lives a wasted contribution, here or abroad.

December 18, 2009 - Shopping Day!

Well, the snow, so they say, is on it's way here, due to arrive this afternoon, and stay through sometime Sunday. All told, we are supposed to receive around a foot, but we'll see. They keep raising the possible total for here. They started at 3"-7", then went to 9"-12", and the latest is 8"-13". I think the total will depend on where the storm goes. They are predicting up to 16" just a tad west of where we live, so if the storm wobbles a bit, we could end up with more. We'll see.

To prepare, I will dust off the snow shovel, park our vehicles in the driveway to keep them from being plowed under, and hope the snow is light an fluffy so I can shovel it. At my age it is not wise for one to shovel snow, so I will just attempt to push it out of the way without lifting it.

Since we have not done any Christmas shopping as yet, we will be leaving shortly in order to hopefully remedy much of that before the snow arrives. We have plenty of supplies, so we should be fine food wise, by will stop by Costco and pick up more apples. We believe as the saying goes, an apple a day makes one healthy, wealthy, and tired of chewing, or something like that. But, they have managed to help us be healthy for some time, and we hope the record continues for another 20 - 30 years, even if that is a lot of chewing.

At one time I used to really get excited about snow. At the beginning of fall this year I was getting excited about the possibility of some snow this year. However, the more I thought about it, the less excited I was, remembering all the shoveling, the dirt on the vehicles, the brown snow as it melted... so much for being excited. Oh, well...

Well, tis getting to be time I woke the wife and she made ready to go. I will report on our success later, once we are stuck in the house for a few hours.