Scott's Blog

Liver Biopsy and Degenerative Disc Disease

2009-02-18T12:14:00.005-05:00

Last Thursday I got a call from Mom. She was being sent to Strong Memorial Hospital to meet with a Dr Friday at 3pm. Seems her living functions have been going nowhere but up for some time.

I left here at 7am Friday to drive up and meet my brother in Syracuse where I would take her the rest of the way.

To make a long story short. The Dr. suspected she had drug induced autoimmune hepetitis. Her liver functions had been going up since her last knee replacement. He was going to put her on a steroid which is the only treatment and do a liver biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. I checked with the nurse and her liver functions were 1500-1700. Normal range is under 45.

I thought she might be admitted so I brought enough clothes for d extra days and figured I would get a hotel room if I needed to be up there. In any case I had to come back Sunday as I had my own Dr. appt on Monday...which scheduled me for more titanium implants on the 27th of the month.

Mom had her biopsy and was released yesterday. I left here at 7am and made it up to the hospital by 11 or so. We had to wait a little for the paperwork to be done and then it was off to Syracuse where my brother would take her the rest of the way to Watertown. I made it home about 6pm after picking up dinner.....just about 520 miles for the day.

It looks like she will be fine. She had been taken off most of her meds and even before the steriods her liver functions had already started to come down...to about 1000.

As for myself, surgery is scheduled for the 27 of February at Williamsport and I should be discharged the next day. The Dr will remove one disc on my neck and replace it with a titanium piece and then fuse C-5 C-6/7. I think that is how it will go.

Maybe now I can set off those airport alarms.

If You Eat Meat You Won't Want To Watch This

2009-02-06T17:12:00.003-05:00

I am not a zealot by any means and it is my sincerest hope that these images do not represent the industry as a whole. I am not a member of PETA, never have been and will not be in the future. There are things in life which you just have to label as just plain wrong and certainly unnecessary.

Degenerative Disc Disease

2009-01-28T07:56:00.005-05:00

This image is mine taken the first week of January. Looks like I have put off having this surgery long enough.

I started having symptoms again in December. I would have episodes where I would have allot of intense numbness in my left arm. A couple of years ago I had somewhat similar symptoms on my right. The symptoms this time come and go whether I am sitting or standing. Putting it off any longer could mean that I lose motor function in the arm. My physical therapist says that I have more weakness in my right arm when compared to the left so although I have not had any problems with the right in the past 1.5 years or so, damage was still being done.

I have two more days of therapy and then I see my Neurosurgeon again on 2/16 and will tell him to go ahead and schedule the surgery.

What he said he will do is most likely go in from the back of the neck and fuse three vertebrae (I think C4-6) with a plate. That should alleviate some of the compression that you can see from the photo, but may take months to get results.

On another note. I had my one year follow up for my left knee replacement....all is looking great there.

I am starting to think I should have signed up for some kind of surgical rewards program.

Upward Basketball Luke 11:12

2009-01-26T13:08:00.003-05:00

Yup, I did say Luke 11:12.

Jesus said to them, When you pray, say: "Father, we paray that your name will always be kept holy. We pray that your kingdom will come."

Zachary started the local Upward Basketball program last Wednesday. Zack has done two seasons of baseball and soccer and this is something new for him. I have to say I like the organization of it and the church is where they have the practice and the games is aboslutely cavernous.

A few weeks ago they had the evaluation for the program where they graded each of the players on four different basketball functions. All the scores are uploaded into a program and each team is given a couple players in each developement level. At game time each player will have a colored wristband and plays against a player on the opposing team with the same colored wristband or skill level.

They are given a little card with a verse on it for them to memorize prior to the next week. If they memorize it for the next practice or game the following week they get an iron on star to go on their basketball jersey.

We havve one more practice on Wednesday and then his first game is Saturday. They also have blow up tunnels to come out of for the games and there are lights and strobes....should be pretty interesting site to see when he has his games.

Barack Obama's Connection To President Abraham Lincoln

2009-01-13T08:53:00.005-05:00

Direct Link To My .pdf File of Barack Obama's Genealogical Connection To President Abraham Lincoln.

When the presidential primaries started and Barack Obama won in Iowa I felt that we had finally grown as a country. I shared my feelings with my wife Shelly and she quickly reminded me we as a country took just as much of a step forward with Hillary.

It is of great importance that Barack Obama came to us at a time in our history when we needed him the most.

Since I have been working on my genealogy for well over one year now I have come across many interesting and noteworthy people that we are connected to. I even put some of it in a small book to give to my immediate family for Christmas. One of those people is Dick Cheney which I discovered some time ago. Another interesting and noteworthy person is President Abraham Lincoln.

I have one line on each side of my family, Fisk(e) from my father and Bigelow from my mother's side that can be traced back to the early Massachusetts settlements. This is where I came up with the name of my family history site Fiske-Bigelow If two families can be traced back to those early settlements then it is not surprising to find that they intermarried.

It was a little interesting when at some point during the presidential campaigns that it was discovered that Barack Obama was a cousin of Dick Cheney. If I have a connection to Dick Cheney and Barack Obama has a connection to Dick Cheney then not only would I have a connection to Barack Obama....

By the way, my son Zachary just loves the idea he's related.

but through my family line somewhere would Barack Obama have a connection to President Abraham Lincoln.

I thought it was fitting that today on CNN there was a spot on the similarities between Barack Obama and President Lincoln...the man for hope, for change, etc so I thought today was as good as any other to get my site up with that information.

The Fiske-Bigelow site is set up where the photos and stories are separate from the main pages and consequently the family links within the photo pages are not accurate and photos/stories are not located in the main pages.

One is updated frequently whereas the other is not.

The file that shows how Barack Obama is connected to Abraham Lincoln can be found within http://www.fiske-bigelow.com/Photos.htm then viewing either page for President Lincoln or Barack Obama.

Or, you can Go There Directly

Back To Normal

2009-01-05T08:42:00.003-05:00

This photo was taken from the stairway that goes up to our master bedroom on the 2nd floor.

Christmas vacation is over and school started back up today. it's been a busy couple of weeks for all of us. Tuesday we had Shelly's parents come up from NY and we also had Shelly's sister and her fiance come up from NC and her brother and his family come up from Georgia.

We had an extra 9 people in the house at one point, all together 4 families....wow. It's slowly getting back to normal. I think I did 5 loads of laundry the day after everyone left...lol. It was nice to have mostly everyone from that side of the family together. We plan on heading south for Easter.

Another Friend

2008-12-23T08:14:00.003-05:00

This is another friend that comes to visit every so often. On the upper deck off the living room we have a bird feeder that hangs out over the deck. The pole that it is on rotates so you can fill the feeder over the deck and then swing back out so it is over the ground....keeps the bird poop off the deck.

It is a little late to see then for this year but there are bears in the area. We haven't seen any yet but they have been spotted within a mile from us.

Turkeys

2008-12-23T07:54:00.005-05:00

Two blogs in one week...wow.

I just ordered the last gift card so it looks like all the shopping is done, finally. I did my part in trying to jump start the economy by dropping some serious coin at all the usual stores...WalMart, Amazon.com, Target, etc.

Not too long ago we had some visitors. Every now and then we would go out onto the upper deck and there would be several deer down behind us. One time we were hearing a racket and I look out the window and there must have been 20-30 turkeys. Ok, I have seen that many turkeys before...one time comming home to this house I took a turn off the highway, made my 2nd turn and had to stop dead in my tracks and wait for all the turkeys, again 20-30, to cross the road.

This time at the house though they were flying. They would fly from tree top to tree top, probably some 50-80 ft off the ground. What a sight.

This one I caught in our driveway.

This photo gives you an idea of how high up these things were flying. It kind of looks a little odd to see something that big flying awkwardly, stumbling through the air.

Our Little Girl Is One Year Old!

2008-12-19T10:21:00.008-05:00

I thought today would be an appropriate day to start blogging after several months of absence. It's not that I didn't have anything to blog about or to comment on it is plainly that blogging wasn't much of a priority. I was shocked to see that I had over 10,000 hits. This time of year they are mostly to do with the Tacky Christmas Lights.

Anyway.... As the title suggests our little girl turns one year old today. If you had suggested two years ago that a little one would be in our lives today I would have shrugged it off as mere fantasy but I can tell you, of course as a biased parent, that she has brought an unmeasurable amount of joy into our lives and I couldn't imagine life without Sammi.

We brought her home and put her in this little box as a surprise for Zachary. Any smaller and we would have been able to bring her home in my shirt pocket.

Here is a recent photo. This is her favorite spot. She can look out through the windows and watch the squirrels getting into the bird feeder. Today she weighs abt 6.5 lbs.

New Obama Tv Ad

2008-08-26T13:47:00.000-04:00

Our New Home

2008-08-25T16:39:00.014-04:00

After two years here in our current home, we're heading south.

Ok, so it's only 11 miles away. We had an excellent opportunity to get into a contemporary 3200 sq ft house, three stall garage home overlooking the valley. Out the back deck you can see between 2-4 miles over the West Branch of the Susquehanna River Valley.

There's 2 and 3/4 baths, 3 bedrooms, den/office huge living room and finished basement.

New Web Site

2008-08-15T09:05:00.001-04:00

Finally got the genealogy site up and running. Next task is to upload the photos and stories and add more to the front page.

www.fiske-bigelow.com

That's pretty much the reason why I haven't blogged in what seems like forever. I have almost 13000 people in my family tree, 200+ photos and lots of stories.

Ouch

2008-05-21T13:50:00.002-04:00

If you see the little oil price chart thingy on the right then I feel your pain. I have not seen movement like this since the internet boom in the latter half of the 1990's. It was pretty hard not to make money and the movements were strikingly similar.

If the price of oil keeps going like it has been we are gearing up for $150/barrel within the next month.

Gas is never too far behind in this. Although the prices move so fast you tend to forget whether gas has caught up or not. From my observation, and this is just a guess, but it seems to be that the price of gas is going up roughly $.05 per gallon with every $2 increase in the price of oil. The national average of $3.81 today was based on $128 and change....assuming we were caught up.

If my theory is correct then if the price closes above $131 then we should expect $3.86 in the very near term. Of course locally can be very different. We're heading back to northern NY Friday morning and the tank is full but as I told Shelly last week I would be very suprised if gas in Northern NY WASN'T above $4/gal.

Heating oil futures are now running almost $3.90 which means to top off your tank in the basement should be in the nieghborhood of $4.60???

Have you put down that gass guzzeling heavy duty truck or super sized SUV yet? Put a fork in her, she's done.

Green will be the next status symbol.

New Disturbed - Inside The Fire

2008-05-06T13:21:00.001-04:00

Another 3am Crisis Call

2008-05-01T19:09:00.001-04:00

When the phone rings at 3am as another crisis occures, do you want someone who can't get coffee out of a machine to answer? I think NOT.

Hillary Clinton - Gas Tax and the Economy

2008-05-01T08:08:00.002-04:00

1. $.185 tax "holiday": In reality this amounts to:
a. 10 gallon fill up $1.85 per fill up or a savings up to x 12 weeks = $22.2
b. same car filled up 2x/week x 12 weeks = $44.4
c. SUV taking 16 gal on fill up once a week would realize a net savings = $35.52
d. same vehicle filling up 2x/week x 12 weeks = $71.04

So for the "average" family the savings would be about $30 over three months. For families that drive more, have bigger cars, SUVs and trucks and therefore fill up more frequently the savings would be significantly more. Truckers would save even more on top of that.

John McCain says with the $$ a family saves at the pump it may be able to allow them a "better meal" for themselves or their children.

yeah "up size that happy meal for me"

The amount saved at the pump upon fill up is insignificant and it does nothing to change driving habits.

2. "Finally get tough with OPEC. OPEC is basically a monopoly of the 13 biggest oil producing nations" "OPEC has refused to increase production"...

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_oil_pro-energy-oil-production

a.#1 Saudi Arabia: 9,475,000 bbl/day
#2 * Russia: 9,400,000 bbl/day
#3 * United States: 7,610,000 bbl/day
#4 Iran: 3,979,000 bbl/day
#5 * China: 3,631,000 bbl/day
#6 * Mexico: 3,420,000 bbl/day
#7 * Norway: 3,220,000 bbl/day
#8 * Canada: 3,135,000 bbl/day
#9 Venezuela: 3,081,000 bbl/day
#10 UAE 2,540,000 bbl/day
#11 Nigeria: 2,451,000 bbl/day
#12 Kuwait: 2,418,000 bbl/day
#13 Iraq: 2,130,000 bbl/day

* Denotes NON OPEC member Countries

Two question here:

a. Is OPEC daily output of crude oil at or near its peak? If they are at or near their peak output capacity then there is nothing they can do?
b. It has been stated for several years now that refining capacity here in the US is very close to capacity. We have as a country built a new refinery in 20-30 years. Even if we were to see more oil flow we do not have enough spare capacity to handle it. The emerging markets of China, Russia and India are using increasingly more and more oil and their economies continue to expand.

3. "Make sure the price of oil is not being determined by speculators and market manipulator's"

Certainly we don't want any laws broken but in light of the flight of investment away from the US Housing market it seems that investment in not only oil but commodities is a rational trend when considering the continued expansion of emerging markets which are mainly Russia, China and India.

Conversations With Zack

2008-04-15T17:13:00.002-04:00

Zack went to bed last night at his usual time. Normally it takes him half an hour or so to wind down and actually get to sleep. Last night about the 45 min mark after he went to bed he comes out to the living room. "I don't like the springs in my mattress"..."they're keeping me awake".

Like he knows there are springs in his mattress huh. Then as he was heading back to bed....

"I don't like it", "I need a therm-o-pedic mattress".

Where the hell he came up with that idea I have no clue.

Alittle Bit Of This And That

2008-04-09T11:33:00.002-04:00

I don't blog as much as I used to. So it is time for an update and so here goes my thoughts on a number of thoughts.

2008 Presidential Race I have been a registered republican for my entire adult life. If I had to place myself in any category I would describe myself as a moderate republican, that is to say that I don't follow everything... I am anything but a Lemming. I am all for smaller government, less taxes.

until now

As with many others, the Iraq war has left a bad taste in my mouth. I have seen people I am close to go into Iraq three times and at least at this point there is no indication there will not be a fourth. At the onset I was for the war even if we were to the moral police force of the world....it was the right thing to do. To free a people from the years of bondage Sadaam Hussein had put them in. It was a heroic a noble action even though misunderstood. It could equally be argued that this is just my initial rationalization of the lost cost.

The war aside, it is time for change. If you have even remotely followed congressional acts over the last several years the partisanship has gotten worse. It is time to bring the country together, for both sides of the aisle to meet in the middle and work together to get things moving again. Too many politicians are indebted to others than those who elected them.

McCain.... look at the new boss, same as the old boss. He might have a history of being "independent minded" but we don't need a third term of the same old song and dance.

Hillary... Although her reaction to or how she handled the soiling of Monica's blue dress might rightfully be a "personal and private family matter" as Chelsea has stated it would tend to give us some insight on how she would handle a crisis. If that phone ringing at 3am was not a foreign policy crisis, nor a economic crisis but rather a personal family crisis, perhaps in the like of William's stray usage of the family seed. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger and in that we deserve that insight.

Other that that it is my opinion as well and the opinion of many others that Hillary is divisive. I guess it is the aura of the wining at any cost but I don't believe there is any way she can heel the wounds of divisiveness this country has gone through the past 7 or so years. In that essence, it will be be more of the same.

So that leaves me with Barrack. When he won Iowa I said to myself that we finally grew up as a country. It made me feel proud. In that sense I know what Michelle Obama meant when she said it was the first time in her life she was proud of America. It was a mainly white state (91%) voting for an African American to be their president. That was and is undoubtedly awesome....

baby steps

If you have had the chance to listen to recordings of JFK's speeches or MLK's you cannot come away from that without feeling moved and that is what Barrack Obama does for this 43 year old white male. I changed my party affiliation from republican to democrat just so I can vote for Barrack on April 22. I believe there are more people in my demographic out there than people have realized.

