Greetings from the construction zone....

Hi all!
It's been a long and pretty starnge week here. I was off Tuesday and decided to keep Devon home to play with his buddy Mike in "the trenches" as no work was being done. They played out in the trenches ALL DAY! They had a mini-camp all set up and once I witnessed them coming out of the woods wearing what looked like branced taped to their clothes and arms. They apparently swiped my packing tape while I was otherwise occupied. Devon talked me into a small cap gun and then later soaked Dave for about 1000 caps to shoot off. These kids are loving the mess outside. It's pretty sad how quick a bulldozer can destroy your lawn. Devon was home sick with a pretty high fever Wednesday so I took him to the Dr and apparently he just has a virus.
Today was the day Morgan had to ride the bus with the principal of our school as a trial run and to learn the rules of the bus. Practically all of the kids were visibly upset and clinging to their parents. Morgan just did her typical social butterfly routine and said " I'll be back in a minute Mom" and just left me standing there all alone. She loved the whole experience. Only one kid was hysterical and throwing a fit. It was actually pretty heart wrenching to see. Apparently Morgan is well known with the parents in her pre-school as 3 women approaced me to comment about her. I believe the word "spunky" was used. Oh well.
Not much exciting on the construction front. Footers were poured and they start "blocking" things in next week.
Dave plans to spend the weekend picking through all the stone that was unearthed. I was told that we have about $1000 of "prime landscaping stone" in those piles. He's such a dreamer. He's been watching too much of this show on Food Tv where famous chefs like Alton Brown and Paula Dean come in and redesign your kitchen. Dave is in love with Bobby Flay and that is where most of his inspiration comes from.

We'll post more pictured once soething exciting happens.
Love, Sue

And so it begins.......

Today was the first day of construction on our house. It started like any other day. We left for work, took the kids to camp, and by 8:30am the digging began. By 9:15 my phone rang and Sue told me that Morgan was sick and needed to be picked up at school. I rushed home, as any good father would do, and picked up my daughter who did not appear to be sick in the slightest. As we arrived home we saw the construction crew digging through layers and layers of rock that our house apparently sits on. Shortly after making lunch for ourselves i witnessed the work crew accidentally break open our well water and electric line, and then remark," I wonder what that was doing there?" Long story short we got the problem fixed in a relatively short time by a friend of mine and we settled in for the night. Enclosed are the picture of the days events. Devon and his friends had fun playing some type of trench warfare game after the guys left for the day.

Dave & Sue

A Quick "Hello There"

I haven't posted for a while, since we've been busy with work and a few other things, and trying to stay out of the oppressive heat and humidity we had last week (this week has been much better, thank God).

Janice has another big work weekend coming up, so perhaps I'll have some more posts in the next few days.

She had a little bit of a break here the past week and a half, or so, and we've been finally getting around to doing a little bit of looking at real estate. I think we've resigned ourselves to the fact that we may be in CT for a few more years, and it might not be a bad idea to put down some roots and perhaps be able to build a little equity here, regardless of where we end up. So far, we've looked at around 10 homes, and have seen one we loved half of. It's amazing what some people do to a house.

Anyway ... off to work I go.

PS - We've really been enjoying the pics of everyone ... keep up the good work! Also - how are the wayward travellers doing, I wonder? Has anyone gotten an update from the big adventure to the Northwest?

Fun For A Good Cause

Last night was a welcome reprieve from the humdrum daily grind of work, work, work. A fellow that works for A**** had organized an outing to raise some money for The Connecticut Hospice.

Janice and I helped raise $150 ($300 with the A**** matching gifts program) by playing Whirlyball. The best way I can describe Whirlyball is a combination of polo, jai alai, and basketball while driving highly maneuverable bumper cars. Perhaps you can gain some understanding by looking at the picture. The guy in the red car at center with his racquet raised, is attempting a shot on goal (the circle in the center of the backboard). It's harder than it looks, but always good for a hearty laugh. My highlight of the evening was hitting a shot from about 30 feet out ... it surprised even me.

Anyway, it was a hoot and I only have a slight case of whiplash. The only unfortunate thing about the evening was that the pizza wasn't remotely as good as Bobe's. However, the beer was cold. :)

Yesterday In History

Many of you may or may not have remembered this, but yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

While we may lament the fact this had to happen, one cannot deny that it prevented a catastrophic loss of life that would have been incurred had "Little Boy" and "Fat Man" had not been dropped, and an invasion of the Japanese home islands occured.

I know for a fact that Janice's dad was spared this invasion because of this ... after all, he was a member of the 67th Naval Construction Batallion, responsible for building the runways on Tinian Island from which "Enola Gay" and "BocksCar" departed. Based on plans for "Operation Olympic", the first phase of "Operation Downfall", he would have gone into Japan on the second wave, after the 5th Marine Division. American casualties just in this action were estimated at between 500,000 and 1,000,000 men. The Japanese were prepared to defend their homeland with 3,000,000 men and god knows how many civilians.

The History Channel had an excellent program on the event last night - "Days That Shook The World: Hiroshima." It will air again next Sunday evening at 7:00 PM Eastern, if you missed it.

I felt it was a fair portrayal, both from the side of the American decision to end the war as quickly as possible, and of the Japanese survivors. I've seen film taken by post-blast doctors, in a history class called "The Atomic Age", and some of this footage was interspersed into the re-creation in a very powerful way. Don't watch it if you are squeamish.

