This morning I looked at my Facebook page and realized that many of my friends have started sending me links to conservative blogs and newspapers. For some reason my computer will go to a new site and then glitch. (I blame this on a built in crap detector) Therefor I seldom go to one of those links anymore. I did go in and delete connections to the Huffington Post and sites that are just ads in disguise. Now if I can just get my friends to share what they think or feel without expecting me to go to some site I will be in like Flint.
Did I mention that I hate people that go out on the net and search for cute sayings that support their feeling and then instead of telling me about how they feel, they send me one of those cute lite cartoons or a page that looks like it was made on Power Point. If I thought they had made it, I might be interested. If you send more than one such post a day, you are way too boring and have way too much time on your hands.
Where has our civility gone? I personally don't agree with Mrs. Obama as she meddles in the content of school children's lunch. What I don't understand is the uproar over her doing it. The first question I ask is, are her actions so contrary to what I think and feel? Most of the time I am just glad she is engaged in something worthwhile and not on another trip at the cost of hundreds of Thousands of our dollars. The same can be said about Senator McCain. Unless and until his message about the Republicans and Democrats being able to reach across the aisle to work out the tough problems, we will get the party politic as the answer for all problems. Can't people see that a Democrat from Georgia might be more conservative than a Republican from California?
That leads me back to a thought I posted a couple of months ago. I met a lady that was from New York and she said that Hillary Clinton was the best US Senator she had ever had. What she did in Washington was so helpful to the people in New York. I didn't disagree with her on that issue, I just calmly asked her what Hillary was doing for the USA as a Senator? If all she wanted to do was help the people from New York, she should be in Albany. I was in a Van load of musicians attending our Jazz festival and many of them clapped when I said that. US Senators from a State are there to bring their ideals and ideas to the US Senate and fix the big problems. They need to work on problems that are eating our lunch and not spend hours working on gaining power to make their party stronger.
Unless and until we get a Congress and a President that stand for something, we will continue to have our country flooded with illegal immigrants and have a budget deficit that we will never be able to repay. I am tired of people saying we need to jump in and fix all the problems in the Muslim world. Can't you all tell that they hate us for our freedoms and no matter how much money or support they will never become like us. In fact, I would venture that they hate us a lot more than we even notice them.
When will it all end? When it does and not a moment sooner. The Pundits every election year say that the pendulum will swing at the next election and it really doesn't. No matter who we elect there will be a new group that will come to Washington and want to spend a lot of dollars on programs and problems that effect only small portions of our Country. They will stagger around fixing the small problems and leave many big things broken.
I would make every new person coming into Washington attend a mandatory class on the Constitution. Read what the Congress is really there for and quit medaling in things that are not theirs to fix. If Texas wants to execute their people on Death Row, more power to them. If California doesn't want abortion controlled in any form, that is their right. I think if people would better understand what is the job at every level, things would get simpler.
MUD
7/07/2014
7/06/2014
Say What?
One of the things I posted a short while back seems more appropriate every day. "I abhor stupid speech! Not the kind that uninformed people make, but the kind that is so stupid that even the speaker has to know it is not right." For the record, Even Fred Phelps repented before he died. If there was ever a reason for the Westborough Baptist Church flock to reconsider their hate message that should be at the top of their list. The freedom of speech should give them the right to say "I Hate You." but leave god out of it. Fight you own fight.
I am not sure what the President and Congress is going to do to clean up the mess going on right now when it comes to immigration. My solution is to mobilize the Air Guard's C-130s and fly them home at the earliest possible moment. Give them a bottle of water as they get off the plane and depart. The other solution is to spend millions of dollars on them and tie up our federal courts for years trying to judge each one and then try to send them home. Once the mess is cleared up some and the people down south see that we aren't going to shout "Allie-Allie Ox in Free" they might (Notice the word Might) stop sending the children north. Another method might be for the Army to be given the job of sealing the border and keep their strength numbers high.
I have a solution that will end the gridlock in Congress. If every person would send their congressional members a post card saying that we will vote for anyone but them in the next election. (and then do it) Throw out the rich, getting richer, congress and elect people that have common sense not self betterment. All you have to do is look around and see there are smart people everywhere that might be talked into running in the next election. The other night I asked if anyone thought the minister Tobias (I can't imagine even spelling Snegelspeeken Spell Checker couldn't either) will run again. He is quoted as saying that not getting elected was probably the best thing that ever happened to him.
Oh well, better get on with my day and see if there are real windmills that need tilting here at Rabbit Run. Just a note the name Rabbit Run comes from the fact that when we first moved here if we drove in at night we could see rabbits running in the field. Between the Hawks, coyotes and whatever that is not as true today. Perhaps a better name now should be "Deer Stroll." We have plenty of them.
MUD
I am not sure what the President and Congress is going to do to clean up the mess going on right now when it comes to immigration. My solution is to mobilize the Air Guard's C-130s and fly them home at the earliest possible moment. Give them a bottle of water as they get off the plane and depart. The other solution is to spend millions of dollars on them and tie up our federal courts for years trying to judge each one and then try to send them home. Once the mess is cleared up some and the people down south see that we aren't going to shout "Allie-Allie Ox in Free" they might (Notice the word Might) stop sending the children north. Another method might be for the Army to be given the job of sealing the border and keep their strength numbers high.
I have a solution that will end the gridlock in Congress. If every person would send their congressional members a post card saying that we will vote for anyone but them in the next election. (and then do it) Throw out the rich, getting richer, congress and elect people that have common sense not self betterment. All you have to do is look around and see there are smart people everywhere that might be talked into running in the next election. The other night I asked if anyone thought the minister Tobias (I can't imagine even spelling Snegelspeeken Spell Checker couldn't either) will run again. He is quoted as saying that not getting elected was probably the best thing that ever happened to him.
Oh well, better get on with my day and see if there are real windmills that need tilting here at Rabbit Run. Just a note the name Rabbit Run comes from the fact that when we first moved here if we drove in at night we could see rabbits running in the field. Between the Hawks, coyotes and whatever that is not as true today. Perhaps a better name now should be "Deer Stroll." We have plenty of them.
MUD
7/05/2014
Day After
Last night here at Rabbit Run was like being in a war zone. I cannot imagine how many hundreds of dollars were spent making noise and light. Sure hope they had lots of fun. At least there weren't three dogs here to be scared out of their minds.
Barbara needs to make a Library run soon so I won't make this too long. I try to never pass up a chance to go somewhere that just might be fun. Our guest just left so we are now free to run errands and such.
This morning we discussed the diversity of people and how different people are. There is no real consensus on the nature or nurture issue. I think that just as people are differently wired, they have different environmental effects and responses to those effects. I pointed out that there is a couple that have twins about 1 year old. They are a boy and girl set and their mother said she is in awe of the different way they respond to the same things. She is overcome with laughter when they smile and play so it is not a really big deal what they do. They sure make my heart smile when they are captured on Facebook laughing and playing. The little girl was standing the other day so it will soon be the pitter-patter of little feet running on through life. At least when they crawled she could stand a chance to keep up.
There was one interesting discussion this morning about the right to life and how many supporters of that thought want the death penalty. It seems a little strange to me that they aren't diametrically opposed. But with that said, I kind of understand how issues with an emotional component can cause strong feelings.
Well, enough time spent here, I hope that the rest of you have a better second half of 2014 than the first half was. For me, it will probably be a lot more of the same. I tell my friends that if they hear a juicy story about me, spread it on. As dull and boring as I am, I need all the publicity I can get.
MUD
Barbara needs to make a Library run soon so I won't make this too long. I try to never pass up a chance to go somewhere that just might be fun. Our guest just left so we are now free to run errands and such.
This morning we discussed the diversity of people and how different people are. There is no real consensus on the nature or nurture issue. I think that just as people are differently wired, they have different environmental effects and responses to those effects. I pointed out that there is a couple that have twins about 1 year old. They are a boy and girl set and their mother said she is in awe of the different way they respond to the same things. She is overcome with laughter when they smile and play so it is not a really big deal what they do. They sure make my heart smile when they are captured on Facebook laughing and playing. The little girl was standing the other day so it will soon be the pitter-patter of little feet running on through life. At least when they crawled she could stand a chance to keep up.
There was one interesting discussion this morning about the right to life and how many supporters of that thought want the death penalty. It seems a little strange to me that they aren't diametrically opposed. But with that said, I kind of understand how issues with an emotional component can cause strong feelings.
Well, enough time spent here, I hope that the rest of you have a better second half of 2014 than the first half was. For me, it will probably be a lot more of the same. I tell my friends that if they hear a juicy story about me, spread it on. As dull and boring as I am, I need all the publicity I can get.
MUD
7/04/2014
I'm the BBQ King of the World (Well, at least Rabbitrun)
I am really writing this for my Son's in-laws who just moved back to the heartland and bought their first grill. I guess in Las Vegas there was so many different places to eat that grilling in the heat is just not done that much. Where to start? I will pick a place that is my favorite and go from there.