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Oil & Gas

Some say at $4/gal for gasoline people will begin to really take a hard look at how they live their lives and cut back. Whether that holds true or not remains to be seen. I have always believed in prepare and expect the worse and if something less materializes then it will be a pleasant surprise.

Oil and gas has been going up for quite a while now. If I remember correctly last year we had a bit of a respite from high prices during towards the tail end of winter and before the summer driving season. This year the only respite we are seeing is a plateau of gas at $3.29 locally...or $3.319 nationally. When we start to switch over to the summer driving season and those different blends we might see $4/gal in more and more parts of the country.

It's coming, just a question of when.

To even fill up your tank for heating the bill for a fill up has gone from under $400 to almost $700. Can you say ouch.

Here's some food for thought. Look back ten years ago and picture yourself and/or your family and compare the differences between then and now. Now think ten years into the future and the one difference you will see or rather not see is Water. It will not be here in the quantities that we have been accustomed to in the past. If you think food prices are high now wait ten years when the lack in abundance of water causes those food prices to even run higher.

Look around your neighborhood. Do you see downspouts from rain gutters running right into the street and into your town's sewers? 10 years from now you may see those downspouts running into the basement and into a cistern for use in gardens and other outside watering....or with minimal treatment perhaps even some laundry

Now onto my genealogy.

When I got back into genealogy last August I had 100 or so names and my thought was to get enough to publish the work for a Christmas gift to my parents. Well, needless to say that didn't happen. The more names I added, the more I uncovered and the more I have yet to add. Today I have 7,622 names. I have 120 photos and numerous stories. Actually, my "Barker Family Tree" is far outnumbered by some other lines in my family.

MY Family Tree

Barker - Can trace back to 1750 in Suffolk County England

Fisk(e) - Paternal Grandmother's line can be traced through to first settlements in Massachusetts and then 1400's in England

Cranker - Maternal line, Can be traced to 1750's in Montgomery County in NY

Stevens - Mother's Maternal Grandfather's line can be traced to 1793 in VT

Bigelow - Mother's Maternal Grandmother's line can be traced to early settlements in Massachusetts and then 1400's in England.

it puts the lotion in the basket

2008-03-31T11:42:00.000-04:00

My brother sent me the link to this and I just had to share.

Busy Busy

2008-03-31T10:51:00.006-04:00

Alot of changes sine my last post. I have been busy in my research on my family tree and in the course, helping others as well. I think I started last Aug with maybe 100 or so names going as far back as England in early to middle 1800's. To date I have almost 7,000 names in my datatbase with lost of stories and photos. I have at least 4,000 or more to transcribe into my records. On two main lines from my mother's side I am stuck at late 1700's. Another line from my mothers side I can go back to the first two generation in the Massachusetts colonies and beyond. The same can be said for my father side. A great uncle of my fathers headed west from Prescott Ontario to settle Alberta.

I have made many connections and found distant cousins from Canada, all over the US, England, Australia and New Zealand.

Doing this much research you often dig up many interesting family members and stories to boot. Essentially, if you can trace your family history back 400 years in New England you should be related to someone famous. I have found my family related to several US Presidents, a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a handful of civil war generals, a NH gouvernor, and several wall street financiers.

That can pretty much take up alot of my free time, aside from the household duties, etc etc.

Physical Thereapy went very well and I was done a couple of weeks ago. I still go in a few times each week to use their equipment for a nominal fee which is very nice. All they need now is a sauna. I ended up with a rangle of motion of 2 degrees to 120 degrees. Walking in the yard or walking parallel to the slope of the ground doesn't do my knee any good so I try to keep to the sidewalks.

We did have a new addition to our family on February 15.

Her name is Sammi. She was born just before Christmas. She is a toy poodle. She's a little bigger now but not much so. I think at full grown she will get to be about 7-8 lbs. The above photo was taken before she went to the "day spa". The after photo is below.

She has been a very much appreiated member of our family. She was housebroken in lesss than two weeks and it did't take her too long to sleep through the night.

Zack is busy with school as usual. He lost all but one day of his Easter vacation so he will have school until they are done for the year in May. She has been busy as well. She is a quilter and always seems to be working on one project or another. She does beautiful work. We may have an opportunity soon to relocate to Nrth Carolina which will be very nice.....closure to her siblings and out of the snow. It's a longshot but we'll see where it goes.

The Traveler - Nags Head North Carolina

2008-02-15T15:03:00.007-05:00

http://www.nagsheadguide.com/

We just had our next trip confirmed so I thought it was now safe to post. Shelly and I have families stretched up and down the east coast primarily. Since we don't get to see her's all together in one place because all three of her siblings are in the military we thought it would be nice to maybe get a house rental somewhere in the middle and hopefully all her family can get the time off around the 4th of July this year to be together with us.

Shelly loves North Carolina as she had spent several years there and she loves the beach atmosphere so she wanted somewhere on the beach in NC. If everyone can come it will mean there will be 5 families including us with a total of 15 people. So I was looking for something that slept at least that many with parking for enough of us that was on or close to the beach and was a little upscale.

So this is what we have.... There are three floors, 5 bedrooms and 4 full bathrooms. There is also a hot tub on the third floor deck. The beach is within 500 ft and there is also a community pool that we will have access to. There is also alot of shopping and sightseeing as well. I am also looking at booking a charter fishing boat fo the guys depending on who is interested and who will be there.

4 1/2 Weeks Post Surgery

2008-02-14T14:44:00.002-05:00

I know I have been kind of lacking in keeping up on how my knee is doing. I had the surgery on Jan 11th and came home from the hospital Jan 13th. They neglected to mention that my vital signs at the hospital were high so when the home health nurse checked it the first time my pulse was 120 resting....a wee bit high. She sent that info to my fmaily Dr and they sent me to the ER. I was having no signs of anything and a CT scan, EKG, etc and all they could say was that all of the tests were comming up negative.

My family Dr still can't explain it. All his blood work came back negative as well so there was nothing to explain why my resting heart rate was so high.

So he changed my bp medication to a beta blocker which has lowered the pulse a little but now I think (from my home bp monitor) that my bp is now running high. The diastolic is running into the 90's where before it was in the 70's. On top of that I have no energy. I can get done with my physical therapy and sleep for a couple of hours. We will talk about changing back to the previous med when I see him again. One of the side effects of beta blockers is loss of energy.....go figure.

On to the knee.

For the first couple weeks home I had a home health nurse to draw my blood for the coumiden I am taking (for six weeks after surgery to reduce the chances of blood clots). I was also having physical therapy here at home as well during the first couple of weeks.

I was given the clearence to ditch my walker about Jan 24. I really wasn't using it anyway but my Physical Therapist who came here thought I was doing well enough not to need it.

I started my outpatient physical therapy on Jan 31. I started using a bike late last week and yesturday I used one of the weight machines for the first time. Nothing too serious just 15lbs. working on the flexion and extension....using just the left knee alone. Today they had me on the leg press machine which kind of looks like squatts but you are more in a horizontal position. On this I did 150 lbs with both feet trying to use left leg about 70% and right about 30%. 3 sets of ten with that and then I tried the 150 lbs with the left leg alone. I did manage 10 reps.

Flexion I am past 120 degrees. Extension is a little more of a problem (only cause I set my goals high) and I am able to get my leg straight to 10 degrees which is not bad. The swelling has gone down considerably since surgery. I think the more it goes down the easier it will be getting that last 10 degrees before my leg is straight. I told one of the therapists I am ready to take a pain pill, musle relaxor or whatever and drop a cinder block on it to straighten it out. lol

We had nothing but ice here the last several days but the roads look pretty clear and tomorrow it is suppose to be in the 40's here so maybe I can go for a little walk.

Day 9 Post surgery

2008-01-23T10:58:00.000-05:00

Oh that will leave a mark

I started my physical therapy yesturday, well at least formally. Everything you can do on your own to keep up the strength and flexability on your own will only help out in the end and lead to faster shorter length of physical therapy overall.

Yesturday was the first that the therapist has been to the house. I guess I have my age working with me that I am able to get around pretty mobile. Shhh, don't tell Shelly but I am hoping to get the clearence to drive when I go back to my ortho Dr on Monday. I think Monday the stitches come out which means the first thing to do when I come home is to take a nice long shower.

Day 5 Post Surgery

2008-01-19T15:56:00.000-05:00

I have always been rather lucky with my knee surgeries in that it seems that I have always had them in the early morning....not so this time. I had to check into Geisinger Medical Center at 10:30 Monday morning. I think I was told I was scheduled for a 11:55 am surgery. I never did go up to pre surgery until 12:10 pm. That's a whole lot of waiting.

Shelly's parents came down to help look after Zack until I got home from the hospital so they were there until the point where they needed to come back here to be home for Zack when he got off the bus.

Pre surgery was pretty much routine. You get prepped with an IV or two, vitals are taken and you get ready for the call from the OR that they are ready for you. The anesthesia Dr came in and gave me a nerve block which was something new for me. In prior surgeries I have had mostly spinals, and maybe a couple general. To block the knee they press down between your thigh and groin to find your femoral artery and near there you get an injection of the block. It's kind of freaky cause it makes the knee cap jump about a dozen times or so until it takes effect. That and a little something to make me sleep and not remember the surgery and I was good to go.

Shelly tells me that I went to pre surgery at noon, started surgery at 2:30 and didn't get up to my room until after 8pm.

Everything is pretty much blank the rest of that day.

Tuesday they started me on some exercises and took me down to PT/OT. They also put me on the machine that flexes your knee for you. Tuesday morning I finally got to eat which was the first in 36+ hours. I know I didn't sleep very well that first night. I don't think anyone can in the beginning as the nurses are in every so often to take your vitals, ect. My surgeon came in the first thing to look at my dressing and to check on me. He told me the surgery went very well. I asked him how it looked in there and he said I had bone spurs the size of his pinky......ouch.

I am on coumadin for 6 weeks after the surgery so they have you monitor a couple of blood levels.

Zack came to see me Tuesday after school. That was very nice since I missed my buddy. He still is concerned at times, although he helped Shelly a bit this morning when she changed the dressing. He pats me on the head and gives me a little kiss and tells me I am doing well.

Tuesday night I slept very well and mwhen my dr stopped my avbout 7am Wednesday he asked me how I felt and if I wanted to go home that day. I was out of there by 1pm I think.

The plan is that I have home health nurse stop by and draw my blood and administer my case and someone will come by to give me my physical therapy here at home. When the nurse came to visit Thursday morning my resting pulse rate 120-130 which is high. There was no signs of infection or chest pain or anything that would readily explain the increased heart rate.

The Nurse called my primary care Dr and let his office know of what was going on. Just five minutes after she left the my primamry Dr's office called and wanted me to head to the ER. They processed me pretty quickly, not those horror stories you hear about someone waiting for hours. I was in and out in 1.5-2 hours. They ran all kind of bloodwork on me, they did chest x rays, CT scan with contrast and an EKG and everything came out normal.

So here I am today. I still don't know why my heart rate is what it is but I see my primary Dr Monday afternoon and if he thinks it is warranted, he will give me something to lower it.

Shelly took off a cople of weeks from work so I could come home and not go into a rehab facility so I owe her alot of thanks....if not more jewelry ;) to pay her back.

The best news is that from the time I woke up in my room at the hospital to now I have not needed anything for pain.....and not for the lack of them trying to give me something. I have a walker that I am using to get around the house but, although certainly not a pretty sight, I can manage some unassisted walking on my own.

Zachary's Totally Gross Birthday Party

2008-01-13T09:05:00.001-05:00

We had a birthday party for Zachary yesturday. This was Zack's first party where he has had neighborhood friends over. I don't know where she got the idea but this was all Shelly's work.

Of course there were games to play and food to eat and all sounded pretty disgusting but everything was certainly edible.

There was Boogers On A Stick which was just a pretzle with green food colored cheese dip

Brain Jello was just green jello using a brain mold

Chili N Fingers which was for show

I thought Dirty Diapers was pretty cool. You take some baby food and smear it into the diaper and then the kids have to guess which food it is from the list of choices. The grown ups got into this one too.

Find The Body Parts cinsisted of body parts hiden in a ton of spaghetti. You had to find two each of the same part and the first one done wins.

This might be the most interesting. Kitty Litter Cake consists of two cakes, one chocolate and one vanilla. Crumble the two together and add just a little vanilla pudding so it clumps together but not overly moist. Then you crumble vanilla oreo cookies setting aside a little to add the green food coloring. Spread both over the cake and then you add the poo which is just tootsie rools that you heat in the mirco wave just a bit so you can mold them. It actually tasted pretty good.

Then of course there was the Moldy Pizza

New Surgery

2008-01-12T10:28:00.000-05:00

I met with a new DR. yesturday and am all set for surgery Monday morning. I have to be at the hospital at 10:30 so I don't expect to be back home until Wednesday or Thursday. For a little time I will have physical therapy here at home and that doesn't work out I will be placed in a rehab hospital.

Wireless Router Problems Solved

2007-12-26T15:42:00.000-05:00

I have noticed lately that I am getting 20 or so hits each week under the search terms wireless router or linksys wireless problems, etc, etc.

My problems that I posted about had been solved for some time.

My problems consisted of frequent dropped signal where I had to reset the router atleast several times each day.

All this was solved when I upated the firmware. If you are reading this and you have these issues then try the update first. Don't waste your time with some wanna be tech in India.

I have a desktop and laptop and both now connect effortlessly. I even have a PS3 that is wired to my router and acts as a media server from my desktop.....accessing photos and music and even internet without so much as a hiccup.

Good Luck

Linksys wireless router WRT54GX4 Wireless-G Broadband Router

Surgery Is Rescheduled

2007-12-26T10:18:00.000-05:00

Damn,

I got a call last Friday about 3:30 from Geisinger that my surgery that is scheduled for Jan 3rd has to be postponed.....the reason being that my Dr accepted a position at Hershey Medical Centere. Damn, Damn, Damn.

They asked me if I had another surgeon in mind that I would want. I had no idea so they said someone from the office would call me after the holidays. Wanting to be proactive I called them this morning and had a couple of names and the person I talked to said one certain one would be the best choice. Ok, all I know about the guy is what I have read so if he can get me in sooner rather than later, not a problem.

My appt is scheduled for Jan 23rd or sooner if there is a cancelation. I imagine it would be a couple weeks to a month after that I would have the total knee replacement.

PS3 vs Wii

2007-12-26T08:05:00.000-05:00

I have been ranting for some time about all things PS3. For those of you living in a cave that means Playstation 3. I have especially writing about the superiority of the PS3 to....well, anything else.

So, Zachary and Shelly have been clamoring for a Wii for some time so we got one for Christmas. All through Dec it was very difficult getting your hands on one of these must haves. Yes, I too was one of those mindless lemmings as those things were as hard to spot as hair on Brittany's kitty. It was easier to have Kristy get one in Qatar where she is stationed with the Army and send one here than it was to try and find one here stateside.

We got Zack on the camcorder as he was opening it. We had him open one of the games first and we played it off like ooops, Santa must have made a mistake.

Mind you, I won't be buying any games for this as I am still prejudiced. If anything else I still like the idea of a game system that will act as a media server from your computer as well as play movies in 1080p. That's heavenly.

The couple of games I have seen on it so far of course aren't anything I would buy but I will say this about the Wii.....cutesy. It's cute. It doesn't stand up to anything else, it stands on its own. That is neither good nor bad as it has many followers and it should be around for some time.

At 8:15am the day after Christmas, Zack has already been playing it for 15 min.

The Christmas Tooth Fairy

2007-12-26T07:50:00.000-05:00

We headed up north last Friday after Zachary got out of school, Shelly got out of work and Troy who was driving from VA Beach to get here so he could follow us up.

