Count your blessings, and say a little prayer.

Over the past couple weeks I've become aware of two very unfortunate situations. One involves an acquaintance, another a good friend.

The acquaintance, a waitress at our favorite greasy spoon, has basically dropped from sight. She'd work at the Diner, and another restaurant owned by the same folks. As of late I'd assumed I didn't see her because she was either working the other restaurant, or it was her day off. Now I've found out she was fired, and is possibly on a downward spiral that involves drugs and alcohol. As best I can tell this woman is truly a good person on the inside, but has been forced to deal with other than ideal circumstances in her life........... an example being an abusive foster home environment. I hope she shows up and can get it together.

My friend, whom I've known since the early 80's has just been "let go" from his job. He's a great guy with a good heart. He's been a bit less than lucky with jobs over the years. However I thought this latest endeavor, working as a technician at a North Carolina company doing medically related nano research, ......well I thought he'd found a real home. Evidently I was wrong as they are doing some internal "refocusing" and let him and some other folks go. What makes it worse is that he moved from Maryland to North Carolina, and even bought a house there. I hope he can find alternate employment...... and soon.

For both the acquaintance and friend in my life I'd ask that you say a prayer, maybe the one thing that might help these folks regain their footing.

Four Minute Trip to the Beach.

I've been busy, I've been tired, I've been preoccupied.... with WAY too many things on my mind.

So I took a 4 minute vacation. You can take it too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhztQ4D8XhI

The First Day of School.

.............. And it begins......................

First day of school for the kids. The big guys (7th grade and 9th grade) were already gone when I woke up. Still have to get Mr. 7 year old to the bus though. Sooooo we get out the door and:

1) Whoaaaa....looook..... we spotted POOP by the driveway!!
2) "We're gonna' be late for the bus" !!

3) At the bus stop, waiting for the bus.


4) Still waiting for the bus.


5) STILL waiting for the ...... whoa...... is that the bus ??

6) It's the bus !

7) The bus arrives. "Only" 15 minutes late!

Ahhhh..... a day in the life.....

Trummerfrau

Sometimes things you see cover a lot of bases. At a minimum this one falls under the categories of "Deja Vu" and "Must be in the genes". Struck me as funny for sure.

We (me and 3 of 4 kids) just returned from a trip to Dayton, Ohio. While visiting I took the kids to the Air Force Museum. ( a MUST SEE if you're ever in the area.....just a top notch facility)

Now amidst all the planes, jets and rockets I spotted the following display.


I found it interesting..... certainly didn't know this before. But I just kept getting this nagging feeling of familiarity.

And then it hit me..... I've actually seen something similar before! -My- wife, at our house....


So there you go..... I've been married to a Trummerfrau all this time and didn't even know. I guess it makes sense. After all, she is part German.

As an aside, re-using brick worked pretty well for us. Below you can see it being removed from an existing wall, and it was re-used (after recovery efforts by 'mein Trammerfrau') on the area above the new porch.

Who is Ohighway ?

Who is Ohighway? Here are the facts, in no particular order:

* Born in Gary, Indiana and spent his first 11 years of life in that area. Lived near Dayton, Ohio from age 12 through 18. Located in the greater Baltimore-Washington area since 1978.

*Educated in Catholic school grades K through 8. Public High school graduate, college dropout.

*55 on the outside, 35 on the inside.

*Married, for the second time.

*Has four kids. Three boys ages 13, 11, and 7. One girl 3 1/2.

* Aerospace Engineering Technician, employed for the last 30 years at your favorite Government Space Agency.

* Is an INTP or INFP depending on which day he takes his Meyers-Briggs test.

* Has big ideas, but is not so great at implementing them. Often plagued by lack of self motivation, and/or procrastination.

*Can get along with nearly everyone, unless they're overly rude, loud, or pushy.

* Is Caucasian and proud of it. Believes that "white guilt" perpetuated by minorities is a scam and a shakedown and that anyone who falls for it is a sucker.

*Favorite color is green. Purple and Orange are a close second and third.

*Believes in a higher authority, or God if you will. (as evidenced in children and dogs, a blog for another time) However does not buy into "organized religion" .

*Has a love of most things technical. Understands and appreciates logic and technical concepts. Is good with his hands. Good at fixing things.

*Has a huge distaste for politicians and politics.

*Believes that violence, not sex, is the ultimate obscenity.

*Appreciates the female form, and makes absolutely no apologies for doing so.

*Has an interest in style, art, design and music. Inherently knows what he likes, doesn't need any so called "experts" to tell him what is good, bad, or what he SHOULD like.