I have had a Webber Grill for about as long as I can remember. I am a charcoal and hickory griller and in my eyes, nothing beats a Webber Grill. I put the coals on one side, get some hickory smoking and cook with the indirect smoky heat. One nice part about the Webber is you can let the hickory start flaming, put the lid on and it almost immediately starts making smoke that is just yummy. I have a house built in a hickory grove so I don't think I will ever run out of hickory. I know some people like apple or cherry wood but nothing beats charcoal and hickory. On to the meats.
I have found two places here that have about the best meat money can buy. Our Sam's Club (COSCO for those without one) have packages of meat for larger parties and their prices are good. If I buy my chicken and steak at Sam's club, I will be the better part of two hours out on the grill, but isn't that what life is for? The other place is HiVee, an employee owned grocery store that just flat out has some great meats. I think they buy the top grade of Iowa Beef and sell it one grade lower than it really is. They also have a wide range of steaks that can be bought one or two at a time. The other day I saw they had four different sizes of rib eye and one with the bone in they call the cowboy cut. They have so many different kinds of Brats that I haven't tried them all. Start with the best meat your can afford and move on from there. I don't normally cook hot dogs but if there are kids, they don't know an Oscar Meyer from a rib eye. Use you own best judgment there. Me, I vote for hot dogs for the kids only.
I think I have cooked on the grill only once or twice in my life that I didn't marinate the meat first. Chicken takes at least an hour and steaks two or three. For chicken I use a garlic, oil and soy sauce marinade. Taste it before you salt the meat. Most of the time it is salty enough. For steaks I use a product that is specially made for steaks that has a soy sauce, Worcestershire and garlic and onion powder in it. It is called Dale's Steak Seasoning and I also baste the steak with the marinade while it is cooking. We have almost stopped using steak sauce the steaks are so good. Remember that I do not cook directly over the coals. I do sear the outside of the steak at the very first but move them from the direct heat soon. If you are going to cook hamburgers, skip the 90/10 stuff. It is just too lean and the burgers will be dry if they are done. 80/20 is the leanest ground beef I will cook. I have some dehydrated onions that I put in a pepper mill and will add about half a cup of them and a good tablespoon of powdered garlic. I have used the Onion Soup Mix as a flavoring but I find it tough to get the flavor mixed in as well as I like. Salt and pepper those babies good as the fat dripping off will take the salt with it.
For my birthday a couple of years back I asked for a rotisserie so I could do roasts and pork loins. The Webber Grill has an extender that raised the lid so there is room for the meat to be above the grill. I almost always put a pan of water in the middle of the grill and add the coals to each side with no direct heat below the meats. In fact, today in addition to all the other good meats I have cooked and ready to re-heat I have a 7lb pork loin spinning in the smoke as I write. If it taste's half as good as it smells, every dog in the neighborhood will be at my door begging for scraps. Not that I plan on having much left over.
I use a starter chimney and find that I can tell just how hot the grill is going to be by how much charcoal I put in the chimney. About half full and it will cook about 250 to 300 Fill it to the top and you will have trouble keeping it under 450. Too hot for anything but chicken breasts with the bones attached. I always cook the chicken first and the steaks last. You can vary the cooking time by using direct heat or indirect heat or moving them back and forth. Yesterday I cooked rib eye's that were about an inch thick and a Strip steak that was about two inches thick. The rib eyes were done in about 35 minutes and the I haven't cut the strip steaks but I imagine they are medium rare. I gave them about an extra 10 minutes.
This time I also put a couple of potatoes on the edge of the grill and let them cook. They were a little dry but with butter they were smoky and yummy. I have also cooked asparagus wrapped with bacon in a grill basket. It has holes to let the smoke in and the fat to drip off. I am careful to not overcook this as it is like any asparagus that if overcooked is a waste. One year I also smoked some bacon that I dipped in brown sugar and soy sauce. I am sure that my doctor would be spinning in his office if he knew that I ate most of a pound of this sweet smoky bacon jerky over the next couple of days. It is too good. If I am going to cook Brats, I will often pre-cook them and then put them on the side of a nice smoky fire.
One thing I have to say is that living in Kansas, Fish is just something that has been frozen and thawed out on its way here. Perhaps you might find some fresh fish to grill, but my family (and just as important) and I don't really like smoked fish on the grill. I have smoked shrimp and do like that but the rest of the fish nation can just go somewhere else. I even have a fish holder but it sits unused with my pile of grilling utensils.
I hope you read this and it makes you want to fire up your grill and cook. I might have skipped on some of the details of how to cook on your grill, but each grill is different and you will need to spend some time cooking with it to get really good results. All I can tell you is that anyone that goes home hungry from a cook out here at Rabbit run does so on their own accord. I never do, but I live here.
MUD
I have had a Webber Grill for about as long as I can remember. I am a charcoal and hickory griller and in my eyes, nothing beats a Webber Grill. I put the coals on one side, get some hickory smoking and cook with the indirect smoky heat. One nice part about the Webber is you can let the hickory start flaming, put the lid on and it almost immediately starts making smoke that is just yummy. I have a house built in a hickory grove so I don't think I will ever run out of hickory. I know some people like apple or cherry wood but nothing beats charcoal and hickory. On to the meats.
I have found two places here that have about the best meat money can buy. Our Sam's Club (COSCO for those without one) have packages of meat for larger parties and their prices are good. If I buy my chicken and steak at Sam's club, I will be the better part of two hours out on the grill, but isn't that what life is for? The other place is HiVee, an employee owned grocery store that just flat out has some great meats. I think they buy the top grade of Iowa Beef and sell it one grade lower than it really is. They also have a wide range of steaks that can be bought one or two at a time. The other day I saw they had four different sizes of rib eye and one with the bone in they call the cowboy cut. They have so many different kinds of Brats that I haven't tried them all. Start with the best meat your can afford and move on from there. I don't normally cook hot dogs but if there are kids, they don't know an Oscar Meyer from a rib eye. Use you own best judgment there. Me, I vote for hot dogs for the kids only.
I think I have cooked on the grill only once or twice in my life that I didn't marinate the meat first. Chicken takes at least an hour and steaks two or three. For chicken I use a garlic, oil and soy sauce marinade. Taste it before you salt the meat. Most of the time it is salty enough. For steaks I use a product that is specially made for steaks that has a soy sauce, Worcestershire and garlic and onion powder in it. It is called Dale's Steak Seasoning and I also baste the steak with the marinade while it is cooking. We have almost stopped using steak sauce the steaks are so good. Remember that I do not cook directly over the coals. I do sear the outside of the steak at the very first but move them from the direct heat soon. If you are going to cook hamburgers, skip the 90/10 stuff. It is just too lean and the burgers will be dry if they are done. 80/20 is the leanest ground beef I will cook. I have some dehydrated onions that I put in a pepper mill and will add about half a cup of them and a good tablespoon of powdered garlic. I have used the Onion Soup Mix as a flavoring but I find it tough to get the flavor mixed in as well as I like. Salt and pepper those babies good as the fat dripping off will take the salt with it.
For my birthday a couple of years back I asked for a rotisserie so I could do roasts and pork loins. The Webber Grill has an extender that raised the lid so there is room for the meat to be above the grill. I almost always put a pan of water in the middle of the grill and add the coals to each side with no direct heat below the meats. In fact, today in addition to all the other good meats I have cooked and ready to re-heat I have a 7lb pork loin spinning in the smoke as I write. If it taste's half as good as it smells, every dog in the neighborhood will be at my door begging for scraps. Not that I plan on having much left over.
I use a starter chimney and find that I can tell just how hot the grill is going to be by how much charcoal I put in the chimney. About half full and it will cook about 250 to 300 Fill it to the top and you will have trouble keeping it under 450. Too hot for anything but chicken breasts with the bones attached. I always cook the chicken first and the steaks last. You can vary the cooking time by using direct heat or indirect heat or moving them back and forth. Yesterday I cooked rib eye's that were about an inch thick and a Strip steak that was about two inches thick. The rib eyes were done in about 35 minutes and the I haven't cut the strip steaks but I imagine they are medium rare. I gave them about an extra 10 minutes.
This time I also put a couple of potatoes on the edge of the grill and let them cook. They were a little dry but with butter they were smoky and yummy. I have also cooked asparagus wrapped with bacon in a grill basket. It has holes to let the smoke in and the fat to drip off. I am careful to not overcook this as it is like any asparagus that if overcooked is a waste. One year I also smoked some bacon that I dipped in brown sugar and soy sauce. I am sure that my doctor would be spinning in his office if he knew that I ate most of a pound of this sweet smoky bacon jerky over the next couple of days. It is too good. If I am going to cook Brats, I will often pre-cook them and then put them on the side of a nice smoky fire.
One thing I have to say is that living in Kansas, Fish is just something that has been frozen and thawed out on its way here. Perhaps you might find some fresh fish to grill, but my family (and just as important) and I don't really like smoked fish on the grill. I have smoked shrimp and do like that but the rest of the fish nation can just go somewhere else. I even have a fish holder but it sits unused with my pile of grilling utensils.