We usually stay at the Carriage House when we go home since Shelly's parents have a dog and I wouldn't be able to breath and well....my parents house is way way too small for an additional three guests. The weather up in northern NY was beautiful Saturday where it was just over 50 degrees. We spent most of Saturday with my parents and then Sunday with Shelly's. It's always nice to get back and see everyone.

Zachary and Troy were horseing around when one of Zack's loose teeth came out. The immediate question was "Will the tooth fairy know where to find me"? Of course she will was the reply. This was Saturday when the tooth came out so we left seven dollars under his pillow that night....the next one is worth eight. Inflation you know.

Well wouldn't you know we walked out of the hotel Sunday morning and the $$ was still under the pillow. Not wanting the cleaning lady to think it was a tip Shelly called the front desk. She told the clerk that the tooth fairy had visitied us overnight but we left the money on the bed. The clerk thought it was a prank call and almost hung up. lol She got the clerk to understand finally and both had a laugh or two. When Zachary and I came back we asked if there was anything for our room and she pulled out an envelope marked "tooth fairy" and all was good.

We left Monday morning to come back home so Santa would know where to bring our presents. It's probably the last year Zachary will believe in Santa.

Weren't we blessed with about 4 inches of snow overnight and it comming down about 1+ inches an hour. From Sandy Creek on there was nothing and at home the grass was green and it was in the 40's.

Pre Op

2007-12-13T07:51:00.000-05:00

My goal is to post daily or as often as I can after I have the surgery...... so here it goes.

Yesturday we were at Geisinger where we attended a total joint class at the hip and knee center.

My previous and 9th surgery on my left knee was a patella femoral arthroplasty which is also called a resurfacing where the arthritis is removed and an artificial surface is cemented to the bone. Since February of this year I have been having problems....episodes of pain and swelling that are increasing in frequency as well as duration. When walking down stairs or down a hill I can feel the knee cap clanging against a bone. There's definately no pain in the joint at all when I experience this but it is definately unsettling.

I chose Dr Maish because he was the only one in the area who does the procedure I had last. I was told that my last procedure could be revised. I might have been mistaken as I took it to mean that it could be revised with the same procedure and not to a total knee replacement. Either it can't or it isn't suggested in my case.

So yesturday Shelly and I spent just about all dat at Geisinger Hospital which is only about 13 miles away so it wasn't as bad as it sounds. We had a total joint class at 9am, a pre op physical at 12:30 then an anesthesia appt at 1:30. The purpose of the class is to prepare us of what to expect in both pre and post surgery to include aftercare programs. There are certain foods and medicines you have to stop taking in the one week prior to surgery and I will be on coumadin for 6 week after surgery.

So, after everything was said and done I am all set for surgery on Jan 3rd. I am not looking forward to it as the last surgery was suppose to put this off for way longer than it has....2 years definately not long enough.

Richmond VA Tacky Christmas Lights - 2006

2007-12-05T09:59:00.000-05:00

More Holiday Cheer

2007-12-04T16:59:00.001-05:00

Tis The Season - Part Deaux

2007-12-04T12:02:00.000-05:00

Raging Santa

Raging Rudolph

Posted Dec 11, 2006

"Bankin/Rass" presents the Martin Scorsese version of Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Tis The Season

2007-12-04T11:57:00.000-05:00

In honor of the holidays, enjoy some of my favorite Christmas videos.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Unrated Version

Posted Dec 11, 2006

A Christmas classic retold with a dirty mouth.

Scott's Blog: The Traveler - Hawaii's Big Island

2007-11-29T12:08:00.000-05:00

Scott's Blog: The Traveler - Hawaii's Big Island

The Traveler - Hawaii's Big Island

2007-11-29T07:30:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a trip!. We actually started our little journey on Tuesday the 20th after Shelly got out of work. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn just outside of the Philly airport so we could easily catch our 8:40 flight. Our first stop was to Minneapolis and from there we flew to Honolulu and then from there we flew to our final destination of Kailua-Kona. We never had more than 40 min layover at any stops and all told we had roughly 12-13 hours travel time. We picked up our rental car and ended up checking into the Waikoloa Marriott. Our day started at 5am and ended at 8pm Hawaii time which is 5 hours behind.

We got up Wednesday morning had breakfast and went off for the day. Our plan was to drive around the entire island and take in the various sites. When we got outside we could see the area for the first time in daylight. It had snowed overnight on Mauna Kea. We hadn't planned on going to the top of the mountain cause our car didn't have 4 wheel drive but our valet said that you couldn't go above 9,000 ft. If you look close you might be able to see a little snow in between the clouds.

The Marriott is located on the Kohala Coast in an area called Waikoloa Resort and from there we drove north on the highway that runs around the island.

The first thing you notice in the area that we were in is how barren the landscape is. When you think of Hawaii you think south pacific tropics. You do get that in parts of the islands and The Big Island as well but because of the volcano activity over time you have almost all climates you find all over the world on Hawaii.

On one side of the highway you have the lava as in the picture above and on the other side you have what is below.

Nothing means desert more than a cactus.

That pretty much sums up the Kohala Coast which is the north western side of the island.

There are points on the highway where you go from just above sea level to close to 4000 feet. The next two photos are of the Kawaithae and Kohala Coasts.

There are a number of waterfalls on the island. The eastern side of the island gets between 129-150 inches of rainfall per year where in the western side gets between 15-23 inches.

Here are some photos of the waterfalls

If I remember correctly this is just to the east of Hawi

This one was taken at http://www.hawaiiweb.com/Hawaii/html/sites/akaka_falls_state_park.html

Here is one taken of the Rainbow Falls

In contrast to the images of the desert like area here is one of the rainforest.

The last several photos were taken along the Hamakua Coast which is on the northeastern side of the island before Hilo

In Hilo we saw King Kamehameha

From Hilo we followed the highway to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Because of earthquakes in July we were not able to see any molton lava. At the present time the only way you can see molton lava is by air in a helicopter or plane.

There are two types of lava, one that cools slowly and you find it relatively smooth and the other which cools abruptly and porously sponge like as the gas exploded out of it as it cooled. I hope I explained it right. The rougher stuff is what you see in the first few photos at the top near the highway. There are a number of trails in and around the volcano and you can actually walk around the bottom of the volcano called the caldera. Click this LINK to view a map of the park and various sites and trails.

Here is a view from the tope of the caldera to the caldera floor.

From where the above photo was taken to the floor below is roughly 4000 feet. It might be hard to see in this photo but there are people at the bottom.

Although you were free to walk on the lava from the various eruptions and even walk into the Caldera itself there is a bit of caution:

Behind the sign what you see is sulphuric gas....we didn't stay long.

Here is Zack on a lava flow

That was it, day one complete. We ate Thanksgiving Dinner at a diner in Hilo so from start to finish and accounting for all the stops it took us about 10 hours to drive around the entire island.

One thing I alsmots forgot to mention was the wind. There were times you needed a jacket and that is why you see Zachary in one at various times. When we were on the Hamakua Coast and at about 3000+ ft in elevation it was sooooo windy I could barely open the car door.

Day two we had scheduled our Hummer Tour. It was a three our drive through the back country on the island. The areas we went through are not necessarily ones seen by the average tourist or native islander for that matter. Most of where we went was through private estates. Our excursion started at Hawi and headed up to the hills. We learned quite a bit from our guide who was a native Hawaiian. Captain Vancouver, a British explorer who had become friends with King Kamehameha had given the King a herd of cattle from Texas. Some decendants of those cattle roam free amonst the high country today. Imagine that....wild cows??? Shelly can't get over that one.

On staurday's it legal to hunt the cows in certain sections.....unbelievable.

We saw and learned alot during our three hour tour. We had a little snack at this waterfall where Zack did some "fishing".

At this site we also saw wild banana trees as well as wild coffee!!

This is one of those "Lion King" trees

Here's on of Zack and our Hummer

Of course there are tons more photos. I actually filled up a 2gb card in the camera.

Day Three was a trip to Kona for Mine and Zack's submarine tour of the reef. Kona is a traditional tourist town with tons of shopping among many little shops. There's a number of restaurants to include a Hard Rock. You get used to eating outside in Hawaii as everything is open or at the very least you have the option of eating outside, so you get used to eating with the little birds lol.

Shelly gets seasick on boats for the most part so it was just Zack and I on the submarine tour and Shelly was left to shopping for the hour or so in Kona while we gone.

Forward area of our submarine

Aft area

I did take photos while we were under water but they came out all blue and I couldn't tweak them enough. I did take a couple 30 sec or so movies and they came out better so be looking for a blog soon with all the videos from our trip.

Hawaii's first church

Remember the trees in ABC's Lost where they hide from the polar bear???

Pretty much that was day three. We actually got back to our hotel in time to see the sunset for the first time!!

Our last full day on Hawaii was on our own for most of the day with a luau scheduled at the hotel for later in the afternoon. In the morning we went to the Place of Refuge or Pu'uhonua o Honaunau. "An ancient " place of refuge " lies firmly protected behind the mortarless masonry of the sixteenth-century Great Wall. Those who broke ancient Hawaii's intricate system of kapu (taboo) - perhaps by treading on the shadow of a chief, or fishing in the wrong season - could expect summary execution unless they fled to the sanctuary of a place such as this. As chiefs lived on the surrounding land, transgressors had to swim through the shark-infested seas. If successful, they would be absolved and released overnight"

There are a couple of beaches where sea turtles come to rest during the mid afternoon. There is only 36 or so nesting pairs in Hawaii and they are protected.

And now onto our luau where Shelly finally got to have her tropical drink. We did spend some time on the beach but certainly not enough so perhaps some day we will go back. If we do we've already discussed the things we would do.

It was started with a little singing by some performers and seems to have been sold out.

A pig was cooked in a fire pit all day. They usae mesquite wood and burn it down to the coals where they then throw in some river rock until the rocks get red hot. They place a couple into the cavity of the pig so it will cook thuroughly then they cover with leaves, burlap and then dirt.

During the show they asked for volunteers to go up onto the stage. The dancers were going to show them how to hula. Damn if you get me up there but Zachary went right up. I am so proud of that little bugger. It didn't phase him a bit.

That's about it. There are many many more photos but to keep this at some minimum I have posted the ones that best represent our trip.

To finish, here are some I took of our hotel

The pool and gardens. Our room is directly behind the canopy on the third floor. We had a great view of everything. I can't imagine what the "ocean view" rooms were.

There were several pools on the grounds between the gardens and the beach. There was a sand bottomed pool, a pool with a water slide and a HUGE infinity pool.

That's it. I hope you enjoyed my little presentation of our trip. Look for the videos soon.

Snow snow and more snow

2007-11-19T13:38:00.000-05:00

We got our first accumulation of snow yesturday. When I got up at 7am it was snowing and it was still snowing when I went to bed last night. This morning there was at least 4 inches of snow on the ground.

School went on as normal as the main roads were clear and its just in the hills here where there still is snow covering the streets.

Tomorrow we leave after Shelly gets out of work. We are staying overnight at a hotel at the Philly airport tomorrow night since our flight leaves a bit early Wednesday morning.

Aloha

Let It Snow, Let It Snow??? I Don't Think So

2007-11-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

Woke up to snow on the ground and several hours later it isn't stopping.

One bright point point......Waikaloa Hawaii 71-81 degrees today!

Getting Lai'd

2007-11-15T13:56:00.000-05:00

I bought the last littl.e thing for our trip to Hawaii next week. We are suppose to fly into Kona on the Big Island about 6:30pm on Wednesday. We will head to baggage claim and to Zachary's supirse....my man is gonna get lai'd. Some pretty island beauty is going to give him a "welcome to Hawaii Zachary" and put a lai around his neck and give him a big kiss.

That will be one kodak moment.

Thursday we have nothing planned but exploring the island in our rental. Friday morning we have a three hour Hummer tour in the afternoon, taking us places that are otherwise inaccesible.

Saturday morning Zachary and I have a 1 hour submarine tour scheduled then the rest of the day is nothing planned.

Sunday evening we have a luau at our hotel, The Waikaloa Marriott!!

Not sure if we will get to see the volcano due to an earthquake this year and erruptions.

Expect lots of pics.

Talk About Kissing Ass

2007-11-06T19:21:00.000-05:00

JENKEM

Disclaimer..... Please do not attempt to do this at home. Idiot pictured is a professional idiot with no care in the world of what he puts into his body.

Next up: Jenkem brand dental floss, toothpaste, and yes....mouthwash

Osteolysis

2007-10-19T14:58:00.000-04:00

Osteolysis - Osteolysis refers to an active resorption or dissolution of bone tissue as part of an ongoing disease process.

While bone resorption is commonly associated with many diseases or joint problems, the term osteolysis generally refers to a problem common to artificial joint replacements such as total hip replacements, total knee replacements and total shoulder replacements.

In total hip replacement, the particles worn off the gliding surface of the ball and socket joint often cause osteolysis. As the body attempts to clean up these loose particles of plastic or metal, the bone grows away from the implant, causing it to loosen. This may require a revision surgery (replacement parts).

It's a lovely little term I learned today. Apparently...in my knee, under the kneecap in particular I have a metal piece that replaced the arthritic bone and on top of that is/was plastic. I say was because it looks like the plastic has worn down to the metal and when this happens little bits and pieces flake off and embed into the bone. The bone treats this as foreign and bone is drawn away from these pieces. That is the best way I can describe it for now., The result is that the knee doesn't track with the kneecap like it should and there is alot of popping and clanging. It doesn't hurt but you can actually take the kneecap and move it to a point where it feels like two pieces of metal are clanging.

Not so good.

So....there is no infection which is a plus. So after a nice long talk with the chief surgeon who does these resurfacings we decided, well he decided that a new knee (total knee replacement) is the best option for me.

So as I told Shelly, pencil me in for Jan 3rd where I will go in for number 10 on the surgical count for this knee.

Here's To Your I Phone

2007-10-19T06:59:00.000-04:00

Recently I received an email from my brother Jim. He took a picture with his new iphone. Honestly, I would like to think of myself a gadget type of person and we had looked at the iphones when they came out.

The point that turned me away from the iphone was that AT&T locked you into a data plan. We currently have two cell phones and 700 minutes per month. Between the two of them and even though we use our cell phone primarily over the landline we never come anywhere close to using those minutes in a month's time. I think collectively we're lucky if we use 300.

So if I wouldn't use it to hop onto the internet, say while I am shopping at the mall, there was a feature that I really don't need. We as a household don't buy our music from itunes so there's another feature lost to us. I know there are many people who are suffering now from carpal tunnel syndrome who love these features and that is fine. For me, the iphone wasn't worth the $$.

Now onto something different.

There have been attempts over the last 10 years to bring a device into your living room that would effectively link all your media together. You could access sound, movie or picture files that are stored on your computer and view or listen to them in another room.

So a couple weeks ago I decided to try out a function of the playstation 3. I knew it could connect to your network to access files and the internet, etc; I just hadn't tried it.

The internet here at the house is wireless. It comes into the house via the tv cable and the high speed wireless router. So to connect the Playstation 3 to the network involved just connecting it with an ethernet cable to the router.

Ta Da

It will now play any video, music or photo file on the tv....

or

You can access the internet.

Now all I need to do is install adobe flash and I can listen to my xm radio through the stereo.

Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon

2007-10-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

The pictures below are from what is called Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. The leaves were supposed to be at peak. This area is about an hour away from where we live. Between here and there we saw alot of color but unfortunately at this spot peak color seems to be another week or so away.

Darfur, Armenia, Bosnia, Wounded Knee

2007-10-12T07:37:00.000-04:00

Genocide - Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction of an ethnic, religious or national group. While precise definition varies among genocide scholars, the legal definition is found in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG). Article 2 of the CPPCG defines genocide as "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life, calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; [and] forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

Understandably we want to keep focused on the past so we can police the present. Darfur cries out for humanity but yet we stand still. How can that be when we can be so noble to invade a county and topple its leader to rid that country of his tyranny but yet we stand in collective silence at an ongoing tragedy?