*Likes a wide variety of music, with exceptions. Country= no. RAP/Hip-Hop = HELL NO. (RAP is missing a letter , should be spelled "CRAP")

*Has a preference for Streamlined, Modern, Art Deco, Mid Century Modern, Shaker, and Mission styles. Basically anything that exhibits simple elegance and simplicity of line.

*Appreciates architecture, including interior design.

*Dislikes the media in general. Is disappointed in the fact that most people allow the media dictate what they should think, like, etc., rather than think for themselves.

*Loves vintage automobiles. Fears that environmental issues and ridiculous fuel costs will kill the hobby.

*Believes that , whether you think global warming is fact or fiction, that we cannot take chances, and need to clean up our act.

* Likes tinkering with vintage audio equipment, clocks, and other "practical" vintage items.

* -Refuses- to get a tattoo.......... one way of showing his individuality. >:~)

Cuil !! ( Or should I say "cool"?)

MENLO PARK, California - A start-up led by former star Google engineers on Sunday unveiled a new Web search service that aims to outdo the Internet search leader in size, but faces an uphill battle changing Web surfing habits.

Cuil Inc (pronounced "cool") is offering a new search service at http://www.cuil.com that the company claims can index, faster and more cheaply, a far larger portion of the Web than Google, which boasts the largest online index.

The would-be Google rival says its service goes beyond prevailing search techniques that focus on Web links and audience traffic patterns and instead analyzes the context of each page and the concepts behind each user search request.

Paradise Bites Back.....

Ask me about where I live and I won't hesitate to bore you with stories of how wonderful it is to live in the woods. I enjoy my home and my property ....... a true paradise.

But there is a downside, and it has hit home. I found out from my doctor this morning that I have Lyme Disease.

This all started around 3 to 4 weeks ago when I noticed an area on my upper thigh that was slightly tender to the touch. When I finally examined it, was a dark purple (looked like a bruise) circle, with a red ring around it. Now, being in the woods bug bites are not uncommon. However this one would fade away, and just when I thought it was gone , it would come back in a slightly different form. The second iteration was a red circle with a red ring around it. The third was just a large, red swollen area. At that point I visited the doctor, and he ordered up the blood tests.

I will note that, to date, I've not had any symptoms like fatigue, weakness, lethargy, memory impairment, aching joints, etc. that seem to be common with Lyme disease. At least that's the story as of today. I'm quite aware from the little reading I've done on the subject that this could change. Or not. Evidently about 25% of the folks who get Lyme Disease don't ever exhibit any symptoms. Some don't even know they have it.

In any event, wish me luck with this.

OTOH, there was some good news today. My cholesterol levels look great. Considering my eating habits, I view that as nothing less than a miracle.

I Love You

A few years ago, while traveling with the family between Maryland and Missouri, we passed a huge monument adjacent to I-70. Impossible to miss , a 198 ft tall cross near the highway. Being the curious type that I am, I investigated further as soon as I was within arm's reach of a computer. The cross was erected by the Cross Foundation , and the following was lifted directly from their crossusa.org website:

"The Cross Foundation is dedicated to building both faith and family on an ecumenical basis. The Cross Foundation has completed a 198 foot Cross at the intersection of Interstates 57 & 70 in Effingham, Illinois. This site is intended to serve as a beacon of hope to the 50,000 travelers estimated to pass the site each day. ...."

What really caught my attention was the "I Love You Card" program listed under the information link. Of specific note:

" Created and sponsored by The Cross Foundation, the "I Love You" Card program is designed to promote a tradition of language in the family home, which encourages feelings of comfort, acceptance and love between parent and child. Whether by tradition or culture, many children never hear the words, "I Love you" from their parents. Yet, a recent study from Iowa State University indicated that children raised in a nurturing environment were more likely to have happier marriages in later life. The "I Love You" Card Program is the first step towards the creation of the nurturing home environment."

After reading that I was stunned. Kids not hearing the words "I love you" from their parents? Nonsense, couldn't possibly be true...... right??? Again my curious nature persisted. I queried friends and co-workers..... even asked them straight out if the words "I Love You" were a part of their regular life both when they were kids, or with their own kids. The results floored me. Nearly 30% of the people I spoke with said no. In one particularly extreme case, a co-worker mentioned that he did hear those words from his father , - only once-, when his father was on his deathbed. It was incredibly sad.

Now I don't consider myself to be a particularly naive person, but this truly caught me off guard. I grew up in a home where those words were exchanged regularly, and they are exchanged regularly in our home. I truly thought EVERY household was like that. Boy was I wrong.

Anyway, ....... go hunt up your kids, parents and significant persons in your life. Tell them you love them. There is every reason to let them know, and NO good reason not to.