I hope you read this and it makes you want to fire up your grill and cook. I might have skipped on some of the details of how to cook on your grill, but each grill is different and you will need to spend some time cooking with it to get really good results. All I can tell you is that anyone that goes home hungry from a cook out here at Rabbit run does so on their own accord. I never do, but I live here.
MUD
7/02/2014
4th of July
What is the kind of 4th of July that appeals to you? I like to spend a nice day doing whatever I choose but there have been a few years that were memorable.
Lets start with what is the prototypical small town celebration. Just off I 70 is the town of Wamego, KS. They will have every activity you would want to spend the day and meet some of the nicest people anywhere. They have a great car show in the park with some of the most spectacular cars. About 6 PM, they have a parade that has everything from kids on bicycles to tractors. That evening they have a fireworks display that is very good.
If watching a Fireworks display is your thing, here in Topeka they have one out by Lake Shawnee. It is always nice and worth the travel there.
When we lived in Leavenworth, there was always a great fireworks show there on Post. Don't know if they will have one this year but I'm sure you can look it up on line.
One thing I would ask you to do is to think about what the 4th of July means to us all. Celebrate the freedoms we have and what we have not what separates us. For one day, put aside the differences and think about the thrill of the blended society we have.
Have a great day out there.
MUD
Lets start with what is the prototypical small town celebration. Just off I 70 is the town of Wamego, KS. They will have every activity you would want to spend the day and meet some of the nicest people anywhere. They have a great car show in the park with some of the most spectacular cars. About 6 PM, they have a parade that has everything from kids on bicycles to tractors. That evening they have a fireworks display that is very good.
If watching a Fireworks display is your thing, here in Topeka they have one out by Lake Shawnee. It is always nice and worth the travel there.
When we lived in Leavenworth, there was always a great fireworks show there on Post. Don't know if they will have one this year but I'm sure you can look it up on line.
One thing I would ask you to do is to think about what the 4th of July means to us all. Celebrate the freedoms we have and what we have not what separates us. For one day, put aside the differences and think about the thrill of the blended society we have.
Have a great day out there.
 |
| Soldier Shoulder patch |
MUD
It's Only Wednesday
Woke up early this morning ready to attend the Shawnee County Commissioners meeting only to find that it is Thursday not today. Dang I hate it when that happens. It isn't like I don't have a lot to do, but I have to dress differently when I spray the fruit trees. (or go on a bike ride)
When we bought the property that our son lives on, there had been a property swap along one edge and for some reason that didn't get recorded when the other guy's property got recorded. I guess the 15 X 150 foot strip was just out there in limbo and for some reason as the adjacent land owner, we were not notified when it was auctioned in 2011. We have a giant bid of $50.00 registered with the County and we'll learn if they accept our offer tomorrow. The only part I really care about is that it is the very small portion that makes that property 3 acres and should we need to rebuild that house I want to make sure we have the minimum the law allows.
This morning it is a cool 65 degrees and promises to be a great day. After living in a sweat lodge like we have had for the last week, cool and dry(er) air is nice. Might even drag out the bikes and go for a ride.
Better get running and see what the hydraulic leak is on the little tractor if I plan to drag the sprayer around. Have a great day out there. Oh, if you want to see cute, look up the Sumatran Tiger cub video on Cjonline. I know that soccer is kind of a touchy subject to some people but that tiger cub playing with the soccer bass is cute.
MUD
When we bought the property that our son lives on, there had been a property swap along one edge and for some reason that didn't get recorded when the other guy's property got recorded. I guess the 15 X 150 foot strip was just out there in limbo and for some reason as the adjacent land owner, we were not notified when it was auctioned in 2011. We have a giant bid of $50.00 registered with the County and we'll learn if they accept our offer tomorrow. The only part I really care about is that it is the very small portion that makes that property 3 acres and should we need to rebuild that house I want to make sure we have the minimum the law allows.
This morning it is a cool 65 degrees and promises to be a great day. After living in a sweat lodge like we have had for the last week, cool and dry(er) air is nice. Might even drag out the bikes and go for a ride.
Better get running and see what the hydraulic leak is on the little tractor if I plan to drag the sprayer around. Have a great day out there. Oh, if you want to see cute, look up the Sumatran Tiger cub video on Cjonline. I know that soccer is kind of a touchy subject to some people but that tiger cub playing with the soccer bass is cute.
MUD
What'cha Going to Do When You Retire?
Yesterday while waiting in the waiting room at the Endoscopy Center, I talked to a young man waiting for his wife's procedure to finish. He told me he was a truck driver and delivered bulk fuels for one of the Minor Gas station owners here in Topeka. He asked me what I did and I told him I was retired. He shook his head and said he was not sure if he was in the right profession but it paid well and had a long career track from where he sat. He said that more than if he is in the right profession the question that really worried him was what he was going to do if and when he really retired.
Another retired man listening to our conversation just laughed. He said that he had more to do than he could ever get done as a retiree. We both admitted that we had started with an extensive bucket list and it just grows and grows. In his case in addition to all of his hobbies, he had undertaking being the best Grandfather he could be. He said that being there to take the kids to ball games, fishing, the zoo and the playground was in itself a reward. I have two rental houses, my own home, my son's home and a lot of vehicles that have replaced the grandkids.
I shared with him that I have not only worked down the bucket list, I have started checking off things on my reverse bucket list. At one time I roller skated. Nope, nevermore. I have enough trouble not falling down to start doing something that that almost invites falling down. I mentioned that I disassembled and reassembled a 57 Chevy as a part of my bucket list. I now have a tractor and a metal building to store it in. There are lots of things to do as your toy list increases.
Another retiree there in the waiting room said that he recognized me from my many trips to a local auto parts store he manages. I do a lot of my own car work and have attempted to do struts, brakes and a tune up on my 2004 Ford. He said that he had spent some time with me discussing the rebuilding of the struts on the Ford just this year. You can't just take them out and replace them, you have to re-build a system and put that new system in. Yep'er, you got the grease money of Rabbit Run.
As I transgress back to the main point in this story, I want you to know my Mother once hit the nail on the head. A Nephew of mine went in her house one day and said, "I'm Bored." With little hesitation, Mom said, " No, You are Boring." That is how it is with me, There are so many things to do that if I am bored, it is all on me. In fact, there are times I leave the cell phone home because I don't want to be found. Whatever you do, don't fear retirement as a time where you will be bored. If you can find an outlet that you love as much as I do singing with the Barbershop Chorus, life will be as full as you want. PS. Throw in a good nap now and then - Bonus.
MUD (Ret)
Another retired man listening to our conversation just laughed. He said that he had more to do than he could ever get done as a retiree. We both admitted that we had started with an extensive bucket list and it just grows and grows. In his case in addition to all of his hobbies, he had undertaking being the best Grandfather he could be. He said that being there to take the kids to ball games, fishing, the zoo and the playground was in itself a reward. I have two rental houses, my own home, my son's home and a lot of vehicles that have replaced the grandkids.
I shared with him that I have not only worked down the bucket list, I have started checking off things on my reverse bucket list. At one time I roller skated. Nope, nevermore. I have enough trouble not falling down to start doing something that that almost invites falling down. I mentioned that I disassembled and reassembled a 57 Chevy as a part of my bucket list. I now have a tractor and a metal building to store it in. There are lots of things to do as your toy list increases.
Another retiree there in the waiting room said that he recognized me from my many trips to a local auto parts store he manages. I do a lot of my own car work and have attempted to do struts, brakes and a tune up on my 2004 Ford. He said that he had spent some time with me discussing the rebuilding of the struts on the Ford just this year. You can't just take them out and replace them, you have to re-build a system and put that new system in. Yep'er, you got the grease money of Rabbit Run.
As I transgress back to the main point in this story, I want you to know my Mother once hit the nail on the head. A Nephew of mine went in her house one day and said, "I'm Bored." With little hesitation, Mom said, " No, You are Boring." That is how it is with me, There are so many things to do that if I am bored, it is all on me. In fact, there are times I leave the cell phone home because I don't want to be found. Whatever you do, don't fear retirement as a time where you will be bored. If you can find an outlet that you love as much as I do singing with the Barbershop Chorus, life will be as full as you want. PS. Throw in a good nap now and then - Bonus.
MUD (Ret)
7/01/2014
Good News
About a month ago our son, Dave was admitted to the Hospital with a bleeding ulcer that him seriously low on red blood cells. He was given an order of light duty and given Prilosec to keep the acid from further damaging his stomach. This morning he was given another scope for his stomach and it is healed for now. His red blood cell count is still a little low but getting better each day. Good news.
What ever happened to businesses that keep their word? At least a week or so ago, a carpet company told us that carpet was in their warehouse in Wichita. Today they tell us it is backordered and it will be the end of July. Crap.
Speaking of strange things, today I was driving up California street here in Topeka. I had the munchies for a breakfast biscuit and knew there was a Burger King and a McDonald's on opposite corners at 29th. I saw traffic backed out of the drive at McDonalds so I choose Burger King. At Burger King, I was the only customer and there was no one in the Drive-through. What do they know I don't know. I ordered a croissant and it was excellent.