It's pathetic.

So, in a vane attempt at trying to climb and claim some resemblance of our once moral high ground we want to label an atrocity and bring it back to the present. Can we really do this without first looking into the mirror at our past and the atrocities we have commited?

I think not.

I think we can all agree to the definition above but what purpose does it serve to point a finger at anyone else before we point it to ourselves? I don't get it. From our earliest actions as a newly liberated country we systematically choked our native peoples until they were a shadow of their former selves. We made treaties with them only to break them later. We moved them from their ancestral lands, to areas that were to be unsustainable to themselves and the generations that would follow.

I am not agreeing or disagreeing with the attempt of some members of congress that want to label what happened to the Turkish Armenians over 100 years ago as genocide. It may or may not meed the international definitions. What I do disagree with is that no mention of our past misdeeds was made.

We need to clean our moral closet first.

One More For The Road

2007-10-11T07:56:00.000-04:00

I went to see a new knee Dr this week. I had to see a specialist who has done the kind of work I have had done to my knee. The last operation was a resurfacing of the patella and femur. It is very highly specialized surgery so didn't make sense to see a regular orthopod.

So...He had me do some blood work to check for infection. If there is no infection...and there is no reason to believe that I do but you never know, looks like another surgery on the left knee.

Yup, that would make surgery number 10 on the left.

The knee isn't tracking as smooth as it should over these artificial pieces so he wan't to go in and take a look at what's going on. It is not really anything that can be done with an MRI, oh well. If there is damage to the new parts it looks like I would be set for a total knee replacement. Not something I am looking forward to by any means. Wayyyy tooo young. I guess I will find out when I see him again next week.

Let's see

1984 arthroscopy L knee
1987 arthroscopy L knee
1990 arthroscopy L knee and open ACL replacement
1994 arthroscopy L knee
1996 arthroscopy L knee
1997 2nd ACL replacement via arthroscope
1997 arthroscopy L knee
2003 arthroscopy L knee
2004 patella femoral arthroplasty (resurfacing) L knee

UGH!!!

October 11, 2007

2007-10-11T07:49:00.000-04:00

Yesturday we got some good news. Zachary was diagnosed with epilepsy several years ago. I don't think I ever saw him having a seizure. Thank god he's only had one grand mal. All but that big one was him just zoning out and his arm shaking. We did our routine yearly sleep study, although this time he didn't fall asleep but anyways the Dr. wants to ween him off his medication. It's better to try now when he is younger.

Yesturday finished buying our side excursions for our Thanksgiving trip to the big island of Hawaii. We're going to be busy but we have it planned where we have alot of free time just to explore.

On the night before we leave we be attending the luau our hotel (Waikaloa Marriot) has on Sunday night. Zachary and I will be taking a submarine tour of the reef and all three of us will be taking a 3 hour Hummer tour of the remote areas. The state has block off the lava flows since the recent erruptions so at least we should be able to see the volcano.

Should be lots of fun.

We fly from Philly to Minneapolis so I'll be waving to you brother Jim as we fly over Nevada.

October 2, 2007

2007-10-02T10:45:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I have posted. I have taken up genealogy and it seems to be going rather well. I am up to 2400 people and I try to work on it every day.

This past weekend our little town had a community yard sale. This involves a $5 fee to our Christmas Tree Lighting Committee to be placed on a map and a small description of what you are selling. You also get a number to display on your house.

I picked up my number and map and come to find out they had us in the wrong location on the map. They were off by several blocks. The info o the back which was by address was correct but if you relied on the map alone you wouldn't have found us.

The yard sale started about 8am last Saturday. We had most of our stuff gone the night before in two sales. A neighbor from down the street bought most of my tools and a lady came by a little later and bought the exercise bike and ALL of Zack's clothes.

The funny thing was...Saturday afternoon a minivan pulled up and all these Amish women got out. They were pointing at toys....this would be good for Seth I heard one of them say. One of the women was looking at a couple of tools I had left. One was a table saw. She was interested but she wasn't sure....damn if you know that she pulled out a cell phone and called her husband.

It's Official

2007-09-24T08:29:00.001-04:00

We picked up Zachary from school Friday afternoon at 12:30 and headed off to Williamsport. Prior to our hearing our attorney showed up and was so kind to give Zachary a tour of the courtroom. He showed them where the judge would sit and the jury would sit if there was a trial and where he would sit.

Shelly and our lawyer went into the room first when the judge was ready. They had to do the termination of parental rights first and then we were called in. The judge asked myself and then Zachary a few questions and from start to finish it only took 15-20 min. We should be getting the paperwork from the court today or tomorrow.

We had a nice little get together on Saturday. Friday night Zack's grand parents came down from Watertown and left this morning.We had a few friends here from the neighborhood Saturday and I think was besides himself with excitment...since it was all about him and his new last name which he will tell you is not as many letters as what it used to be.

We found out a few weeks ago when Shelly called Ohio to check the status of child support or lack there of. They let it slip that it was an odd amount last time cause he had to pay that much to get released.

For Zachary's biological father he does not need to pay any more child support from this day forward....however, the 12400 in back support he will still need to pay on.

F*** The Jena Six

2007-09-21T07:42:00.000-04:00

Pro or con you can fill in the blanks as you like.

If you caught the news yesterday or read the paper you couldn't escape the events in Jena, LA yesterday.

For those who have chosen today to crawl out from under their rock here is some background.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/20/jena.six/?iref=mpstoryview

Before I comment on the situation I have to first address this from the above linked story.

Jena's racial tensions were aggravated in August 2006, when three white teens hung the nooses the day after a group of black students received permission from school administrators to sit under the tree -- a place where white students normally congregated.

Why would a group of students need permission to sit under any tree? That, if correct, sounds like there was racial tension long before this incident. Maybe me being from the north and growing up in a mostly white city and all white neighborhood leaves me impossible to comprehend why permission was even sought.

Having said that it was a solid three months between the hanging of nooses from this tree and the beating to which the Jena Six are now known by.

Three months.

Of course there are those that immediately draw a nexus between the two events but I tend to disagree. The US attorney's office declined to bring federal charges as they believed the two incidents were not related.

At the very worse, hanging nooses would have constituted a hate crime. Even so it would have been a hate crime in which no one was injured and no personal property was damaged.

Somehow, at least to me, there is no equality between the damage hanging the nooses caused and the beating of one individual by six others.

It appears that the 15-20,000 who marched upon Jena, LA would think I am wrong. Remember....THREE whole months elapsed between the two events so how can you connect the two separate events together? I believe you cannot.

So what you now have is six individuals who together beat and/or kicked one individual while he was down on the ground. They were initially charged with attempted murder. I don't know whether that charge was correct or not but since then the charges have been reduced. What would you expect from kicking a person in the head while he was down on the ground and unable to defend himself???? Would you expect a slap on the hand and a stern talking to???

I would hope not.

Then again all those who marched upon Jena might think differently.

Some people scream injustice and I would remind them the injustice was the six beating up the one. There is nothing even remotely smelling of equality in that equation. 1 vs 6. Maybe that inequality, that injustice should have been the reason compelling so many people to walk away from their obligations for a day to march upon a town of 3200.

Can we all just get along? I think so but we still need to work on it.

Six Years Ago A Friendship Began.......

2007-09-13T15:00:00.000-04:00

This is something that Shelly put together. Our hearing is scheduled for next Friday and that should be it. I don't expect anything to delay it or prevent it. It's not like his natural father doesn't owe some 11 thousand dollars, or not like he has a license now.

Zack doesn't know his granparents will be comming down the night before so we can all be at the courthouse together. We are having a small party as the invitation suggests with just a small amount of family and friends and I think that is more for me than Zack :)

If the Orange were on the Gong Show...

2007-09-09T10:41:00.001-04:00

They would be gonged by now. This is the third year for coach Greg Robinson who already makes old coach Pasq. look like a genius. I was one of those calling for a change, but who could have imagined the school's football program would sink to as low as it has.

Part of the reason is the emergence of middle-tier schools. Why go to a big school program when you can really carve out a name for yourself at a middle-tier school. One big upset is all one needs to put you on the map. Conferences like the MAC are the ones consistently putting out the best QB prospects, too.

So here we are with the Orange, who frankly, should go back to Orangemen. It's not like they didn't have a big old Sunkist Orange for a mascot for lord only knows when, and I can't even begin to recall the last days of the Saltine Warrior. The Orangemen can be whatever they want them to be--it didn't need to be Native American originated. But Orange alone... Well, they've been crushed to pulp.

Three points in two games. The school hasn't seen a decent QB since McNabb, and Robinson's West Coast Offense looks like it should have stayed there. After UB (Buffalo) trounced Temple 42-7 yesterday, there's no doubt Syracuse has become the worst NY State D. I big-time football school.

So the question is, just how much longer before the new AD--well, wait--he's been there going on three years, too, hasn't he?--wait before banging the gong. Granted, everybody anticipated with a new coach that there would be rebuilding, getting new recruits, etc., but in those three years, we've seen Rutgers go from being a team beaten by the UB Bulls to being a legitimate top 20 team. Perhaps it's the curse of Ray Rice who was originally looking to go to Syracuse. They certainly could use a running back of his stature now.

Or any running back, for that matter.

Genealogy

2007-09-06T14:07:00.000-04:00

Just shy of 1300 people on my tree.

Most of that was just direct mother/father ancestry for the most part. I think I was trying to see how far back I could actually go. Kind of like looking up at a tree and seeing how tall it is. Now it's pretty much going to families and working on the siblings and going from there.

I have found a couple instances where I came across someone who was looking for info that I had. That was exciting. It could be that what they have could answer a question or two, and probably create new ones. In any case, that is what its all about.

The problem is that most people working on genealogy seem to do so for a while then something pulls them a different direction and/or they lose intrest in it for some time. So, the email addresses that are listed may or may not be up to date. I have been able thus far to find parts of my tree in Canada, England, New Zealand and Australia.

Progress is slow now and seem to be adding only a few names a week which is fine. It's interesting to be able to view the actual image of an 1850 census or a WWI draft registration form right from the computer at home.

Email

2007-09-06T14:00:00.000-04:00

I was at a family reunion back in May of this year. I saw some people I hadn't seen in 25+ years. I remember used to seeing some of these relatives at least once a month if not more frequently.

You know how it goes when you haven't seen someone in a while...you both say you ought to keep in touch. This time I honestly can say I tried.

I gave my email to a cousin of mine.

Oh yeah, I get email....and lot's of it.

Trouble is there's never anything I read.

Nope.

Don't even open it.

Nope.

I think if she wrote down an original thought instead of filling my computer with useless crap that she just needs to forward to EVERYONE the hand of God would reach down and slap her upside the head.

Busy Busy

2007-08-28T15:13:00.000-04:00

Haven't been keeping up with the blog here since I have been a little busy. Yesturday was Zachary's first day of school in 2nd grade. Other than that it seems I have taken up the genealogy bug - again!!

UGH!!

and it all started this time with an article in my home town newspaper about geni.com. It's a flash player based online site and free so I just started. I knew a handful...then it grew and grew. Then it got to be too much to manually enter in all the information I was finding from other sources so I started a site on ancestry.com with a two week trial.

I think that was last week. As of today I have over 1000 people in my tree. I don't think 1000 people actually makes a tree....more like a rather large hedgerow.

I think later this week I will have it all polished and ready to put in report form. I bet it will be something like 2-300 pages lol

Today Shelly was informed of her promotion!!!! She started at the plant Nov 1 of last year and already they are moving up. It was just 1.5 years ago she was working the midnight shift while working on her bachelors degree and as of her promotion today she has more than doubled her salary.

I wish my 19 year old daughter would see the value in that little piece of paper.

Is He BLACK Enough?

2007-08-20T08:14:00.000-04:00

This question came up early in this election season and will undoubtedly come up again so I thought it about time I address it.

I first must state that I am a registered republican but my political views tend to lean towards moderate conservative.

This question seems to bother me and I hope it bothers many of us.

There should be a standard to which we elect our politicians into office and that standard should be...is he GOOD enough? I did say he but he could be a she just as effectively. But why should we use discrimination in this manner? Certainly when deciding who to support for president we use some form of discrimination. Does Denise really stand a chance? Most of us think not and probably don't give him a second though, if he got a first at all. That in itself is discriminatory. Hell, the guy might even have a decent idea or two.

What makes a person black enough for that matter? Let's look at his background.. ok, so he had what some would call a privileged upbringing and attending Columbia University. Being born in 1961 he unfortunately wasn't around for civil rights, never met MLK or marched with him why does this not make him Black enough.

I am lost here. Who is asking this question? Is it us crackers who say this because we don't think people of color feel he is one of them and therefore will not be pulling his lever.....or, is it the African Americans who feel this?

If you read the Time Magazine article about this you get the sense that he does not have slavery in his blood line and therefore not screaming reparations that he is not one of them.

If that's correct, that's a damn shame.

The fact that we (as a people) even pose such a question is rooted in sheer stupidity. Should we now question whether Hillary is woman enough or whether the next congressman from San Francisco is gay enough to represent his or her respective establishment? Although we prefer to befriend those with shared backgrounds or experiences is there any reason to detract those who are of the same qualities regardless of how they arrived at such qualities?

We don't have to live the life of those less fortunate to appreciate their struggle as most likely it is a struggle of a bigger picture, of all humanity. One can even embrace the struggle that is naturally foreign to himself as a struggle of his own. How else would a american born of upper middle class privelege in California give it all up and become a jihadist for Bin Laden? "Walk in someone else's shoes" is not meant to be taken literaly but rather embrace with compassion and empathy the travels of another.

Are the qualities one needs to become our president found exclusively within the ethnic, race and gender struggles one has been through in their lifetime?

I hope not and if the answer to that question is yes then it is a damn shame.

Here's To You My Brother

2007-08-19T15:10:00.000-04:00

Marcus just bought himself a Wii.

It's so easy........

The Tribe has spoken....

2007-08-19T11:40:00.001-04:00

I went to Borders yesterday and browsed through the movie section where I checked on a few blu-ray DVDs. Then I went next door to Best Buy, and perused the blu-ray DVD players. I only saw one, and it was well over $300. I glanced at the HD one, but found myself quickly over by the video games and ended up with a... wii.

There were only about three of them on the table and some guy had his sons there, playing baseball with him. He had a big smile on his face like he was 10 years old without a care in the world. He grabbed one of the consoles and held it, saying... "I'm getting it!" So, I went and checked on what games were available, came back a few minutes later, noticing somebody sort of followed me over there doing the same thing. The guy then set his down and told his son "better check with your mother, first." That's when I grabbed one of the last three, and the sales associate told the guy, "Sir, if you're 'thinking' about getting one, you better hold onto to because these are the last we have". On the way to checkout, another sales associate looked surprised, saying "I didn't even know we got more in", to which I replied "and there's only one left!" For note, I have never seen these at Target--always sold out.

So, I picked up the Zelda game and Madden '08. The interactive style, I think, makes up for a lot of the shortcomings in comparison to other system's graphics. They're not bad, but I wouldn't say they were much better than a P2. Maybe a bit, but not a lot. In the end, I knew the Zelda game would be something fun to play, having sat up in that bedroom of my youth back home and playing that thing for hours and hours. I've already raked up 3+ hours last night playing it, and woke up sore this morning.

Ultimately, while I think the p3 has the advantage of better graphics, the blue-ray should be optional. Is nice if one is looking for both, because then they can get a system and the dvd player for a reasonable price combined--otherwise, $500 out the door for just the console alone is a chunk of change for most people. One of the things that have bothered me over the last 10 years or so is, the better the graphics get, the less fun the games sort of become. I get sick of 'watching' 5 minute cartoon intros to games, wondering why they didn't spend that money making the game itself more fun to pay. I think this is the main reason why I went with the wii, though the $250 price-tag didn't hurt. It just seems like something I'm going to become less bored with over time.