Oh, and by the way. I love -YOU- too.

Hey, that's just the kind of guy I am......compliments of my parents.

Some Things are Better Left Unsaid.

Seems I run into good music in the weirdest spots. Filling up with gas at Enroy late last week, what do I hear blasting both inside the store and out at the pumps? Hall and Oates ? Now I'll state right up front, I was never really a big Hall and Oates fan, but...... they did manage to put out a couple songs I liked. "Some Things are Better Left Unsaid" I consider their best.
So, put on your 80's hat, click, and enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ0ov4Xes1s

I feel like I could run away

Looking at a darker day

Oh I'm pulling the shades away from my eyes

It's true the moody manners come and go

And it's better that you never know

Some things are better left unsaid

Some strings are better left undone

Some hearts are better left unbroken

Some lives are better left untouched

Some lies are better off believed

Some words are better left unspoken

My ideas seem to frighten you

Are you really that afraid to move

Oh I guess that it's your right to reason

I'm still dealing with a force that's so strong

The force is stringing us along

Yo Ballerinas

I don't know a lot but I do know this. Grocery bags and packing tape fuel the imagination, and make kids happy. I offer the pix below as proof. Not sure what a "Yo Ballerina" is (well, I guess I can see the "yo" in there) but there you have it. Proof in pictures.
*** Yo Ballerinas! ***

The Lighter Side

After suffering 95+ temperatures and $4.00+ per gallon gas we all need something to smile about. Here are some of my favorite funnies. Hope you like them. (If you do you're likely as twisted as I am...)

We Have -xxx- Models That Get 30 MPG or Higher!

........ Gas hits $4.00 a gallon, and now the automotive focus (and advertising) shifts. Everyone is clamoring to show how -they- have the fleet with the most fuel efficient cars. Many are touting that they get "30 mpg or higher". Really? Is that a big deal? 30mpg? Folks............. 30 mpg is a -JOKE-.

In 1971 I was driving a vehicle that consistently got 30mpg ( British Ford Cortina MK-II) and not just highway mpg but -overall- gas mpg. And the car had good performance too! In the 40 years since that car was built, gas mileage figures should have improved significantly. But they haven't.

Now I've seen a lot of banter on the net about how "Detroit" isn't progressive, doesn't think ahead, etc. . Well...maybe. However I place the blame in an entirely different area. I place it with the car buying public. Think about it. Car makers are a business. They need to provide what customers are demanding at any point in time to continue to make a profit, and continue to stay in business. They may want to make fuel efficient cars, but if the fickle buying public is on a kick demanding SUV's ( the same folks who years earlier wouldn't be caught dead driving either a station wagon -or- a truck) then SUV's they must make, otherwise they're left with product they can't move, and then, ...... they're history. Is it any wonder they can't suddenly provide cars with stellar MPG numbers?

So now the cycle shifts. We're back on a fuel economy kick. I hope it's permanent this time. The automotive industry does have the ability to produce vehicles that get much better mileage, but they must be supported by a public who won't revert back to the big hulks if gas drops down in price. Sustained public support for fuel efficient vehicles (voting with the only thing that really counts, their buying dollar) CAN AND WILL change this picture.

Hang Some Trim, Lose a Daughter / 5-30-2008

First things first. We found her.

Busy hanging trim in the new addition. (home improvements will probably end up under a separate Blog) Learning to handle my new toys, a sliding compound miter saw, and a pneumatic finish nailer. Neat stuff. Anyway, I was making great progress, then WHAM. All kinds of shouting and scurrying around. The problem. N3 (name and age) is gone. Just like that..... gone. Her bike is at the end of the driveway (a good 600 ft from the house) but she's nowhere to be found. So WA (Wife A) and J13 (oldest son) head out in the car to look. A11 (second son) heads out on his bike, and I hop in the car with R7 (third son). We can't find her.

A11 finally gets the bright idea that she might have gone to our nieghbor's house, a good 1/4 mile away or more. I'm convinced N3 can't find their house. A11 goes anyway. Pretty soon the call comes in ........ A11 had success. Found her. She'd ditched her bike, then walked the whole distance barefoot to go and see the neighbor's cats.

I'm glad she's not shy, or a wallflower. But too bold isn't great either. She's a bit too young to be really upset with, but somehow we've got to get her to understand that she can't wander off by herself. This is the second time in a week, the first she was just at the top of the driveway, but across the street.

The Ohighway Chronicles / 5-28-2008

Well here goes. If I can figure out how to navigate through all this then all will be well. I'll be trying to post a variety of items, and lots of pictures.