Oh well, things to do and places to be.
MUD
What ever happened to businesses that keep their word? At least a week or so ago, a carpet company told us that carpet was in their warehouse in Wichita. Today they tell us it is backordered and it will be the end of July. Crap.
Speaking of strange things, today I was driving up California street here in Topeka. I had the munchies for a breakfast biscuit and knew there was a Burger King and a McDonald's on opposite corners at 29th. I saw traffic backed out of the drive at McDonalds so I choose Burger King. At Burger King, I was the only customer and there was no one in the Drive-through. What do they know I don't know. I ordered a croissant and it was excellent.
Oh well, things to do and places to be.
MUD
6/30/2014
More Stuff
This is from the Day Runner that has laid by my chair for a couple of years. I am sure that most of the things I will write here are pre 1997 but as I look at them, they seem to be appropriate today. I cannot tell you who wrote them but I will only paraphrase not quote so I hope you will only use them as a guide.
There are 5 life skills that stand out. Creativity, Listening, Speaking, Reading and Decision Making. I think we teach the creativity out of our children. Little kids love to play act and stop when school starts. Listening, speaking and reading are all skills we use in our education system and I would encourage parents to start reading to your children early and keep it up until they can read to you. The last life skill is one that we just don't teach anywhere but in the Military. Parents can and should start helping children by encouraging them to get involved with planning on the family vacations. My Dad would come home of Friday night and pass out the grocery sacks. He would tell us that in 15 minutes we were going to go to Arkansas. It was always fun to see what I had forgotten. Perhaps it was a toothbrush, clean underwear or a clean shirt. They never pressed us about bad decisions and it was a lesson we all learned as we went. The scouts was a good start but the Army was where I really learned to plan and execute.
The following things are described as things that people who are successful have in common.
Common Sense - This is the ability to reduce the complex to the core of what matters. Sort the wheat from the chaff. learn to not sweat the small shit...
Specialize Knowledge - Learn and then learn more and never stop learning in your field. Find at least one area that you enjoy and dig deep there. For me, there was every nut and bolt on a 57 Chevy.
Self Reliance - Plain old will power, or the courage to get things moving. Set goals and make them happen.
General Intelligence - Read, write and learn to speak well.
Ability to Get Things Done - Do you know someone in your area that gets things done? try to be that go-to-guy your boss counts on. Learn how to form and work with teams.
Leadership - Develop the talent to motivate and not intimidate. If you can help people do things and make them think it was their idea.
Know Right from Wrong - Become sensitive to moral and ethical concerns. Find a way to share with your boss that you are a conduit of information and share with him offline when things are borderline. Try to make it informational and not judgmental.
Creativity - Study problem solving and offer your boss two or three ways to get a job done. Give him solutions and let him judge. It never hurts to ask him or her why they made the decision they choose. Don't make it a contest, but a learning process to see if there is a different way to do things.
Self Confidence - Knowing how to do things will help you become more self confident.
Oral Expression - The more you speak to large groups, the better you will be. Never pass up a chance to brief a group, teach a class or lead a discussion.
Concern for Others - I found learning the Myers Briggs personality typing helped me understand different kind of people. This understanding should give you the ability to feel where the others are coming from, and how they deal with it.
LUCK - Understand that there are things that happen and they are not always in your control. Gamble only what you can afford to lose.
Always remember that Dollars are not everything. Your personal worth is greater than personal wealth.
At least once a year, try a self test. Do You Have? Empathy, Humor, Courtesy and can you build trust? This can be done with a close friend or your mother. Don't ever discuss what you find with your co-workers.
We all know there are Winners and Losers - Here are some of the attributes od Winners.
Once I read that if you are the losers in a battle, don't forget to Bury the Dead Horses. Not sure why, but a little humor never hurts. Can you laugh at yourself? If not, why not?
I don't have all the answers, but I have been told that setting Goals should include the following areas:
MUD
There are 5 life skills that stand out. Creativity, Listening, Speaking, Reading and Decision Making. I think we teach the creativity out of our children. Little kids love to play act and stop when school starts. Listening, speaking and reading are all skills we use in our education system and I would encourage parents to start reading to your children early and keep it up until they can read to you. The last life skill is one that we just don't teach anywhere but in the Military. Parents can and should start helping children by encouraging them to get involved with planning on the family vacations. My Dad would come home of Friday night and pass out the grocery sacks. He would tell us that in 15 minutes we were going to go to Arkansas. It was always fun to see what I had forgotten. Perhaps it was a toothbrush, clean underwear or a clean shirt. They never pressed us about bad decisions and it was a lesson we all learned as we went. The scouts was a good start but the Army was where I really learned to plan and execute.
The following things are described as things that people who are successful have in common.
Common Sense - This is the ability to reduce the complex to the core of what matters. Sort the wheat from the chaff. learn to not sweat the small shit...
Specialize Knowledge - Learn and then learn more and never stop learning in your field. Find at least one area that you enjoy and dig deep there. For me, there was every nut and bolt on a 57 Chevy.
Self Reliance - Plain old will power, or the courage to get things moving. Set goals and make them happen.
General Intelligence - Read, write and learn to speak well.
Ability to Get Things Done - Do you know someone in your area that gets things done? try to be that go-to-guy your boss counts on. Learn how to form and work with teams.
Leadership - Develop the talent to motivate and not intimidate. If you can help people do things and make them think it was their idea.
Know Right from Wrong - Become sensitive to moral and ethical concerns. Find a way to share with your boss that you are a conduit of information and share with him offline when things are borderline. Try to make it informational and not judgmental.
Creativity - Study problem solving and offer your boss two or three ways to get a job done. Give him solutions and let him judge. It never hurts to ask him or her why they made the decision they choose. Don't make it a contest, but a learning process to see if there is a different way to do things.
Self Confidence - Knowing how to do things will help you become more self confident.
Oral Expression - The more you speak to large groups, the better you will be. Never pass up a chance to brief a group, teach a class or lead a discussion.
Concern for Others - I found learning the Myers Briggs personality typing helped me understand different kind of people. This understanding should give you the ability to feel where the others are coming from, and how they deal with it.
LUCK - Understand that there are things that happen and they are not always in your control. Gamble only what you can afford to lose.
Always remember that Dollars are not everything. Your personal worth is greater than personal wealth.
At least once a year, try a self test. Do You Have? Empathy, Humor, Courtesy and can you build trust? This can be done with a close friend or your mother. Don't ever discuss what you find with your co-workers.
We all know there are Winners and Losers - Here are some of the attributes od Winners.
- Success Mindset
- Sets goals and works to achieve them
- Takes advantage of every educational opportunity.
- Works to control others. Just remember that making sure they get their jobs done is the most important part of your job. Set clear objectives, make sure they feel comfortable in coming to you for help and monitor their progress with out making them feel controlled.
- Play the Part. Dress as well as your boss does. Dress like you mean it.
Once I read that if you are the losers in a battle, don't forget to Bury the Dead Horses. Not sure why, but a little humor never hurts. Can you laugh at yourself? If not, why not?
I don't have all the answers, but I have been told that setting Goals should include the following areas:
- Career
- Education
- Financial
- Physical Fitness
- Community/Charity
- Personal
- Leisure
- Recreational
- Spiritual
- Professional
- Financial
- Social
- Intelligence
- Culture
- Physical
MUD
Stuff
Years ago I had a "Day Runner" that I used to keep me on track. I loved the way it helped me know what I needed to do and what I could put off. The act of writing down the stuff I needed to do was in itself a work avoidance mechanism that proved to me that I was organized, not energized. As I would travel through my days, I would hear things that I would just have to write down, Here are just a few of them: (If you read something that you wrote, give yourself credit and write your own darned blog)
Lastly, smile and make them wonder what you are up to.
MUD
- I abhor stupidity. Not speech by the uneducated, but speech that everyone knows speaker couldn't even possibly believe what they are saying. PS, at lot of this is coming out of Washington but you didn't hear that from me.
- People that say we shouldn't have a prejudice don't understand the word. That is our mind's ability to sort out the things that we like and dislike so we don't spend our days struggling over what to wear, eat or read. We would soon slow down to a paralyzing pace if we couldn't decide if we like mustard and not catsup on our hamburger. Lord only knows you have been behind someone in a line that couldn't make up their mind over selecting a coke or a tea. I myself, love catsup on French fries, mustard on hot dogs and grilled over raw onions. I would love to have a new car if they were making a 57 style Chevy.
- I am a Fiscal Conservative. I do believe in the power of change but the change should be for the better and damn sure not more expensive. If the change doesn't make it better or cheaper in the long run why change. If all you want is a cosmetic change, paint it, salute and move on. Outgo must be less than or equal to Income in the long run.
- In the real world out there, there are people that cannot change. If you are in charge, make a good plan, staff it, figure out how to pay for it and implement it. There will be cases where you just have to "haul ass and bypass" some of the people but if you have time, look up the word Republic and try to understand not everyone will be happy 100% of the time.