The only real concern I have with it is what appears to be a lack of mature games. I could be wrong--there is Scarface, the Godfather, etc. But Nintendo seems to be centered on family-friendly titles such as Mario Brothers, Zelda, Sonic, etc. Sure, there's Mortal Kombat, but I don't see a mature "flagship" type of game such as Halo. There is, however, Zelda--and I can attest to it being one of the best games out there in terms of using your brain to figure out puzzles.

Fill Your Tank Up Soon!!!

2007-08-18T11:16:00.000-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070818/ts_nm/storm_dean_dc_39;_ylt=AmRm7vMFKdVrI2_pvgxF6CgE1vAI

Hurricane Dean seen becoming deadly Category 5

MIAMI (Reuters) - Hurricane Dean is expected to grow into a ferocious Category 5 storm as it passes Jamaica and nears Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and the oil and gas rigs of the Gulf of Mexico after it smashed into several Caribbean islands, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Saturday.

With top sustained winds of 150 mph early on Saturday, the hurricane center said Dean was a Category 4 storm, the second-highest level on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale and capable of widespread destruction.

The hurricane center said it was expected to strengthen to Category 5, with top sustained winds in excess of 155 mph, before plowing directly over Jamaica toward the Gulf, home to a third of U.S. domestic crude oil and 15 percent of natural gas production.

So fill your gas tanks up now my friends cause after this storm hits and causes damage to the oil and gas platforms in the gulf the price will jump very quickly.

What Do You Do When....

2007-08-18T08:42:00.000-04:00

Your brand new tv stopps working?

Yesturday afternoon we had a tornado warning (or was it a watch)in our area so I went about the neighborhood letting the people know. Just a couple miles down the road the streets were flooded and tree damage and hail the size of golfballs.

So to say the least we never even got as much as a raindrop. We live in this little valley that has its own climate. 5 miles to the south it had downpoured and was 15 degrees cooler. None of us have had to do any amount of lawn mowing since July 4th.

So I come into the house and turn the tv on and....nothing. I turn on the cable box and get sound but no picture so....I open the owners manual for the first time. We men often try to get by without touching it for fear of bursting into flames. It goes through the cycle of trying to turn on the light 8 times before the red LED flashes to let you know its time to unplug the set, plug it back in and try it again.

Again brought more of the same at which point I called Toshiba. They talk me through this procedure where I remove the cover to the lamp housing, remove the lamp and then procede to tap on all sides of the lamp houseing (not the lens BIG NO NO)and then return the lamp to the housing and try it again.

Again it brought the same results. I thought I would try again while the lady was on the phone. Went through the whole routine and tapped a little harder to the point where the lady on the other end of the line told me I was doing a fine job on the tapping part.

Again, no luck.

So then we procede to get all my info into the system...my address, serial no. etc. and she tells me that the info probably won't get into the order center until Monday and I should get the new lamp by Thursday/Friday next week by FedEx 2 day ground.

Damn....oh well. The set does have 1 year parts and labor so at least I don't have to worry about a cost to myself for some time.

So I hang up the phone with Toshiba and before I call Shelly to tell her the news I try one more time. I am thinking I will tap everywhere and just a little harder....maybe somewhere this side of banging it against the wall. I return the lamp to the housing, put the cover back on and move to the front of the set.

Ta Da!!!!!

Back up and running like she should be.

So I get back on the phone with Toshiba to cancel that new lamp and the guy tells me it is something about the mercury in the lamp and that after a cople fo weeks that it should settle.

Just watching regular tv the dlp makes a world of difference and I put in a blu ray (HD) movie and it was like looking through a window and the picture absolutely spectacular.

...and now what?

2007-08-17T08:25:00.000-04:00

Apparently the fallout from the sub prime fiasco was worse than we thought.

WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve on Friday said it cut the primary discount rate by a half point as the downside risks to growth have increased "appreciably", a surprise move aimed at calming jittery global markets.

"Financial market conditions have deteriorated, and tighter credit conditions and increased uncertainty have the potential to restrain economic growth going forward," the Fed's Federal Open Markets Committee said in a unanimous statement.

The Fed cut its primary discount rate, which governs direct loans from the central bank to commercial banks, to 5.75 percent from 6.25 to "narrow the spread between the primary credit rate and the Federal Open Market Committee's target federal funds rate to 50 basis points."

This is not the rate your mortgage or your credit cards are based on. When banks or financial institutions need short term loans but can't get the funds anywhere they can turn to the federal reserve and borrow the money.

What this means is the federal reserve wanted to assure the financial markets that there would be "cheaper" money available should they need it. Rarely do you see a very conservative federal reserve move in .50% increments and even more so do you see thay move in such a suprising manner.

This could have a reassuring effect on the markets which have been very volitile as a result of the financial fallout from the subprime debacle or after a frenzy of buying sometime this morning it could have the opposite effect. It could signal that the worst is not yet over and exactly how far into the financial sector reaches could be more profound than we know.

Anybody like rollercoasters??? I haven't played the market since right before the internet bubble burst and have no desire to play....nope been there and done that. It's like gambling lol. Put your money in a solid company and periodically buy more and leave it for the long term.

T Day

2007-08-16T07:42:00.000-04:00

Yesturday was a travel day for myself, Zachary, Courtney and Chelsey. We got everybody up, fed and we were out the door by 7:30 for our 4.5 hour trip back home to Watertown NY.

We bought a Garmin GPS navigation thingy for the car a few months ago since we seem to be always on the road and being new to this area...well, it's more than paid for itself I can testify to that.

One strange thing is that it is set to give you the fastest route so as we leave here in Watsontown PA it tells us to go one way which is about an hour due north to 220, 17 and then catch I81 at Binhamton. You would think that it would take you back the same way but it doesn't for some reason. Comming back about 10 miles outside of Binhamton it tells you that it has found a better route and would you like to use it. It does save about 15 minutes and takes you down I81 to I80 and so on.

It also has you taking the PA Turnpike around Scranton. I figured it was taking us west of Scranton and connection to another road. Nope, just bypassing Scranton to get back onto I81 which I don't think saved us much time if any. Now if you go off course the little voice will let you know that it is "recalculating" and will remap the route for you.

We call her Judith and Zack says she gets "pissed off" too easily. I laugh and told Zack that I don't think he is old enough to use that word yet but he was right...Judith gets pissed off. You can alost hear the sigh of frustration in her voice when she says "recalculating" over and over in your trip.

We left here at 7:30 and arrived about 12:15 and was back on the highway after hitting MIcky D's at 12:45. The price of gas up there at 2.94 is almost .25 more expensive than it is here in town and the weather was a bit on the cooler side.

Hearing all three kids singing to Linkin Park along the way....

Now that's PRICELESS

This morning the guys from Best Buy show up and deliver the new tv

The Perfeect Storm Part Deaux

2007-08-14T16:02:00.000-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070814/bs_nm/markets_stocks_dc_32;_ylt=AhYHxfBc1GdXcucvPc1mg.UE1vAI

Stocks slide on credit worries and Wal-Mart's view

In the latest signs of a deteriorating credit environment, Sentinel Management Group Inc., which oversees about $1.6 billion in assets, has told clients it wants to block redemptions from the fund to avoid forced liquidation.

Inflicting further pain on financial stocks was news a Canadian trust couldn't find the funds it needed to repay outstanding asset-backed commercial paper and that a bank had declined to provide liquidity.

And Swiss bank UBS (UBSN.VX), the world's largest wealth manager, warned that market turmoil was likely to hit its investment banking business in the second half of the year.

When you have financial institutions that prevent you from withdrawing funds that is never a good sign.

The Perfect Storm

2007-08-14T09:51:00.000-04:00

Wikipedia - The phrase perfect storm refers to the simultaneous occurrence of events which, taken individually, would be far less powerful than the result of their chance combination. Such occurrences are rare by their very nature, so that even a slight change in any one event contributing to the perfect storm would lessen its overall impact.

The US housing market has been in decline over the past couple of years...certainly off it's highs of recent memory.

Cheap products comming primarily from China helps to keep our economy chugging along in that we spend less for goods we can buy more.

One can argue that it has been our housing market that has kept our economy going in recent memory considering the vast expenses of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the debt that goes along with it. People in general were tapping into the equity of their current homes to finance everything from second homes to new cars and the lifestyles that go with it. This was fine as long as there was ultimately someone willing to buy your home.

In many regions of the US there was a boom in housing. Builders could not build houses fast enough and the size of the average new home was at all time highs (say 2700 sq ft +). I think everyone could agree that this scenario was not one to go on indefinately. Indeed, a study just this year showed a downturn in the size of the average new home by about 250+ sq ft or so. Not a big drop by any means just one observation that shows that we as Americans were stepping back from the "bigger is better" in our homes even if those steps were baby steps.

We find out now that part of the housing boom was financed to people who were at higher risk of defaulting. They gave loans to people who had little documentation of income and gave them loans at low initial variable rates. When the loack on that variable was removed and the prime interest rates went up these risky borrowers were left to either pay substantially more monthly payments or to refinance.

What happens when you buy a large house at very low variable rate with very little or no money down and then housing sales fall off and your interest rate rises causing your payment to rise like the floodwaters from Katrina?

You often find that your house is not worth what it was when you bought it and with little or no equity or tightning of loan qualifications you find you cannot refinance. We now are finding out that those loans were bought up by a number of hedge funds who have lost 100's of millions if not billions and of which several have closed. The extent of the damage to the banking and funding insdustry will take some time to discover but there are people in financial circles who are very antsy lately

Now in the past year or so it is hard to open up a newspaper or browser to not notice a story about one recall or another. Sure we have our own problems (peanut butter, mad cow, e coli contaminated food from California, etc) but these recalls are comming more and more from our largest trading partner - China.

Today Mattel will announce yet another recall

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070814/bs_nm/mattel_recall_dc_5;_ylt=AqmZ7RY43Sei.cyx7CZTT10E1vAI

The recalled products include about 7.3 million Polly Pocket, Batman Magna, Doggie Daycare and Shonen Jump's One Piece play sets with the small magnets. According to a statement from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Mattel, about 2.4 million of the play sets were recalled on November 21.

About 683,000 Barbie doll Tanner play sets were also recalled due to a magnet hazard and about 253,000 Pixar Sarge die-cast toy cars with lead paint were recalled.

Inevitably there are two scenarios here. One is that these Chinese companies producing tainted products whether those be food or manufactured products will be forced into correction which will lead to higher prices or we will come to a collective decision that all chinese products = BAD! and avoid them like the plague.

Look at Walmart

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070814/bs_nm/walmart_results_dc_6;_ylt=AizlXRNnm7pbrW2du4ZfzaME1vAI

With more than 127 million customers visiting a U.S. Wal-Mart store or a Sam's Club warehouse location in America every week, the company is considered a barometer of the health of the nation's retail sector.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT.N) reported a lower-than-expected quarterly profit and cut its full-year earnings forecast on Tuesday, saying its customers remain under economic pressure.

One has to wonder how these recalls from China effect WalMart's bottom line. God knows WalMart is ruthless when it comes to margins and pressures on suppliers to keep prices low......it's not too much of a stretch to understand how a chinese supplier would cut corners to get an egde over another chinese competitor.

If WalMart wants a widget for 5 cents and my competitor can make a lead free widget at 4.9 cents well what the heck if I use this lead based paint and sell that widget at 4.75? It's not all that far fetched.

So those are two completely different sectors of our economy where individual problems could occure and our economy would be resilient. Taken together though it is comepletely something different.

Perhaps add to that an energy crisis. Maybe Iran or Al Quieda does something to block vital oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz or perhaps Hugo Chavez does something to disrupt the supply of oil to the US.

The result would be a perfect storm comprising of financial, energy, retail/housing crisis.

Or

It could be a good movie

One Big Chocolate Bar

2007-08-13T09:02:00.000-04:00

One of our souvenirs from Hershey Park. Yes it is a 5 lb chocolate bar!!!

The girl is my niece Courtney who is up with her sister Chelsey until Wednesday.

Penns Cave

2007-08-13T08:57:00.000-04:00

Just a short clip of our trip in to the cave...actually we are returning. The tour is about an hour long and totally by boat. Half way through you come out of the cave to a small lake then circle around and head back. It's a nice place to go when it's really hot outside.

Comming To A Home Near You

2007-08-12T15:53:00.000-04:00

CLICK HERE

Beatallica: A Garage Dayz Nite

2007-08-12T13:40:00.001-04:00

I have seen, and heard, it all now.

Let Them Dance

2007-08-11T20:23:00.000-04:00

The 1800's saw the introduction of new systems and a tightening of the prison regime. The "Silent and Separate Systems" were used either to keep a regime of silence or to keep prisoners in solitary confinement. The idea being prisoners could not infect each other with criminal ways. These methods were soon criticised with people citing the high incidences of insanity amongst prisoners.

Improvements were made in 1815 when an Act was passed to prevent jailers from charging prisoners. The state now paid jailers, while magistrates were given the responsibility of inspecting the jails. The Gaols Act changed this in 1835 when it introduced prison inspectors to advise local authorities.

In 1850 the Convict Service was established which gave the Secretary of State the authority to appoint Directors of Convict Prisons who took over the management of the hulks, and of the prisons.

Uniformed staff carried out the bulk of the work in convict prisons. Their work involved discipline, clerical, educational and instructional duties. By 1877 all prison staff were salaried and commissioners stressed that staff would be selected on merit alone.

The Prisons Act of 1878 brought all prisons under the control of a national system run by the Prison Commission and later the Prison Department. As a result, prison commissioners were appointed to inspect all prisons and submit annual reports on the prisons to Parliament.

The Act led to the closure of the worst prisons in the country and set the tone for the future by adopting John Howard's principle of prisons being for reformation rather then punishment. It was believed that reformation and deterrence should now be the main objectives of prisons.

Two alternatives were introduced. Decarceration, which involved replacing prison sentences, with supervision in the community and Therapeutic Incarceration, which reduced the penal elements of prisons.

In 1919 prison warders were renamed prison officers. Separate confinement of prisoners was abolished in 1922 and soon over 400 voluntary teachers started work in prisons.

However, prison staff struggled to implement the therapeutic regime in prisons that were unsuitable for the task. It became clear that officer's training was not keeping pace with the growing sophistication of the Service. Improvements were made in 1935 when the first staff-training course was established at Wakefield Prison.

During the Second World War large number A of prison officers and prisoners were released to fight for their country. Staff shortages resulted in a recruitment drive, which led to a significant rise in the numbers of women prison officers.

The 1948 Criminal Justice Act recommended longer periods of imprisonment to allow time for training and rehabilitation of prisoners. As a result efforts were made to involve prison officers in the reform of prisoners.

Now, in 2007 a new turn has been taken in the reforming of those who have chosen the criminal path...... utter embarassment.

Yes, I dare say set aside the pillary, the shackles, the work gangs, the solitary confinement...... let them dance!!!

Hershey Park Or Bust

2007-08-10T08:55:00.000-04:00

Wednesday morning Zachary hopped into the car and left at 7:30am for NY...specifically Watertown. We went to pick up Courtney and Chelsey and bring them here for the week. We got home about 5pm which isn't bad for a 600 mile reound trip.

Yesturdat we headed for Hershy Park. Hershey Park is only 50 or so miles from us but it is an hour and half drive and we got there at a decent time after first stopping by AAA to purchase our discount tickets.

The lady inside advised us to take a change of clothes in the event of rain. When it rains the park clears out she said, then you have shorter wait times for the rides.

Hmmm, maybe AAA was only a side job and she was actually a weather forecaster.

We went into the museum first since it is right before the entrance to the park. After that we headed towards the rides. There are all kinds of shops there right before the entrance and immediately after. We decided to hit those for souvenires on the way out.

So the kids and Shelly ended up waiting at one of the wooden roller coasters. Then the black skys started to move in. Then they closed this coaster. So the kids lined up for one of those swing rides...then the rain came.

and came

and here we were stuck under a tree in a torential down pour. I think we waited about 20 minutes under the tree while Zack and Chelsey went on that swing ride. I am not sure why they would keep this ride going while closing everything lese but they did.