- I am a native Kansan and consider myself a Jay Hawker. I am a person that loves freedom and hates enslavement. Ideas that lock you into one place can enslave you as well as chains.
- Abraham Lincoln was a Republican. In spite of his great ideals, his control while he tried to keep our great Union together was about as tough as any Dictator.
- Take what you want, but eat what you take. (Sign over the buffet at the buffet Danny Rex and I were asked to leave and never come back to)
- If you don't really want to buy it, don't ask what it costs.
- Spend your last dollar on your last day. (and hope you wife saved enough to get rid of the body)
- Don't expect everyone to tell the truth when they are lying to you. Sometimes a good story has no guiding moral principle, it is just a good story. With over 2700 posts and 300,000 visits, I had to make up a couple of the things you read here. But read the fine print along the top edge of this blog and you will realize I warned you.
Lastly, smile and make them wonder what you are up to.
MUD
Taking a day off
For a lot of the past week, I have been painting a house (at least from the inside) and rehabbing the bathroom. It was clearly a labor of love as there wasn't any pay involved. With that said, it was as much work cleaning up the mess we made as it was painting. Thank god there is new carpet coming next week. I guess when you hire free and young help you get what you pay for. I tried to do my best to not be directive in the efforts and that for me, was probably as much work as the painting. We did turn a chocolate brown cave into a nice lite airy space. There should be a color chart at the paint store that tells you if you are color challenged, Once you cross over the line from tan to chocolate the machine should disallow you from being in charge of the color. Especially if the carpet is blue and selected by a person equally color blind. I will say blind here because there was just no excuse in that color combination.
There are a few things I will go over and help fix a little later on this week. Somehow a leak under the kitchen sink just destroyed the particle board and the floor of the cabinet is sitting on the floor and not holding anything together. I will try to build a 2X4 shelf support and use some plywood that might make it past the first time the sink leaks. Did I mention that I might also change the kitchen faucet. Dang, it is an no ending challenge to rehab old kitchens. At least the 40 year old kitchens had real backbones behind the veneer of paint. Any thing newer than that is particle board and anyone that thinks it will last through the first dunking of a leak is just fooling themselves. I think the engineers would have tried to use a waterproof glue in their design. Nope, Particle board is good for a small fire in the fireplace and only that.
Barb went to the local farmer's market and found that they have locally produced cantaloupe's from over by Atchison. It was the best we have had this year. We haven't reached the production level for tomatoes yet but soon we will have them rolling in. If you can find anything better than a BLT and a side of cantaloupe, you let me know. I grill a great steak but fresh home grown tomatoes with bacon is more than anyone should imagine. Did I mention that I also love watermelon? I think mango's are pretty good too, but I do wish they could change the shape to eliminate that cuttlefish shaped seed out of the middle.
I am going to spend an hour or two today looking for a bucket of tools that is probably sitting right where I left them. I have tried various methods of organization in my hand tools and thought I had finally found a method that works. There is a 5 gallon bucket that is just about the right amount of tools to fix about any project and a canvas organizer that helps keep the contents sorted. I had one for carpentry and one for plumbing. I can find the plumbing bucket but the other is Missing in action (MIA) You will know I have found it when you hear the slapping of my forehead with my right hand, followed by the words, "Duh Dennis." My really big hope is that I didn't leave it outside somewhere and find it with about a foot of water in it. I did that with my Dad's tool box one time and he tried to lock the shed so it wouldn't happen again. He put the latch on wrong and I found that with a screw driver I could just unscrew the latch and get inside the shed. That worked until I forgot to screw the latch back on he came home and found his tools outside again. After that, he put a padlock on it and then "hid" the key. That was much easier to find than unscrewing the latch. After that I did try to remember to have the lock closed but the time Dad got home.
As a member of the "Baby Boomer" bunch, many of my classmates are busy loosing their parents. In fact, many have long since become an adult orphan. The fact we no longer have Moms and Dads to provide guidance doesn't mean we don't need them. I would give about any amount of money to hear my dad say, "Who invented this shit" in reply to the report that we are sending millions of dollars to some country to arm one side of a rebellion or another. He would shout that advisors was just the start of that war in Vietnam and what good has that done us? I don't understand who or why the Iraqi soldiers can just throw down their weapons and give up with the knowledge that the enemy takes no prisoners. I just wonder at what time they will get smarter and begin to think that getting killed to protect your country is better than getting killed because they give up?
Oh well, I have just about emptied my brain housing group and hear my name being mentioned in the part of the list of people that need to get up off my butt and do a little house cleaning. Mel, Zander and the three dogs will be here tomorrow and you know those dogs have high standards. I want them to be able to eat dropped food off a clean floor. Wouldn't want them to get sick.
MUD
There are a few things I will go over and help fix a little later on this week. Somehow a leak under the kitchen sink just destroyed the particle board and the floor of the cabinet is sitting on the floor and not holding anything together. I will try to build a 2X4 shelf support and use some plywood that might make it past the first time the sink leaks. Did I mention that I might also change the kitchen faucet. Dang, it is an no ending challenge to rehab old kitchens. At least the 40 year old kitchens had real backbones behind the veneer of paint. Any thing newer than that is particle board and anyone that thinks it will last through the first dunking of a leak is just fooling themselves. I think the engineers would have tried to use a waterproof glue in their design. Nope, Particle board is good for a small fire in the fireplace and only that.
Barb went to the local farmer's market and found that they have locally produced cantaloupe's from over by Atchison. It was the best we have had this year. We haven't reached the production level for tomatoes yet but soon we will have them rolling in. If you can find anything better than a BLT and a side of cantaloupe, you let me know. I grill a great steak but fresh home grown tomatoes with bacon is more than anyone should imagine. Did I mention that I also love watermelon? I think mango's are pretty good too, but I do wish they could change the shape to eliminate that cuttlefish shaped seed out of the middle.
I am going to spend an hour or two today looking for a bucket of tools that is probably sitting right where I left them. I have tried various methods of organization in my hand tools and thought I had finally found a method that works. There is a 5 gallon bucket that is just about the right amount of tools to fix about any project and a canvas organizer that helps keep the contents sorted. I had one for carpentry and one for plumbing. I can find the plumbing bucket but the other is Missing in action (MIA) You will know I have found it when you hear the slapping of my forehead with my right hand, followed by the words, "Duh Dennis." My really big hope is that I didn't leave it outside somewhere and find it with about a foot of water in it. I did that with my Dad's tool box one time and he tried to lock the shed so it wouldn't happen again. He put the latch on wrong and I found that with a screw driver I could just unscrew the latch and get inside the shed. That worked until I forgot to screw the latch back on he came home and found his tools outside again. After that, he put a padlock on it and then "hid" the key. That was much easier to find than unscrewing the latch. After that I did try to remember to have the lock closed but the time Dad got home.
As a member of the "Baby Boomer" bunch, many of my classmates are busy loosing their parents. In fact, many have long since become an adult orphan. The fact we no longer have Moms and Dads to provide guidance doesn't mean we don't need them. I would give about any amount of money to hear my dad say, "Who invented this shit" in reply to the report that we are sending millions of dollars to some country to arm one side of a rebellion or another. He would shout that advisors was just the start of that war in Vietnam and what good has that done us? I don't understand who or why the Iraqi soldiers can just throw down their weapons and give up with the knowledge that the enemy takes no prisoners. I just wonder at what time they will get smarter and begin to think that getting killed to protect your country is better than getting killed because they give up?
Oh well, I have just about emptied my brain housing group and hear my name being mentioned in the part of the list of people that need to get up off my butt and do a little house cleaning. Mel, Zander and the three dogs will be here tomorrow and you know those dogs have high standards. I want them to be able to eat dropped food off a clean floor. Wouldn't want them to get sick.
MUD
6/29/2014
300,000 Visits
I do want to thank all of you that stop in and read this simple little blog. It crossed over 300,000 visits sometime yesterday. I would promise to make changes to make it better, but I'm not sure how. I guess just writing from the heart will have to do. I wish you all a happy life, cause I'm having the time of my life.
MUD
MUD
Sunday, Again?
Spent a lot of last week painting and between the painting and recuperating, the week just flashed by. Seems like just yesterday it was Sunday and here it is again. Remember when you wished days of your life away as a kid? For me, working hard does that. Throw in a good book now and then and time flies by.
Seems like the Supreme Court stood up and told the President he did something he shouldn't. 9-0 on his appointments when the congress was not in session. Now if the courts will just stand up and tell congress to get their act together. One of these days there will not be enough money in the world to let us do whatever they want and the act of passing new legislation without paying for what is out there will be found illegal. I just heard that we are going to give 500 million dollars to another rebel group in Syria. Screw them, lets fund some good news right here at home. Put that money in educational grants and help our poor get an education. Provide jobs in the inner cities and on the reservations (Casino's excluded) and see if we just can't be a better place.
Yesterday both sides of my past life came together. I was in the Guard for over 25 years and have about 4 years of Barbershop Chorus singing. My good friend Wayne Cline and his wife had their 60th Anniversary at the Museum and because Wayne was also a Colonel in the Guard and a Barbershopper, many of the guests were also friends of mine. I got to see people that I had not seen in years and it was such a great time. We sang to the Clines and even had a nephew of theirs from the Kansas City Heart Of America Chorus sing with us. It was a great day and one I will treasure for a long time.
The only sad note was that one old friend of mine is down that road of dementia that he didn't remember the good times I mentioned to him and his wife. He looked blankly and said he didn't recognize who I was. I noticed several times that he was staring at me during the festivities and he was trying to put me and his life together out there in the past. He was a General Officer that said good things to George Parker about my abilities and then when I was the S-3 of a Battalion helped the General decide to give me the 1-127th FA. I guess we are all getting old(er) and life is moving on.
One of the younger friends of mine on Facebook posted that they were starting working down their Bucket List hard. I have started putting things on my "Not to Do Again," list. Things like roller skating and falling down on a hard wood floor is just done, over, won't do it again. At one time there was a lot of world wide travel that I wanted to do. Now I want to just finish seeing as many of the National parks right here at home. Zion, Bryce Canyon, North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone were on that list to see and now I have been there, done that. Yosemite, Chaco Canyon, Death Valley are still on the list waiting. I am not sure how I am going to make those places happen if Barb won't go with me on trips to high places. I guess I will just have to take her to visit her Dad and go without her.
Better get on with the day, Smiles to go before I sleep.
MUD
Seems like the Supreme Court stood up and told the President he did something he shouldn't. 9-0 on his appointments when the congress was not in session. Now if the courts will just stand up and tell congress to get their act together. One of these days there will not be enough money in the world to let us do whatever they want and the act of passing new legislation without paying for what is out there will be found illegal. I just heard that we are going to give 500 million dollars to another rebel group in Syria. Screw them, lets fund some good news right here at home. Put that money in educational grants and help our poor get an education. Provide jobs in the inner cities and on the reservations (Casino's excluded) and see if we just can't be a better place.
Yesterday both sides of my past life came together. I was in the Guard for over 25 years and have about 4 years of Barbershop Chorus singing. My good friend Wayne Cline and his wife had their 60th Anniversary at the Museum and because Wayne was also a Colonel in the Guard and a Barbershopper, many of the guests were also friends of mine. I got to see people that I had not seen in years and it was such a great time. We sang to the Clines and even had a nephew of theirs from the Kansas City Heart Of America Chorus sing with us. It was a great day and one I will treasure for a long time.
The only sad note was that one old friend of mine is down that road of dementia that he didn't remember the good times I mentioned to him and his wife. He looked blankly and said he didn't recognize who I was. I noticed several times that he was staring at me during the festivities and he was trying to put me and his life together out there in the past. He was a General Officer that said good things to George Parker about my abilities and then when I was the S-3 of a Battalion helped the General decide to give me the 1-127th FA. I guess we are all getting old(er) and life is moving on.
One of the younger friends of mine on Facebook posted that they were starting working down their Bucket List hard. I have started putting things on my "Not to Do Again," list. Things like roller skating and falling down on a hard wood floor is just done, over, won't do it again. At one time there was a lot of world wide travel that I wanted to do. Now I want to just finish seeing as many of the National parks right here at home. Zion, Bryce Canyon, North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone were on that list to see and now I have been there, done that. Yosemite, Chaco Canyon, Death Valley are still on the list waiting. I am not sure how I am going to make those places happen if Barb won't go with me on trips to high places. I guess I will just have to take her to visit her Dad and go without her.
Better get on with the day, Smiles to go before I sleep.
MUD
6/26/2014
Watching TV
I had never binge watched a TV series and the other day the TV listed the top three series often watched. I realized that I had never seen even one show in any one of the series. Over the years, I have watched enough of the series Law and Order to have seen all of the shows and probably I have seen all of the series Major Crimes but I wouldn't sit down and watch all of the shows nearly back to back. Makes me wonder if my preconceptions have kept me from reading or watching things that many others have.
I am a fairly confident person and in most cases, enjoy controlling what I do. I am sure that I am a creature of habit and where does your life take you because of the law of, "Do what you did and you will get what you got." The other day I noticed a new restaurant near Washburn University. I pointed it out to Barbara and she told me I could try it and report back to her what I found. I guess I am a little more adventurous than she is. It has been pointed out that I mimic my Dad's habit of driving a different route when I go places. I have been to Idaho several times and only when I drove myself did I go on any route but I70 and I-80.
This week I have been helping my son get his In-Law's new house in order. We have turned what was a dark chocolate cave into a light airy house. There will be new carpet installed soon and that should finish the transformation. There are a few minor things I have been working on but they are just minor things that I can do with my bucket of tools. I need to finish painting the bathroom and figure out what is keeping the light in the laundry room from working. I put up a new fixture in the kitchen and moved the old kitchen fixture that worked downstairs. Oh well, minor things and I will work it out.
The other night, the movie, "The Green Mile" was on for the umpteenth time. Near the end of the part where Tom Hanks is the lead guard on the Green Mile, he talks to John Coffee about alternatives. It struck me that John's description of how the negative thoughts hurt him and his brain is a lot like the feelings I have when I watch the news. The hate and divisiveness going on both in the USA and the World just takes the fun out of things. The congress has an approval rating near 15% and the news carried a discussion that an old Republican beat a Tea Party guy only with the help of the cross over Democrats. Talk about shooting ourselves in the foot(s). OK Feet but none the less this all sucks. We need to throw them all out and start over. Surely what makes sense out here in the real world makes sense in Washington if we had new faces there.
Oh well, better get on with my day. Seems like I will be over 300,000 hits this summer. Thanks for reading along with my life.
MUD
I am a fairly confident person and in most cases, enjoy controlling what I do. I am sure that I am a creature of habit and where does your life take you because of the law of, "Do what you did and you will get what you got." The other day I noticed a new restaurant near Washburn University. I pointed it out to Barbara and she told me I could try it and report back to her what I found. I guess I am a little more adventurous than she is. It has been pointed out that I mimic my Dad's habit of driving a different route when I go places. I have been to Idaho several times and only when I drove myself did I go on any route but I70 and I-80.
This week I have been helping my son get his In-Law's new house in order. We have turned what was a dark chocolate cave into a light airy house. There will be new carpet installed soon and that should finish the transformation. There are a few minor things I have been working on but they are just minor things that I can do with my bucket of tools. I need to finish painting the bathroom and figure out what is keeping the light in the laundry room from working. I put up a new fixture in the kitchen and moved the old kitchen fixture that worked downstairs. Oh well, minor things and I will work it out.
The other night, the movie, "The Green Mile" was on for the umpteenth time. Near the end of the part where Tom Hanks is the lead guard on the Green Mile, he talks to John Coffee about alternatives. It struck me that John's description of how the negative thoughts hurt him and his brain is a lot like the feelings I have when I watch the news. The hate and divisiveness going on both in the USA and the World just takes the fun out of things. The congress has an approval rating near 15% and the news carried a discussion that an old Republican beat a Tea Party guy only with the help of the cross over Democrats. Talk about shooting ourselves in the foot(s). OK Feet but none the less this all sucks. We need to throw them all out and start over. Surely what makes sense out here in the real world makes sense in Washington if we had new faces there.
Oh well, better get on with my day. Seems like I will be over 300,000 hits this summer. Thanks for reading along with my life.
MUD
6/24/2014
From Where I Stand
I stand to salute the flag of the United States of America. I believe that from the beginning, we had the best foundation of any Government in our Constitution. The three separate branches of our Government were designed to balance and ensure liberty for all who live here.
Where did we go wrong? Why do some people think the Government is the cure for all that ails us and not a good portion of the cause? How has our wonderful ideas to make sure the poor can survive be the tear in the fabric that is tearing down the middle class? How can we stand having unemployed Americans and think that opening our borders will make it all better?
Where is the leadership in Washington that inspires us to get up, stand up and work hard to make this Nation what it once was. How can a Government take jobs away from the middle class and try to spend the poor into that category?
I wonder where the people that hear Hillary say they were broke and now worth millions can look at her say that and not either laugh or cry? Was it a right wing conspiracy that Bill could not keep it in his pants or doesn't it matter any more?
I for one think the law of unintended consequences should be examined and see what effect our major changes have had on our country. In Pogo, years ago he said, "I have seen the enemy and her are us!" Truer words could not be spoken today.
MUD
Where did we go wrong? Why do some people think the Government is the cure for all that ails us and not a good portion of the cause? How has our wonderful ideas to make sure the poor can survive be the tear in the fabric that is tearing down the middle class? How can we stand having unemployed Americans and think that opening our borders will make it all better?
Where is the leadership in Washington that inspires us to get up, stand up and work hard to make this Nation what it once was. How can a Government take jobs away from the middle class and try to spend the poor into that category?