So we're all soaked and without a change of clothes. We don't know how long this rain will laste so we head out towards the car. On the way we stop at one of those shops we bypassed earlier and bought a couple of towels and shirts for the kids as well as some other souvenirs.

We get to the car and get inside while everyone trys to dry off the best they can. I was content with just ringing ou my shirt. I think about 40 minutes into the rain and now back at our car we decided to leave and at least get something to eat. I was ready to head home but at that point we had spent about $400 so....let's just get some lunch. If it had been up to me we would have headed home but smarter heads than I prevailed.

We had lunch at Fudruckers and while we where there the rain stopped and blue sky was in sight.

For our second forray into the park yesturday we did get to do alot more. Shelly and the kids went on that wooden roller coaster they had missed out from earlier. We all went on a smaller coaster and Chelsey and I went on one.

Then it rained again. This time harder than the first time. We were luckier this time as we were under an awning of one of those food places so we weren't getting soaked at least. I think we waited about 15 minutes and it really wasn't letting up so we headed for the car, although relunctantly. We stopped to get some chocolate...including one of those 5 lbs chocolate bars and we left. We were soaked this time from head to toe. It seemed like we had to traverse some monster streams that were running everywhere to get to the parking lot and our car.

We were parked right outside the entrance so at least we didn't have far to go.

So the kids got to ride a few rides but we missed the zoo but overall I think they enjoyed themselves. At the very least it was a memorable day.

South Park

2007-08-07T07:23:00.000-04:00

Never willing to step back from social commentary, South Park tackles yet another controversial topic.

War Torn Soldiers

2007-08-06T08:08:00.000-04:00

http://www.syracuse.com/articles/news/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1186304488243900.xml&coll=1&thispage=1

They were closing out one of those long, hot summer weekends, working late on a Sunday, almost done. At 11:36 p.m., Officer Douglas Pennock noticed movement in the window outside the Cicero police station.

From the desk, Pennock saw a stranger in a ball cap and waved the man around to the side entrance, as he moved to the door.

"Are you expecting anyone?" he called to Sgt. Andrew P. Scherer, who was in the evidence locker, processing material from a drug bust. "There's a guy at the back door."

And so it began: the 15 seconds . . .

In that wink of time last Sunday, two cops and a troubled U.S. Army soldier approached the edge - then stepped back.

Fifteen seconds . . .

"Can I help you?" Pennock asked, and opened the door.

Before him stood Matthew Campbell, 33, a native of Maine and a specialist in the Army's 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum. In June, Campbell had returned from a 15-month tour of Afghanistan, where he served as an infantry medic.

His face held what the two cops later described as an expression of pain and anguish. His right hand clutched what appeared to be a high-caliber, semiautomatic assault rifle.

"What are you doing with the gun?" Pennock said loudly, directing his voice not only at the stranger but also at Scherer, who had stepped from the evidence locker.

Pennock drew his gun and closed the door partially, seeking to shield himself with the frame. Scherer drew his weapon and moved closer.

Standing on the pavement, Campbell lifted the rifle muzzle, as Pennock would later write, "so it was pointed in my general direction, in what I perceived as the male preparing to fire the rifle, at which time I prepared to defend myself."

Barely five seconds had elapsed . . .

In the culture of law enforcement, the tragedy goes by several names: "Suicide by cop," "police-assisted suicide" or, in the worst-case scenario, "victim-precipitated homicide."

For all the names, it is a simple event:

Someone points a gun at an officer, forcing the response.

For many reasons, they're hard to quantify. A 10-year study of 473 officer-involved shootings by the Los Angeles Police Department concluded in 1998 that 11 percent one out of 10 shootings could be suicide by cop.

It leaves a victim and, often, a broken career.

"You did what you had to do what you were trained to do," the Web site Suicide by Cop tells police officers. "The moral excellence that is part of you still exists. Whether you decide to continue in a law enforcement career or seek another profession, remember . . . you went home alive."

Some have drawn links to the many soldiers returning from war.

"The number of Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran suicides keeps escalating," wrote Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, a nonprofit advocacy group, in a recent editorial to his membership. "And a highly disturbing, yet very small, pattern is emerging: suicide by cop."

In 2005, a 19-year-old Marine, back home in California from Iraq, fired on two cops, killing one before being shot. Last December, a 29-year-old soldier, preparing for his second war deployment, barricaded himself in his Maryland home and pointed his gun at an officer, forcing another to fire. In May, a 28-year-old Minnesota National Guard member, back from Iraq, fired on police in a highway standoff. They shot back.

Sunday night,Pennock raised his weapon but did not pull the trigger.

Pennock's account comes from the written statement that accompanied the arrest. He was not available last week for an interview.

In the parking lot, he saw Campbell turn haphazardly to his left, letting the rifle drift back and forth in the direction of the doorway.

"What are you doing with a rifle?' Pennock said again.

Campbell looked into Pennock's eyes, then staggered backward, the gun barrel pointing downward. He cupped his hands over his face, raised the muzzle to the sky and bent forward.

"Drop the rifle," Pennock yelled.

Campbell lowered his hands, the muzzle downward, and studied Pennock, according to the statement.

"Stop! Drop the rifle!" the officer yelled.

Campbell backpedaled, dropped the weapon and fell to his knees, hands covering his face.

Ten seconds . . .

"I can't tell you the number of officers I've seen who probably would've shot this guy," said William Gaut, a former commander of detectives in the Birmingham, Ala., Police Department and a nationally recognized expert in law enforcement procedures.

Gaut reviewed a two-page report of the incident provided to him by The Post-Standard.

His conclusion: "Give the officer a medal."

He said Pennock did everything right. When confronted, rather than shoot, he sought cover. Then he let his fellow officer know the situation.

"Once he got his gun trained on (Campbell) and he's ready to use deadly force if it becomes necessary, he just talked to the guy and assessed the situation until the guy dropped the gun."

Gaut said he believes the officers would have been justified under the law if they'd shot Campbell.

But in the moment of truth, Campbell's gun hit the pavement.

"It got awfully good when he turned away and dropped the firearm," Scherer said Friday.

Pennock shouted that the weapon was down. Scherer rushed through the door and kicked the rifle across the pavement, out of reach.

They handcuffed Campbell and called for backup.

Over the nexthour, Scherer sought to calm the anguished man and learn what brought him there.

"Aren't you supposed to shoot people with guns?" Campbell asked.

How did Scherer respond?

"I told him that we were both sitting here, looking at each other, and a great thing had happened tonight."

Campbell was arrested on a charge of second-degree menacing, a misdemeanor, because the rifle turned out to be a pellet gun. The soldier had sought to provoke a shooting, but not to hurt anyone.

Scherer declined to discuss his talk with Campbell, saying he considers it private. In his arrest statement, he noted that the soldier had come with one purpose in mind.

"He acknowledged that he did not want to live anymore," Scherer wrote. "He explained that he had nothing to live for. He stated that he was a coward, not a good father, nor a good soldier."

He said Campbell at times broke down in the middle of an explanation and apologized to the police.

"I think the real issue is the concern that we should have for the individual who made that choice to come out here and do what he was doing," Scherer said. "That's where our time and efforts and thoughts and prayers should be."

Officials at Fort Drum last week released little information about Campbell's military record. He served in the 2d Battalion's 87th Infantry, a unit that suffered four deaths during its most recent tour of Afghanistan.

Campbell was being held for mental evaluation.

His lawyer, Ken Moynihan, said Campbell's family was too distraught to comment.

"We're just grateful nobody got hurt and that the police did the right thing," Moynihan said.

A 20-year police veteran, Scherer, 47, said he has been in gunfights but never fired on a person. Nor has Pennock, who came to the Cicero force in 1996.

In his job, Scherer teaches young officers firearm safety and the use of force. In those sessions, he stresses the need for training, because life or death can ride on a split-second decision.

Or 15 seconds.

"I'm a human being, you know, and a police officer," Scherer said. "Sometimes, being a human being comes first."

Hart Seely can be reached at hseely@syracuse.com or 470-2247. John O'Brien can be reached at jobrien@syracuse.com or 470-2187.

I saw this article over the weekend and had to put it here to spread it around. It hist home in many many ways. I grew up just outside of Ft Drum NY, I served in the military, I have previously fought battles with depression and have one brother-in-law who is in his 3rd tour of Iraq and a sister-in-law who is in Qatar.

How can your heart not go out who is suffering like this. We can only imagine the pain that brought him to that point outside the police station. We can only imagine as mental pain in silent and not easily visable....in the end pain is pain and you just have to wonder how many others are comming back like this but are suffering silently.

Godspeed

Monday Monday

2007-08-06T07:35:00.000-04:00

Saturday we fed the neighbors. We ended up with alot of food Saturday evening so I sent some BBQ home with a couple of the neighbors and froze the rest. One neighbor family was gone for a week so he will get some when he returns. Got some nice compliments on the food which is always nice.

So yesturday morning I thought we would just relax a bit. We went to dinner Friday evening with some friends of Shelly's from work in Williamsport where they have what they call Fir Friday. It's a cultural thing on the first Friday every month during the summer where they have music and arts on the streets in the downtown. So I was a bit stiff in the knees yesturday morning from the walking Fri night and the sitting Saturday lol.

So yesterday at 11am says "let's go to Knoebels". My first thought is that something like that I would rather go first thing in the morning when it would be less crowded and cooler. lol When we pulled into the parking for the park it was 97 degrees outside.

It's not a bad amusement park. They don't have the pay one price on the weekends so we had to buy tickets (they have free admission) which are broken into .10 .50 $1, etc and each ride costs $.90 - $1.50 to ride. They have a couple of roller coasters but they are wooden ones so something I was thinking of avoiding entirely.

Since I have that disc problem in my neck I don't think any sudden jerking movements are good for it. As it was I went down a small flume ride and called it a day as far as the rides go. Shelly and Zack went on the big flume ride and got soaked. When they got off I stopped Zack and said we could watch the next car come down the flume. I guess he didn't realise that it sprays water about 50 ft ahead of it. So as the next car was about to come down the flume in front of us and Zack had his eyes fixed to it I ran back out of the way.....Zack got his with another downpour of water!!! That was PRICELESS!!!

This week will be busy busy. Wednesday Zack and I take a 4.5 hour ride up to NY to pick up my neices who are going to stay with us for a week and then Thursday it is off to Hershey Park.

Friday, August 3

2007-08-03T08:10:00.000-04:00

After smoking 20 pounds of beef all day you immediately have to remove your clothes, throw them into a medical waste bag and sterilize them. They do require washing but I am egsagerating a little. Now I have two crock pots full of beef. Almost got all of it in....I think 16 pound or so in the sauce. If you let it cook all day it breaks down really nice. Hmmmm, may I can call spoon pulled bbq?

So yesturday I was getting my potato salad ready to make which for me means dicing up eggs, radishes, a little onion, green peppers. I don't think I have mastered potatos yet on the stove so they are done to over done and are in the fridge cooling down to be diced up later along with the cuccumbers.

Yesturday was a bit hot here. It got to 97. When we moved down here we rented til our house in NY sold so we signed a 2 year lease cause this was a nice house and we wanted it. The lanlord put in central a/c but if you ask me she did it on the cheap. I hope they didn't pay too much for it. When the outside temp gets 95 or higher our a/c stops blowing cool air. The fan outside is still humming along mind you but its no where near cooling the air.

We're not asking for walk in freezer type temps but at least draw the humidity out of the house. I turned it off for about an hour then turned it back on....it started to work. My landlord is clueless and the guys that installed the system aren't any help. We've put a bug in here ear about buying the place if she's interested and if we do, that will be on our list of projects.

Zack and I went to the local market to pick up some hot dogs and when we started the car the outside temp said 122!!!

Here's some news I forgot to mention. I am a memeber of a website for disabled veterans call The Veterans Benefit Network and have been for quite a while now. There are a number of different forums where people ask questions about this or that...anything concerning veterans really, and hopefully someone will provide correct guidence for them. About a week ago I had an email from one of the administrators. He was looking for a few more moderators and my name came up. It was very touching.

I don't mind taking the time to use my life experience to help someone else and although I don't look for any reckognition there have been a few times where I was thanked for helping someone and that really is enough. This was a touching compliment though.

Bring It Home

2007-08-02T07:38:00.000-04:00

I got up this morning and I do my usual routine of which is to check out Newzjunky for news from back home. It not only has alot of local news and happenings from the area back home in NY but state, national and world news....Newzjunky. I am the sort of person that if the info is available I want it now!!

So I am scrolling down the page and yes I see the story about the bridge collapse in Minn. but I saw that last night on CNN before I went to bed at 10 or so. I then saw the headline Fisher "Price to Recall Nearly 1 Million Toys" and I am thinking to myself that this has got to have something to do with China. I click onto the link and wouldn't you know it....those dang Chinese are cutting corners yet again just like I thought.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/02/business/02toy.html?ei=5090&en=1f7a68aea860bd6e&ex=1343707200&adxnnl=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1186054661-bJvBWKMfkUL0+dekpnIenQ

Lead Paint Prompts Mattel to Recall 967,000 Toys

Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars, is recalling nearly one million toys in the United States today because the products are covered in lead paint.

According to Mattel, all the toys were made by a contract manufacturer in China.

The recall, the second biggest this year involving toys, covers 83 products made from April 19 to July 6. Many of them feature Sesame Street and Nickelodeon characters — including the Elmo Tub Sub, the Dora the Explorer Backpack, and the Giggle Gabber, a toy shaped like Elmo or Cookie Monster that toddlers shake to hear giggles and funny noises.

Mattel says it prevented more than two-thirds of the 967,000 affected toys from reaching consumers by stopping the products in its distribution centers and contacting retailers, like Wal-Mart, Target and Toys ‘R’ Us, late last week. But more than 300,000 of the tainted toys have been bought by consumers in the United States. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the toys may have a date code from 109-7LF to 187-7LF on the product or packaging.

When is this going to stop? Years ago, in an attempt to save $$ on the cost of manufacturing consumer goods they were made in Japan. Then they were made in Taiwan, then Mexico, now China. This is because the chinese workers are paid far less thanh even one dollar an hour. This is a country whose enviromental standards are back in the 19th century!

To a degree we can blame WalMart for this.

But this isn't about WalMart this is about China and the tainted consumer products they are sending us. When are we going to learn? Luckily we haven't had a rash of deaths as a result of tainted toothpaste or other food products. No, in the US no human have died, just our pets.

For those in the people republic of china reading this....

diethylene glycol in food ----- BAD
lead paint on child toys ------ BAD

get the point.

In an article I have seen today it stated that China has now banned diethylene glycol (found in antifreeze) in the making of toothpaste.

This was previously ok???

Did a government bureaucrat suddenly have an epithany and feel that a chemical you put in your auto may not be so good in your mouth? Christ, had they asked us we would have told them. It's not like its a state secret of ours. I know Kissenger and Nixon didn't go to China in the early 70's to open trade relations to sit at one of those HUGE confrence tables and say..."ya know Mr Chairman (Mao), lead paint and diethylene glycol in tooth paste may not be such a good idea."

When will it stop?

Do we need to actually have people die here in the US this cycle of stupidity ceases? Raise your hand if you really think somewhere in China they actually do make cardboard dumplings?? I know mine is up...at least I wouldn't put it past them. Do we as a county, as a people so really need stuff that is so inexpensive that we don't mind playing russian roulette with hazardously tainted products? If those same toys, dog food, tootpaste and whatever is next to be recalled (I forgot about the tires) were made here in the US certainly they would be more expensive.

Bring home the manufacturing jobs if anything just for the piece of mind.

For now this is nothing more than pie in the sky dreaming but some day there just might be a backlash and that is when we can bring it home.

Pizza Hut School Of Nutrition

2007-08-01T12:56:00.000-04:00

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/01/the_skinny/main3122295.shtml

USA Today reports that a university is considering putting a corporate name on its diplomas.

"The University of Iowa is mulling whether to rename its College of Public Health after Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield's foundation in exchange for a $15 milion gift from the company's philanthropic arm," the newspaper reports.

"We're close to the tip of the sword for an AT&T School of Business or a Kodak School of Digital Communication. I can see that as not so far off," said Terry Burton, a naming-rights consultant.

The idea has ignited debate.

As Randa Safady, vice chancellor at the University of Texas, put it, "It's important that the public and we don’t equate the generosity of corporations with selling out."

I for one don't see what the problem is. There are a number of philanthropic gifts to universities which in turn have created a learning center in the name of the grantor.

One specific gift that comes to mind is the Newhouse School Of Public Communications at Syracuse University. The endowment today of some 20 million and an annual budget of 10 million.

Of course if the grantor was in the same league as the example used in the article "Pizza Hut School Of Nutrition" then there would obviously be no comparison.

There are many pillars of American Industry that are certainly worthy of having their name associated with an institute of higher learning.

Just A Smokin'

2007-08-01T08:49:00.000-04:00

Zachary and I went to see The Simpons Movie yesturday afternoon. I thought yesturday would be a good day since it was suppose to be in the 90's and I didn't really feel like going down to the pool. It's been one of those weeks so far. There are times, right out of the blue when suddenly it seems like every joint in my body aches. Talk about getting old. lol Nausea has been kicking in late afternoon for a bit too. Christ, you'd think I was doing chemo.

I can't take anything during the day or I end up wasting it on the couch so I take the meds at bedtime and for the most part they work. Although I like to stay functional during the day at least I haven't needed to go to the ER.

Anyway. The movie was good....if you like The Simpsons. I used to watch it every weekend when it first came out...well, what? 18 years ago. Zachary never saw an episode until yesturday morning when we recorded the show from the night before. I admit it's still funny but alot of it a younger child (Zachary included) won't get cause alot of the comedy is from popular culture.

So today I was up at 7am so I could get the charcoal going in the smoker. I think the meat has been on about an hour now. I bought two whole sirloin tips from a local store (2.44 per lbs) and cut them down to reasonably smaller pieces to go onto the smoker. I love to smoke meat and I prefer Mesquite over Hickory wood. I am thinking I should be done some where around 1 and maybe we will go swimming this afternoon.

So, 20 lbs of beef are in the smoker and when done they will go into two crock pots with BBQ sauce. One will be Bulls Eye Original and the other will be Dinosaur BBQ sauce and maybe a bottle of Dinosaur Wango Tango sauce to boot and then will cook it till Saturday. Saturday we're having the neighbors over...well, anyone who would like a nice slow smoked, fork pulled BBQ and a cold beverage.

I live on a corner of two dead end streets and most of the nieghbors live across the street on one of those dead ends. Ever once in a while the wind will shift and send a plume of mesquite flavored smoke their way. Gotta Love it.

Dennis Miller's New Job

2007-07-30T13:13:00.000-04:00

I am glad to see Dennis Miller working again

Go Google!!!

2007-07-30T11:00:00.000-04:00

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/29/AR2007072901259.html?hpid=topnews

Google wants to end that restriction and has urged the FCC to require the winner of the auction to build a network that will be open to all cellphones and services, so any consumer can have access to Google's array of offerings.

In my opinion, what ATT&T and Verizon want you to do or continue to do rather is like being limited to GE televisions if you want to watch NBC programming.

We have been able to choose from any number of long distance telephone carriers for a number of years now. Why not do the same thing with wireless phone? Let me buy the new iphone for example and use it on Verizon system if I can get a plan without paying for data service I may not utilize 100%.

Certainly google wants to be able to offer its services on the new bandwidth but that would be the same as buying your GE television, watching CBS and watching commercials?

Doesn't it come down to freedom of choice?

Anything that breaks the stranglehold felt by consumers I am in favor of.

Go Google !!!

Hot Sauce Antics

2007-07-30T08:43:00.000-04:00

We've gotten along pretty well with our new neighbors. Saturday Shelly was making stuffed peppers from the peppers she has gotten from a couple of neighbor's gardens. I was having a beer with the neighbor next door and had him come in inside to show h8im what he was getting later when the peppers were done.

We proceded into a conversation about hot sauce. It seems as though his son Noah puts hot sauce on everything. I said I have some hot sauce for ya...and proceeded to break out my stash of Dave's Insanity Sauce.

I got the report later that Jim offered it to his son Noah and he warned him it would be hot. Noah proclaimed he was the one who puts hot sauce on everything....even his pizza. Ok,....so he puts some on his finger and puts it in his mouth. A few moments later he was chugging a glass of water and then was at the kitchen sink letting water run into his mouth...not drinking it but cooling it off.

Later, Shannon stops over. Shannon lives acrosse the st from Jim and was telling myself and Shelly how her husband (Roy) and Jim's neighbor (Andy) some how think they are hot sauce gods. So...she ended up with the hot sauce I gave to Jim and offered it to Roy first...I guess he was the smart one and just tried a little on a chip but Andy wanted to chug it. Andy took alot!!! He initially said there was nothing to it.

Initially...

See the first few moments after eating Insanity Sauce are nothing but that is when the heat kicks in. I mean REALLY kicks in. I was told his eyes started watering and tears started flowing down his face as he ran for all the water he could find.

And if you think that was hot....wait til later when you get to experience the heat for the second time.

Bless You

2007-07-30T08:40:00.000-04:00

I had smoked a pork loin all afternoon for dinner last night and afterwards Shelly and Zack went out onto the front porch to have some watermellon.

After a few moments I heard Shelly laugh. Then, Zack came inside and was sneezing. I mean like sneezing every 10 seconds or so. He came into the living room to get a tissue.. sneeze, sneeze, sneeze

I guess that happens when you inhale a watermellon seed through your nose.

Bless you Zack.

Hearing Date

2007-07-27T12:38:00.001-04:00

We just received a certified letter today saying that we have a hearing September 21st in Lycoming County Court for involuntary termination of parental rights and adoption.

Did The Bubble Burst?

2007-07-26T12:43:00.000-04:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070726/bs_nm/homebuilders_dc_2;_ylt=ApS1JiyL4ceNVCf3W1PTUxkE1vAI

Timing is everything in a market...whether that be stocks or real estate.

On Thursday, the U.S. Commerce Department said June single-family homes sales fell 6.6 percent from May, as the median sales price dropped 1.3 percent.

We sold our home a couple of months ago and although the housing market in that area of the country is strong due to Ft. Drum, one has to wonder if the recent downturn in the market has effected the areas of the country where housing was a sellers market.

First there was a shakeup....lenders in sub prime loans were facing more and more foreclosures. This happend because generally speaking, people were looking to buy more house than they could afford and getting into variable APR mortgages to do it. As interest rates started to climb, so did the interest rated on those mortgages.

If a home buyer took out a mortgage for the most the bank would lend with little or no downpayment then that buyer is probably looking at a crisis if he isn't in one already. Certainly the monthly payment of a 250k loan at 5 % variable rate is much less the 6.5% fixed for the same amount. So when that introductory rate of 5% climbs to 6, 6.5% the house of cards can come falling down.

This makes the overall real estate market a buyers market, for now.

That house I sold for $99,900 just a couple months ago may actually be worth less and the buyer who financed 100%, well it will be some time before he has any equity.

Kid Eats Habanero Pepper

2007-07-26T10:45:00.000-04:00

What was he thinking??

http://view.break.com/337311 - Watch more free videos

Dunkirk, The Aquarium and Niagara Falls

2007-07-24T07:18:00.000-04:00

My sister-in-law had a little girl who is nine months old. Her husband, Shelly's brother is with the 3rd inf division at Ft Stewart and is in Iraq for his third tour. Summer and the kids were comming up to western NY for a wedding so our original plans were to meet he and take her kids for a week while she goes up north for her wedding.

Then they announced the extension of combat tours. Then we found out that Todd would be home during this period so taking the kids would be out of the question so the thought was to head up north and meet them there and see everyone. Todd's leave was cut short a week or so in an emergency so we had to go back earlier than expected and from what we've heard since he was still in Kuwait a week later waiting to catch a ride back to his unit near Ramadi.

Hurry up and wait is what they tell you in the Army. It is time missed with his children and his family and we are sad that he didn't get to spend that time with his kids. It's sad that they called him back midway through his leave just to have him wait in Kuwait. So I guess we'll have to wait until next summer and we'll all get together then.

Somehow being in Kuwait and far removed from the shooting isn't much of a consolation from being with your loved ones.

So we still went up to Dunkirk and Shelly's parents did as well and spent a long weekend from Friday til yesturday morning. Friday evening we took all three kids while Summer and her parents went to a wedding on Saturday.

So Saturday we took a side trip to Niagara Falls.

We also went to the Aquarium...well, originally went to Niagara for the Aquarium for the kids and for Jacob (3 yrs old) to see penguins.

We originally didn't think of the falls but since we had time to kill and no other plans and the falls being right there, why not.

The next time we get up that way and get to see the falls we will have to take The Maid Of The Mist Tour.

After seeing the falls we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch.

\

Here is a photo of 9 month old Ava looking over the menu at the Hard Rock

And another of her fixing her hair for the photo.

So we came home yesturday....and it is always nice to sleep in your own bed. No more overnight trips are planned until November and the trip to Hawaii.... 12 hours of flying time ought to be interesting.

Just Plain W R O N G !!!

2007-07-17T08:50:00.000-04:00

http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070716/NEWS02/70716022

Toledo mom pleads guilty to having sex with son

A Toledo mother pleaded guilty this morning to sexual battery for having sex with her adult son.

Terry Walker, 54, of 3527 East Manhattan Blvd., agreed to plead guilty to the third-degree felony and there will now be a hearing to determine the level of her sexual offender registration.

When she is sentenced Aug. 23, Walker could face a maximum of five years in prison. Toledo police said she had engaged in a long-term sexual relationship with her son, Kevin Ware, 28.

Nickelback, Staind & Daughtry

2007-07-16T07:52:00.000-04:00

Saturday was our concert at Hershey Park. We have seen Nickelback before and this time I was looking forward to Staind and Shelly was looking forward to seeing Daughtry.

We live about 1.5 hours from Hershey Park and the concert starting at 6:30 we left the house at 3pm thinking that should leave us plenty of time.

Nope.

Everything was fine through Harrisburg but the closer we got to Hershey the more the traffic. You expect a bit of traffic but it took up 2.5 hours to go the last 2 miles and were able to park our car. We got into the stadium at 7:30 and Staind was already playing.

When I buy my concert tickets I am online and logged into my Ticketmaster account when the tickets go on sale at 10am so I usually can get very close to the stage. This was general admission and I didn't realize that until after I had bought the tickets. I don't know if that would have made a difference or not since this was the only PA stop on the tour. As it was they were playing at a football stadium and it was sold out to about 30,000 fans.

I bought 2 beers for $12 and a t shirt for myself and Zachary for $70 and it was out to the concert area.

Now we have been to a few concerts...Saratoga, Montage Mountain, Pepsi Arena, NY State Fair, Syracuse War Memorial, Carrier Dome, etc etc but what happend after the concert Saturday left a lasting impression.

Never again will I go to Hershey Park to see a concert at the Stadium or most likely to any even at the stadium for that matter.

We left the concert during what was to be Nickelback's last song before their encores. We got to the tram and waited in line for that but all in all from the time we left the stadium to the time we were on the highway (less than 1 mile away) and heading home was 2 whole hours....and we left before the end of the concert and the fireworks. There still must have been 25,000 or so people behind us. We left the concert at 10 and made it home at 1:30am.

Traffic management getting out of the park and to the highway is completely unacceptable.

Even at the Carrier Dome for Elton John & Billy Joel (which was sold out) NY State Police had control of the traffic right from interstate 81 which runs right through Syracuse. Did we see anything like that in this instance, nope. We saw plenty of security but nothing, and I mean nothing until you were immediately in front of the park.

I don't recall any PA State Police until after the show. One was manually operating a traffic light at one intersection and one had a lane of highway blocked so traffic could exit an onramp easier.

You need some sort of control further out from the park when they are expecting large volumes of attendees to an event. I am suprised there weren't more accidents as some people lose all sense of rationale when they have to sit that long.

Never Again

Coversations With Zack And Other Things

2007-07-12T07:59:00.000-04:00

I was at my computer a couple of days ago and the kids were in the bedroom playing playstation 2 when I heard something about a hot chick. I realized what they were playing and told them I didn't think they needed to be playing the Sims. I had bought the game and never got into it. Now it sits in a drawer at my desk, waiting to be tossed into the circular file.

So we had an intereting converstation at last nights dinner table. I tried to ask Zack about what he learned at the scouts meetings in the prior two nights. Ok, I already knew he learned S I X things but he must have picked up more. I wanted him to talk about it.

So I asked him what happens when we die. I was trying to get at what happens to the spirit, etc. I am not sure the exact response but the conversation that immediately followed is what is funny.

On the same lines as "hot chick" some how Zachary brought up "making out" and of course we discussed how a seven year old shouldn't be concerned with those things yet.

So somehow and I don't remember how, it must been brought up on what happens if Shelly dies.....Zachary without hesitation says I would get remarried. Thanks for looking out for me lol. Then it was asked what happens if I die, should mommy get remarried? Zachary had to think about that one and after more than a few moments he gave his approval.

LOL

Adoption - Still awaiting word on the first two siblings we had an interest in. The last thing we heard is that they will meet some time this month to go over all of the home studies they received. I am sure that because we are in another state that we won't be the lucky ones but we'll keep our fingers crossed anyway. One can only hope. We haven't heard anything on any of the other 3 or so children that we have expressed an interest in. I am sure its a long process all the way around.

House - We heard that our landlord is buying the lot next to us. We have gotten to know they neighbors over the past couple of months and really like the neighborhood so we put a bug in the landlord's ear that if they decided to sell this house that we would be interested in it along with the side lot as well. It would be big enough to add onto this house plus room for a pool.

If they don't decide to sell we are on track with our financial plan. So far I've paid down my debt by $4,500+ in the last month or so...only another $23 to go aside from the cars lol. The plan for now is to be debt free by June of 08 and to start saving for a house.

Shelly - Proceeding nicely on her Masters Degree. She is only taking one class at a time and is taking Fall semester off due to our trip and I seem to remember she should be done with her degree in another year and half. She was approved for VA educational benefits so if and when her school ever sends out the certification she will have 17 months of back pay comming.

I think we may have some good news on Shelly's job comming soon.

God And Me

2007-07-11T13:38:00.001-04:00

Just when I thought Zachary was done with his religion requirement with scouts when he came home from day camp and he told me he learned about Scientology I get an email saying they will be meeting Monday and Tuesday this week with the pastor at the church where we hold the meetings.

Now I don't mind but just how long is the attention spans of 12 of your average 7 or 8 year olds down in the basement of a church when it is 95 outside? I am not sure but for some of them it was rough.

Needless to say I did not burst into flames myself comming face to face with a member of the clergy.....but the bmw 5 series he drove up in was nice.

Zack learned about his spirit and....well, he named six things and said that's all he knows.

...and all is good.

iPhone Review Part Deux

2007-07-10T08:06:00.001-04:00

Comment

Do some research. At between 300 and 400 charges, the battery will be at 80% of its original capacity. Poor journalism.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html

Posted by bng | 8:02 PM

I was going to put this as a comment to one that was posted but thought I would include the comment and my remarks in a new post.

From:

http://www.apple.com/batteries/iphone.html

Maximum Battery Life

iPhone offers up to 8 hours of talk time,(1) 6 hours of Internet use,(2) 7 hours of video playback,(3) or 24 hours of audio playback(4) on a full charge at original capacity. In addition, iPhone features up to 250 hours of standby time.(5)
Charge Cycles

A properly maintained iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity after 400 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs.
Let It Breathe

Charging your iPhone while in certain carrying cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity. If you notice that your iPhone gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case first.