I wonder where the people that hear Hillary say they were broke and now worth millions can look at her say that and not either laugh or cry? Was it a right wing conspiracy that Bill could not keep it in his pants or doesn't it matter any more?
I for one think the law of unintended consequences should be examined and see what effect our major changes have had on our country. In Pogo, years ago he said, "I have seen the enemy and her are us!" Truer words could not be spoken today.
MUD
6/21/2014
Busy Weekend
In addition to spending most of tomorrow singing all over Topeka, Today I am going to attend a short time visiting with my friend Wayne Cline and his wife as they celebrate their 60th anniversary. Their children are putting the event on and they are doing it at the Kansas natural History Museum. That's one of my favorite places. Wayne recruited me for the chorus twice.
My son's in-laws have bought a house here in Topeka after 11 years in Las Vegas. I sure hope they can step back into the wild life here in Topeka. I know they want to be back here with the grandkids and their church family. I will take my bucket of tools over and do a few small projects needed in the new house. Might even do a little painting but the plumbing projects are mine all mine.
Yesterday was one of those days. I had a trailer load of trash that needed a trip to the dump. When I started to hook the truck up, it wouldn't start. The battery was just strong enough to make the starter click. I put that battery on the charger and hooked up the Ford to the trailer. I needed to air up the tires and then realized the turn signal plug on the trailer didn't work. In fact it was missing. Another thing to fix this weekend if I intend to use it.
Our Barbershop Chorus does a summer project of church music and visiting the nursing homes. We do a pretty good job and they seem to enjoy us. We have a summer series of five songs that have spiritual basis. Our version of Amazing grace and I believe are just the best.
I had better cut this short and get on with my day.
MUD
My son's in-laws have bought a house here in Topeka after 11 years in Las Vegas. I sure hope they can step back into the wild life here in Topeka. I know they want to be back here with the grandkids and their church family. I will take my bucket of tools over and do a few small projects needed in the new house. Might even do a little painting but the plumbing projects are mine all mine.
Yesterday was one of those days. I had a trailer load of trash that needed a trip to the dump. When I started to hook the truck up, it wouldn't start. The battery was just strong enough to make the starter click. I put that battery on the charger and hooked up the Ford to the trailer. I needed to air up the tires and then realized the turn signal plug on the trailer didn't work. In fact it was missing. Another thing to fix this weekend if I intend to use it.
Our Barbershop Chorus does a summer project of church music and visiting the nursing homes. We do a pretty good job and they seem to enjoy us. We have a summer series of five songs that have spiritual basis. Our version of Amazing grace and I believe are just the best.
I had better cut this short and get on with my day.
MUD
6/20/2014
Why MUD?
Once upon a time I was the proud uncle of two of the neatest girls and when my sister would bring them by the gas station where I worked, we would play a game where I would sneak up on the car and growl at them. On the last time I played that game, Carrie turned to kind of run and got her feet tangled up on a blanket on the floor of the station wagon. She fell and broke some of her teeth on the edge of the seat.
Thank god the teeth that were broken were her baby teeth so other than my dad called her snaggle tooth for a while no permanent damage was done. I got her an ice cream bar to help with the pain and as she was eating it, she looked at me and said, "Mean Uncle Denny." My sister said yep your name should be mud. I have adopted that nickname and have it as my nom de plume. Carrie is long over the event and I hope to remain high on the list of people she loves. They are in Brazil watching soccer matches and I hope they are having a great time.
Just thought you might like to know where MUD came from and might be glad to know it doesn't have any bad connotation. Unless you loose teeth because of my growl.
MUD
Thank god the teeth that were broken were her baby teeth so other than my dad called her snaggle tooth for a while no permanent damage was done. I got her an ice cream bar to help with the pain and as she was eating it, she looked at me and said, "Mean Uncle Denny." My sister said yep your name should be mud. I have adopted that nickname and have it as my nom de plume. Carrie is long over the event and I hope to remain high on the list of people she loves. They are in Brazil watching soccer matches and I hope they are having a great time.
Just thought you might like to know where MUD came from and might be glad to know it doesn't have any bad connotation. Unless you loose teeth because of my growl.
MUD
Friday?
For some weird reason, I had yesterday as Friday almost all day. I guess when you are boring, wishing a day to be over isn't unusual. I have a fairly full schedule for the next few days so I might be a little lax on how much I post. In fact, If I had my act together right now, I would be on my way to the dump so I can unload my trailer full of trash. I have a need to fill it again when we start working on the Park's house. Not sure what we will run into but I'm sure there will be at least some old siding to replace and supplies from the painting.
Today, I read the Obituary of a good friend's father. Her maiden name was Saia. It had never occurred to me that she might be of Spanish heritage. It really doesn't make any difference because as you probably have read here on my blog that I love that Topeka was the home of many Mexican families because of the Railroad. If there is an event I love better than the Fiesta here in Topeka, I don't know what it is. The fact that they raise lots of money for their schools is bonus to me. If there is a better thing to spend money on, I don't know what it is.
When I went out to fetch the paper, I have to walk the last 100 feet out in the sunlight. It may not be as warm today as it was yesterday but the humidity and lack of wind will make it feel hotter. I swear that the humidity here in the heartland feels like New Orleans. Almost every afternoon, the clouds have built up and somewhere near here it has rained. At least the circular winds have been far to the north so far. I hear that Iowa and east they are almost underwater. I do know that the rivers and streams in Kansas are all running pretty full. In fact, I saw that there are those white mushrooms growing out in the yard. Way too wet for me.
I hope to sneak in a movie sometime this week. I see that the new Frankie Valley Movie "Jersey Boys" starts today. I really don't care about the story in the movie, but that is the music of my youth and I love that falsetto lead. At one time (prior to my bronchitis) I had such a voice and sang along with many of the records of my day. Once I had that bad run of health in 98 or 99, I was not able to sing way up there any more. I can probably sing higher than most of the basses in the chorus but I really did struggle with the baritone parts when we had to sing higher than the leads. Oh well, probably more than you wanted to know.
Have you seen the price of bacon lately? What was generally a loss leader in the stores is now at least $6.00 a pound. Some of the packages have been trimmed down and are 14 OZ. I guess when my favorite steak is over $10 a pound, bacon must be higher. And, the cost of living is not on the rise either? It cost me $50 to fill the Ford gas tank the other day and I had a 20 cent per gallon discount on my Dillon's card. Sheesh, and almost all of my gas cans and vehicles need filled.
Oh well, gotta get running and do a few good things.
MUD
Today, I read the Obituary of a good friend's father. Her maiden name was Saia. It had never occurred to me that she might be of Spanish heritage. It really doesn't make any difference because as you probably have read here on my blog that I love that Topeka was the home of many Mexican families because of the Railroad. If there is an event I love better than the Fiesta here in Topeka, I don't know what it is. The fact that they raise lots of money for their schools is bonus to me. If there is a better thing to spend money on, I don't know what it is.
When I went out to fetch the paper, I have to walk the last 100 feet out in the sunlight. It may not be as warm today as it was yesterday but the humidity and lack of wind will make it feel hotter. I swear that the humidity here in the heartland feels like New Orleans. Almost every afternoon, the clouds have built up and somewhere near here it has rained. At least the circular winds have been far to the north so far. I hear that Iowa and east they are almost underwater. I do know that the rivers and streams in Kansas are all running pretty full. In fact, I saw that there are those white mushrooms growing out in the yard. Way too wet for me.
I hope to sneak in a movie sometime this week. I see that the new Frankie Valley Movie "Jersey Boys" starts today. I really don't care about the story in the movie, but that is the music of my youth and I love that falsetto lead. At one time (prior to my bronchitis) I had such a voice and sang along with many of the records of my day. Once I had that bad run of health in 98 or 99, I was not able to sing way up there any more. I can probably sing higher than most of the basses in the chorus but I really did struggle with the baritone parts when we had to sing higher than the leads. Oh well, probably more than you wanted to know.
Have you seen the price of bacon lately? What was generally a loss leader in the stores is now at least $6.00 a pound. Some of the packages have been trimmed down and are 14 OZ. I guess when my favorite steak is over $10 a pound, bacon must be higher. And, the cost of living is not on the rise either? It cost me $50 to fill the Ford gas tank the other day and I had a 20 cent per gallon discount on my Dillon's card. Sheesh, and almost all of my gas cans and vehicles need filled.
Oh well, gotta get running and do a few good things.
MUD
6/19/2014
1968 a Look Back
REDLEG
During the second half of 1968, I was assigned to a 155mm
Towed Howitzer Battalion. They were
assigned to a Field Artillery Brigade on Artillery Hill near Pleiku, RVN. The good news was they didn't have any
assigned Forward Observer positions. The
bad news was that every so often a tasking would come down from the top of the
hill and being the low man on the Totem Pole, I would gather up two people and
go out on short assignments. Most of
the time there would be a death from "Hostile Fire and I would spend a
week or two until a replacement could be obtained. I had been a Forward Observer in the unit I
went to Vietnam with and had lots of experience calling fire. I had a young Corporal and a PFC that had
gone out three or four times and knew as much as I could teach them.