I don't recall making a statement that anything I post should be even remotely associated with journalism at all but thanks anyway.

In any case. The maximum battery life must surely be "best case scenario" and of course there is no way to prove this at this point in time and only time will tell. I stated right off that I am not an apple fan...so I am biased.

However, with a slight note (I did say slight) of objectivity, there will be a group of people who will discover that they need to replace their battery at some point prior to the ending of their contract.

I have had my RAZR since it first came to the market. I have not lost any noticable amount of battery power but then again I don't use it even remotely close to what is hoped for with the iphone. Even so, should I lose acceptable battery power a replacement costs under $20 and I do not lose my phone for any period of time....assuming it is still functioning.

Now of course my product is 2+ years old and the iPhone being new to the market a battery would cost more than mine at $20....perhaps $40?? ok, even an initial $50 I don't have a problem with but let the battery be replaceable....even at an AT&T or Apple store, not at the factory. I suspect that in 1.5 years or so or definately within the 2 year period we will see this issue come up again and the more real world use these phones get with internet, video, etc we'll see how this plays out.

On another note

Shelly had over 440 songs on her iPod. This is her second iPod and of these songs there are 40 or so that she does not have backed up anywhere.

With a little help from a $29 software purchased from Amazon.com she was able to not only recover all her itunes purchased music but transfer them over to REAL player which supports many many brands of mp3 players.

http://www.valusoft.com/products/tunetoolsmm.html

in part...

You love your iPod, but it comes with built-in limitations. Get quick and easy access to all your owned content and more. Tune Tools™ allows you to transfer songs between iPods, make instant back-ups, recover missing files and even create podcasts!

Transfer - Move songs, videos, podcasts and other files
easily from your iPod to a computer or another iPod.

File Recovery - Restore files that occasionally disappear
from the iPod database with the click of a mouse.

Detect & Fix - Find your iPod’s problems before they
find you and correct them with a click of a mouse.

Create - Easily import sound files, edit them, and
combine them with other files or new recordings
for personalized podcasts.

Clean Up - Remove duplicate songs, correct incorrect
tags and detect inconsistencies between your library
and your iPod.

Protect - With instant back-ups, your songs, videos and podcasts are safe!

You may be asking yourself....since Shelly is a die hard iPod devotee, what is she doing?

Well my friends to steal a phrase from the Dokken song she is "Breaking The Chains" and is switching to Creative 30GB Vision M which won two awards in 2006 from CNET.

http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=14331

iPhone media blitz missed battery 'fee'

2007-07-09T15:26:00.000-04:00

Red Tape Chronicles is MSNBC.com's effort to unmask government bureaucracy, corporate sneakiness and outright scam artists.

Bob Sullivan covers Internet scams and consumer fraud for MSNBC.com. He is the winner of multiple journalism awards for his coverage of online crime and is the author of the book Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic.

http://redtape.msnbc.com/2007/07/why-was-iphones.html

iPhone media blitz missed battery 'fee'
Posted: Monday, July 9 at 06:00 am CT by Bob Sullivan

While hundreds of thousands of eager consumers waited anxiously for the iPhone last week, most probably didn’t know about the hidden fee attached to their purchase.

Now the obvious question is this: With all the words spoken and written about the iPhone prior to launch, why didn't someone tell them?

The iPhone battery will only survive about 300-400 recharges, the company says. Because the unit is sealed, consumers can't swap out dead batteries. Instead, dead phones must be sent to Apple, where battery replacement will take three business days and cost $79 plus a $6.95 shipping charge. Those who can't live without their cell phones for those three days can rent a spare iPhone for $29.

This pricey, and apparently inevitable, aftercharge never made it into any of the voluminous news stories written and filmed about the iPhone prior to its launch on June 29. Why not?

According to the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, Apple's Web site made no mention of the battery fee on the morning of June 29, when thousands of Apple faithful lined up all around the country to buy the phone, which costs $500 or $600, depending on model.

Harvey Rosenfield, director of the foundation, is calling on Apple to promise free battery replacements to the estimated half a million iPhone buyers who may have purchased the phone without knowing its true costs.

"This was insensitive, inappropriate and possibly illegal," he said. "We're going to monitor their response carefully."

Explanation of the fee now appears on Apple's Web site, although it's not clear when that was posted. Published reports indicate the notice was posted as early as the evening of June 29, though it was not easy to find.

Apple didn't immediately respond to requests for an interview for this story.

One week later
Blogs began mentioning the battery replacement fee early last week, after the launch. The first prominent reference to it seems to be in a Wall Street Journal column written by Walt Mossberg, which appeared in the newspaper on July 5.

Hmmm, Lets see.....I included this bit of info in my post on July 6th.

Can You Say H O T !!!

2007-07-09T12:00:00.001-04:00

95 today and that isn't counting the humidity.

Another hour the pool opens. :)

Of course it isn't as hot as where my brother lives in Las Vegas where they had a temp of 116 last week. Now that's hot.

We saw a couple of very good movies over the past week or so. We took Zack to see Transformers. I was very impressed. It was a very good movie. One that I would definately buy of Blu Ray.

The other movie we saw Saturday was the latest in the Die Hard series. Live Free or DIE HARD. That is another one that will look good on Blu Ray playing on the home theater.

All I can say ...to borrow a line from Die Hard is "Yippee Ky Yay Mother Fu*ker."

To iPhone or Not To iPhone

2007-07-06T08:07:00.000-04:00

Being a gadget family we...um, or should I say Shelly was looking at getting the iPhone when it came out. I say Shelly cause I am not a big fan of Apple in general and in specific....the iPod.

Show me the money.

The first concern I had was that it was not going to run on the 3G or "third generation" network. That is mainly because for Cingular, 3G is only available in very limited areas. I'll steal a term I have read and will consider the network the iPhone will work on as 2.7G. The past several months AT&T was busy "tweaking" their infrastructure to make it run a bit faster.

I have a Motorola RZR phone and have at times...well in extreme cases of boredom when I am away from home, have accessed the Internet. It is undeniably pathetically slow. It's like waiting for ice to melt, water to evaporate, something like that. I did not buy the phone to surf the web so that was not and is not an issue with my current phone.

I think a salesman would have to show me exactly how fast this baby is for internet if that is one of their selling points. I mean don't show me in the store where you are obviously working with Wi Fi...no, take me into the parking lot and bring up a favorite web page of mine, then some click throughs, etc etc. Let's see how it works in the real world.

I have WiFi in my home as both computers are wirelessly connected so the connectivity issue is moot in my home but if I am out and about whether walking or a passenger in an auto (I wouldn't encourage driving while texting) and feel the urge to check on a hot stock or see what the latest damage Hamas has done in Gaza I should be able to, not because I necessarily want to but because I can and they said so. I should be able to do this without running to the nearest hotspot to make it happen at a reasonable and prudent speed.

The second issue I had was that AT&T was going to charge you for the wireless data plan. I admit I have no clue as to how many of us actually use our phones to surf the internet aside from the occasional ring tone download. Considering the issues above, what if I just want the two features that make the phone??? You know....combining the iPod with the phone... a la iPhone??

You can't do it. You had to purchase the unlimited iphone data package that adds another $20 to your bill. Considering I now pay roughly $100/mo for two phones and minutes I never use up in a month I think I don't want to pay for more services that I will not use thank you very much. Maybe its the "build it and they will come" mentality or in this case make it available and they will use it but I am skeptical. Most people have internet available to them at home or the office or both so I don't see a big mobile internet on demand amongst the working folk. I may be wrong. In any case, why not offer the phone without a data plan would you please?

I won't go on to list the activation delays or the inability for the owner to swap out the battery which are temporary although painful when it happens.

My main issue with this device is...well, apple.

Now don't get me wrong. I am all for the David vs Goliath (Apple vs Microsoft) but Apple is very highly proprietary and so much so its almost to the point of monopolistic. Take the iPod. You buy from iTunes and transfer to iPod but you can't buy from iTunes and download to any other mp3 device than from Apple.

You cannot buy music from another service other than iTunes and put on the iPod easily. You have to jump through hoops...meaning there are 2-3 steps you need to take to place songs from others services onto the iPod or from iTunes onto foreign devices.

You might suggest converting to Apple.

I like a little competition in the market place and I don't want to pay for the privelege in owning an Apple product down the road. Meaning, if the battery dies, I don't want to be without my product while it gets shiped to Apple, repaired/replaced and shipped back. That is likely the time you would want to use the product the most.

So, in the end this gadget was not bought. Not due to any of the reasons above but because Shelly couldn't justify the price. So, it was price alone.

To have an 4GB or 8GB mp3 playing phone with that screen size I would have given some amount of consideration to if it were lower in price.

Block Party

2007-07-05T08:45:00.000-04:00

We live in a very quiet part of town. We don't get any traffic here at all unless it is someone lost. Most of the houses are at the opposite end of my street, the other side of the intersection. We live on the corner. There are seven families that live on the opposite end of the street and some 9 children.

All told there were 89 people at the party yesterday. I got up at 6:30 and started my smoker at 7am and had the meat on at 7:45. I had 8.5 lbs of sirloin tip. Half was marinated in a south west sauce from Wegmans and the other was plain. Aside from my grill there was 4 other that cooked 8 lbs of kielbasa, 54 lbs of hamburgers, and 12 packages of hot dogs. Wow. I also counted about 4 dishes of salads and I don't know how many deserts that everyone brought. Food was ready at 3pm

We capped the evening off with horseshoes and a few games of volleyball before the fireworks started. Everyone pulled a chair up and sat in the neighbors yard or across the street or on the street itself.

ARE YOU NUTS????

2007-07-02T09:35:00.000-04:00

Look what $69,000 will buy you.

http://www.villagerrealty.com/listings.php?listid=07-33185

That's right, You read right....$69,000 for an abundant amount of floor space totalling a whopping 475 sq ft. Click the link above to see the listing.

Ya know I saw a guy working on this for some time. I thought it was a garage they were siding.....then I saw a for sale on it...private sale.. Then I saw the Coldwell Banker sign on it and needed to see what the owner was asking for this little piece of nirvana.

You do get a completly updated home, yup...everythng is brand spanking new, 475 sq ft. You do get very low taxes at $277/yr, 475 sq ft. You do get 2 parking spaces and although I am not certain whether they are meaning bikes or cars, 475 sq ft. I guess at least you have all the utilities, 475 sq ft.

Can you see the theme here?? 475 Sq Ft... That's 145 $$$ (US Dollars, not Canadian or Australian ---- US freaking greenbacks) per square foot!!!!

Let's just say at that rate....if this house were say, 2000 sq ft you would be looking at $290,000 and that's not including land my friends.So it is very conceivable that if this house were bigger and with a decent lot of land you would be looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of $370k.

At least you have a commanding view of the rail road tracks!!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

2007-07-02T08:13:00.001-04:00

Ahhh, another 4th is upon us and what better way to honor the occasion than with a festive roman candle fight. My hat is off to these members of our military who see a good training opportunity in any environment.

anyway, We had a busy weekend. Saturday Zack went with Shelly early so he could walk in the Lewisburg parade. I found a spot at 9:30 and waited for the parade to start at 10. Just in the one area I was at there must have easily been a couple 1000 people and I know the parade stretched for a couple miles. I left after a marching band dressed as indians went passed me at 11:45. I don't know how much was left but it was enough. ConAgra had a trailer and handed out 15,000 packages of Crunch N Munch. Zack was in the back of the trailer filling the baskets that the group was handing out the product from.

Later that day it was down to Lancaster and a couple of Outlet Malls and dinner then back home. We didn't get to take an Amish buggy ride since we started late.

When we got home about 10pm the neighbors....well all the neighbors were next door winding down a cook out so they asked us over. Most of the neighborhood is very, especially the ones with kids. So we went over and hung out for a while. It was really the first time Shelly got to talk to any of them since she's gone most of the day.

We all got to bed around midnight....way way beyond our collective bedtimes.

So much so that we all took a nap yesterday afternoon. I got up to find this...

What's he doing in MY chair???

Zack has to march in our 4th of July parade here in Watsontown with the scouts. I will be busy tending to a couple pieces of beef I am marinating for the block party. We live on a corner of two dead end streets. The families with children are closing off the street and throwing a party. Everyone is bringing a dish...I am smoking 8.5 lbs of tip roast, one-half marinated, one not. I am hearing there will be about 80 people here and we'll be able to see the fireworks from our backyard.

Sounds like a good time.

Austin & Audrey

2007-06-28T10:56:00.001-04:00

One thing we have been told all along is that young caucasian children are a rare find. I look at the PA site and I never see any child under age 7 that is not severely handicaped physically or emotionally. There are national sites that have photolistings of children waiting to be adopted but how often are these files updated is anyone's guess. There are two sites that I visit quite regularly of neighboring states that seem to keep their listings updated.

So imagine the excitement when you find a little one, or two for that matter. It's an obvious longshot as even though you catch the listing on the day it is posted so do many other families who are looking for the same thing.

Austin and Audrey are siblings...1 and 2 years old and that is all I can know at the moment. The social worker who is handling their case will contact my agency and verify our homestudy then we may get a biography on the children. We will know a little about their parents and what medical issues may arise in the future based on the extended family.

Just by coincidence, Shelly's employer announced an adoption reimbursement plan yesturday.

Savannah and Charlie

2007-06-27T08:46:00.000-04:00

We got an adoption history yesterday on the brother and sister we showed interest in. They were taken from their mother due to neglect. It's one of those scenarios where the grandmother had children at a young age, the mother started having children at a young age (pre 20's) and neither had family support in place to help raise the children....talk about breaking the cycle now. Parents never finished school beyond the 8th grade and have only worked in menial jobs.

Sad part is that there is another one due by the mother in a couple of months.

I got a call from the social worker yesterday handling the children reminding me to fax the homestudy in by Thursday....my agency did that last Friday. She also told me they were only accepting homestudies from parents who did not need a subsidy and who did not need a medical card. We're fine in both areas.

I asked how much response she had gotten concerning the children and she replied quite alot...about 110. I said , at least they will go to a good family even if its not us. She laughed and thanked me for my positive attitude about it.

How could you not.

It's an opportunity to make a difference in a child's life when you consider adopting. It's an opportunity to change their life completely for the better. Soooo even if we aren't the ones selected for whatever reason you have to believe that they will go to a great set of parents and they will have a much better life than what they have had so far in their brief time.

We also submitted interest in another set of siblings, another brother and sister aged 5 and 4 so we should get their adoption history next week.

Feeding Frenzy

2007-06-25T09:19:00.000-04:00

We were told from the beginning that when adopting, if you are holding out for a blonde hair blue eyes, etc etc or if you are looking for an infant it will be a long wait. I told our social worker that I was looking at the photolistings online and she said not to get my hopes up too much. Those littles ones or the ones that everyone seems to be looking for go quickly.

They do.

Last Wednesday evening I saw two very adorble children online. They were siblings and ages 4 and 5. We submitted an interest form online. We try to limit our searches to our state and neighboring states simply to cut down on the amount of traveling. No more than an afternoon's drive time in distance is fine for us.

So I submitted an interest form which includes our homestudy info...social worker name, address and number and date the study was completed. I assumed they would verify the info with our agency and give a packet of more info on the children. I checked the site again Thursday and they had gotten so much response that they were limiting the time they were accepting homestudies. A call to the ocntact number gave me a message to fax a copy of the homestudy.

I called my agency and left a message. A call Friday morning confirmed that our homestudy was faxed first thing Friday morning. So Wednesday was the first day those children were posted on the interet as available and today is the final day they are accepting homestudies.

So at this point we stand a greater chance than if we not shown any interest. You don't get anywhere unless you try.

OUCH !!!!

2007-06-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

One of the activities on the last day of Scout Camp was having one of the parents throw water ballons at the kids.....blindfolded. Most hit the ground but there were a few that found their mark, including this one I caught.

There are more photos at my photo site.