Most of our operations would start with us flying into an
area by helicopter and the usual meet and greet with a new commander. Most of the time I'm sure he looked at the
skinny, tall and very young Lieutenant and just shook his head.
I would spend a lot of time near the headquarters element for the first
few days and most commanders just watched me like a hawk until I proved I could
read a map and call for fire. I don't
know if it was a test or that there were truly that many guy that got lost a
lot, but several times a day I would be asked to spot our location on the
map. There was even once that I had
the firing battery fire a spotting round to prove I knew where we were. I would have them fire a White Phosphorous
round with a time fuse at a location I
would pick on a map. I would tell the
unit that at the direction I would give them, expect to see a puff of white
smoke. I can't ever remember not having
the round where I predicted. Each
evening, I would fire a defensive target on all four sides of the unit. I would brief the unit commander and made
sure that his defensive plan was all integrated. We generally had a mortar unit from the
Battalion available and the heavy weapons platoon in the company. I never misfired and got my rounds anywhere
near the infantrymen in the company.
Close enough to discourage a ground attack but far enough to now wound
us.
I had been back with a battery and providing them ammunition
from a base near the airport in Ban Me Tout for a couple of weeks. In addition to the ammunition, we made sure
they had C-Rations and at food to cook at least one hot meal a day. There was a need for a couple of water
trailers and all the pop the local PX would let us buy. One thing that always was welcome was the
bags of mail we would send out to the battery.
I had a Sergeant with me that would look through the mail for any for
the men in the detachment with me. Most
of the units we were supporting in the area were from the 4th Division. They wore a diamond shaped patch with four
leaf clovers on them. We wore the First
Field Force patches and the 4th Division MP's left my guys alone. That pretty much gave us free reign to go
where we needed to go when we needed to do it.
It would look a lot like a mini convoy for two or three ammunition
trucks and the Mess truck to go back and forth from the supply point to the
airfield daily. I generally sent one of
the Sergeants with them in my jeep to ride heard on them. For the most part they knew if they screwed
up they would find themselves back on a fire base in the middle of
nowhere.
Dang, it took me three paragraphs to get to where the real
story starts. I guess background isn't
the worse thing. I got a call on the
land line from the 175mm unit we were co-located with. I had a call from my Headquarters in
Pleiku. I went over and after what
seemed like an hour of trying to get a call through, I finally got the
Operations Sergeant from the battalion on the line. He said I was to report back to Pleiku on the
earliest flight I could catch. Being
right on the end of the runway, I basically packed my bag and went over the
airfield. Catching a ride back to Pleiku
was fairly easy as the Air Force had a large base their in Pleiku and a lot of
cargo aircraft from the 4th Division flew pretty much daily sorties. Long story short I got to Pleiku and to my
unit headquarters by nightfall. The S-3
told me that the next day I was to be assigned to a unit of the 3rd Bat, 503rd
Airborne (173rd)down near Saigon. He
gave me one of the few written orders for that assignment as I would have to
travel through the big base near Saigon to make connections. I think it took a couple of days to get to
the headquarters and then to find a helicopter ride out to Company A. That unit had a forward observer who went
home on emergency leave because his dad had a heart attack. He was due back in a week or so, and it was
no big deal to me. There was even a
recon team from the unit with an honest to god E-5 Sergeant and a Spec4 radio
operator. They had been with the unit
for months and were darned good at what they had to do. One of the first things I noticed was that
everyone thought it was funny that I wasn't airborne qualified. I got called leg a lot at first and soon
started making sure that they knew it was Redleg for Field Artillery. It didn't take them long to see I knew my job
and to gain the unit commander's trust.
When I first got to that unit, The Company Commander and I
had a talk. He said that because his
unit has a lot of older soldiers, drinking was a problem. He didn't allow booze in the field. I told him that I had a fifth of scotch in my
ruck sack and I would not break the seal.
He could come over at any time and check to make sure but I would abide
by his rules. I damned sure wasn't going
to pour it out to make him happy. I am
not sure who was listening in on that conversation but it was soon known that I
had a bottle and the bidding began. As
many as five pretty senior NCO's started the bidding at $20.00. Now what the hell was I going to do with
money out in the field? When the bid got
to over $200. it was close as to how much higher I could stand to keep the
bottle. My conscience won out and I did
not drink a drop out in the field.
About the end of the first week, I asked the higher
Artillery Headquarters when their guy was going to get back. They reported that he had just been admitted
to the VA hospital in Wichita and they didn't have a clue. I reminded them that I was not assigned to their
unit and wanted to be replaced as soon as possible. For five more weeks, we were out in the field
playing hide and go seek with the enemy.
I won't get into the details but will tell you that only when I staged
an artillery ambush on a position we had just left did we make any contact at
all. The day after we were resupplied,
the unit commander and I discussed that we were being trailed and could not
quite make contact. I planned a Time on
target with three batteries for about noon that day. As soon as the firing stopped, we sent a
platoon sized element back into the old position. My E-5 Sgt wanted to go so I let him go be my
eyes and ears. He reported that there
were several of the trash pits dug up and obviously we caught a squad sized
element digging through the trash homes looking for food and information. There were no bodies but several pretty large
blood trails out of the position.
The Unit Commander and I discussed what would be a good move
to make. When the report got to our
Battalion Hqs, the decision went right out of our hands. We made a company recon in force and followed
the trail as far and as fast as we could.
Late that afternoon, we found signs of fresh digging and it was pretty
obvious that they were graves. We kept
moving for another hour and left one Platoon to dig up the graves. They
found three bodies and they were all killed by artillery. The bodies had a little information with them
and first light the next day we sent that information to the Battalion S-2 (I
hate to use the words Army and Intelligence in the same sentence but the S-2 is
the Battalion Intelligence Officer) It
appears they were a unit that had pretty much been wiped out during TET and
they were stragglers working their way back to a bigger unit.
During that Day, one of the Aerial Observers in a Bird Dog
called us and reported that there was an enemy convoy of elephants headed down
the valley we were in. Mass jump through
your butt by Battalion and we were deployed on a line across the valley. I spent several hours pre-planning fires to
get an elephant kill. We had a nice rest
and for some reason the AO had to leave and the Helicopter they sent to keep an
eye on things couldn't find the elephants.
Do you know how stupid that made me feel? 200 of
us, the best trained and equipped soldiers in the world couldn't find an elephant
convoy. I think we spent the better
part of the next three days sending out patrols looking but Poof! they were
gone. A couple of months later I was
flying in a bird dog that had an elephant painted on the side of the
cockpit. He had evidently stumbled on
the elephants a week later and when he shot it with a rocket under his wing he
damn near crashed from the explosion. That elephant was obviously carrying a lot of
explosives.
Somewhere near the end of the sixth week, we humped (walked
not fly) into a fire base and I was finally given the word to return to my
unit. I caught a helicopter out of there
and flew to Ahn Khe not too far from Pleiku.
For the life of me, I could not find anyone headed to Pleiku. I was told that the next morning there would
be a convoy and I could catch a ride with them.
Time to break out the scotch. I
had a two quart canteen and it became a 50/50 scotch and water bottle. I nursed about half of it that night and
started on the remainder pretty early the next day. I went over to the convoy traffic control
point and found a truck full of sandbags.
I crawled up in the back and was soon fast asleep. I remember the convoy moving and that we
stopped somewhere down the road. Some MP
was mad as hell that we had left the start point early. He took everyone's name and I promptly forgot
about it.
I finally made it back to my unit and went to the Battalion
headquarters. I met the new commander
and told him that I was damned sure I wasn't the junior Lieutenant in the unit
anymore and I wanted an assignment in a firing battery and priority on the
R&R list. I got both and was soon on
my way to Hawaii to meet my wife and then on to Battery B, 1st Bn, 92nd FA near
DakTo.
MUD, Headed to Hawaii to be with the wife.
Tomatoes
Today Barb picked the first cherry tomato in the garden. It is just pink right now but I'll bet it will ripen up real nice in a day or so. Can't wait for them to start getting ripe in large numbers. If there is anything better than a BLT I sure don't know what it is.
Last night, we had Dave and his wife Barb over for dinner. Barbara made banana pudding with bananas and Nilla Wafers. Barb asked if the cookies get softer as the stuff is in the icebox? It never lasted that long in my house. Perhaps I will look that question up on line. We did send them home with a container of the pudding so they can answer that question. Or not.
Have you started keeping track of your summer schedule on the big calendar in the kitchen yet? I just realized that I have mine in a couple of places and that just won't do.
Gotta Run.
MUD
Last night, we had Dave and his wife Barb over for dinner. Barbara made banana pudding with bananas and Nilla Wafers. Barb asked if the cookies get softer as the stuff is in the icebox? It never lasted that long in my house. Perhaps I will look that question up on line. We did send them home with a container of the pudding so they can answer that question. Or not.
Have you started keeping track of your summer schedule on the big calendar in the kitchen yet? I just realized that I have mine in a couple of places and that just won't do.
Gotta Run.
MUD
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