Tuesday marks the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki.

Our generations should thank their lucky stars we did not have to participate in such a world-wide conflict.

Let us give thanks to those who served in World War II to preserve democracy and our four fundamental liberties, and say a prayer for those who paid their ultimate sacrifice, regardless of which sides they were on. Let us also pray that it never happens again.

Enough said. I now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging.

Hey Brad ...

"Hey Lee,
I was running a new circuit upstairs and went into the attic."

I just re-read this, and am now wondering ... "What the hell kind of an exercise circuit, in that house, could land you in the attic?"

Did you set your exercise equipment up for "Exertion Until Ejection" mode? LOL I think I'm seeing another "Vonage" commercial in the making!

Lee Wasn't Just Any Football Player ...

... he was Bart Starr! Those might be from the Christmas I got the Green Bay Packer helmet, and the football uniform that had a yellow jersey with green numbers, and white pants, and shoulder pads. Of course, the only thing "authentic" about this uniform was the helmet, but I was still thrilled. Somewhere those memories exist on family home movies that Marion took that Christmas of me, passing a football to someone in what used to be the old kitchen there. I do remember the next year going out in the yard under the maple tree in the north side of the yard and passing the ball to myself and pretending to get tackled, where I would throw myself onto the ground.

You know ... the things I did when I was a kid to entertain myself after Jane and John had left the house ... sheesh. It's probably a good thing there wasn't video or the internet back then. I might have ended up like this kid, the subject of much unwarranted ridicule. However, I still laugh like hell watching him. Click the blue link to see how much "press" this kid has received. He is now an internet phenomenom, but I doubt he's making a lot of money off his original "expose".

I also remember all the tank models I built, just to tape bottle rockets into hatches to simulate the effects of direct hits from other tanks or tank destroyers (these tanks were German or Japanese, to simulate being hit by a Sherman tank or a bazooka). It's pretty cool what the exhaust from a taped-down bottle rocket will do to a plastic model.

I also remember carefully arranging little green soldiers and their accompanying vehicles in areas around the rope swing that was in that north maple tree, just so I could swing over them, holding a stick I used to hit the ground to create "bombing runs". You see, these were the days of "Combat!" (RIP, Vic ... that had to hurt) and "The Rat Patrol" and their leaping jeeps on TV ... and it made an impression on me. I can still hum the tune of the theme song of "The Rat Patrol". Plus, hearing all of Uncle Sam's stories probably had a bit to do with that, as well. LOL

Lori ... you may remember that old rope swing. I recall it had a brake drum cover for a seat. I seem to recall an episode where we were riding on that swing together when you were about five years old or so, and the rope broke, sending us flying. LOL I felt really bad about that.

Anyway ... yes, I was admittedly a dorky kid in my pre-high school years.

Now ... any ... ahem ... "magazines" you might find hidden in the attic from my later formulative years ... I might want those, especially the ones that earned me an "F" in Deportment one marking period when I was in eighth grade, as a student of Uncle Sam's. They could be valuable on eBay these days.

As for the shoulder pads and pants ... I would say to keep them for Ross, and let him grow into them!

Once Again, The Sumner Press ...

... has some interesting things in the online edition.

First, from the front page:

Need slogans
The city is seeking help to find a slogan for Sumner that will be put on the Welcome to Sumner signs. Slogans can be submitted to the Press by person, mail or e-mail. The person whose slogan is picked as the winner will receive a $100 Savings Bond.

I wonder, what would Roscoe think, if I were to submit in honor of Dad, his often-used reference to Sumner as "Some Manure" a la "Sumner ... We're Not Just Some Manure, After All." I think this may have been in some of his more "peckish" moods.

Lawrence County
In his "Lawrence County" section, Roscoe writes, "A very popular stop on most computers is Google Earth. Incredible but true, even a novice can zoom in on almost any spot on earth. Alas, Lawrence County communities do not project as clearly as other famous places, like Chicago, Paris & London." I have news for him. 185 Pine Street, Manchester, CT zooms in quite nicely, including the "tilt/pan" feature that gives one a more of a "lay of the land" view. So does 304 Buttonwood Road, for that matter. I'll set him straight with a referral to MSN Virtual Earth, which does have (albeit in black and white) a more detailed view of Lawrence County.

For example, here is a satellite photo taken from MSN Virtual Earth, of an area we should all be familiar with:
Also, just to get a little reminiscent, and to get Eric squirming a little, here is an interesting map of just SOME of the "Lease Road" references of which he has heard so much about. For those outside of Lawrence County, perhaps a short explanation is in order. Oil was discovered in Lawrence County in the very early 1900's. Oil rigs were put in, and little roads were installed to allow trucks to come and service those leases. Hence, "Lease Road". For a car, these were sometimes hazardous to traverse. But you know ... sometimes "hazardous to traverse" didn't really fall into the equation - it was more a matter of the "getting there".

With that said, here's a local map of very local-to-Bridgeport lease roads (the area outlined in green) compared to the "city" of Bridgeport (outlined in the red rectangle in the lower right). Note that the "official" roads in the green rectangle run typically north-south and east-west. All other things that look like a cul-de-sac are "Lease Roads". Otherwise, particular notes of interest in Red Hill State Park are noted with red X's.
LOL ... I had a good chuckle when I discovered this, and it was fun, putting together.

Bat 'er UP

Last night, while sitting here watching a little History Channel after a long day at work, the cats became very frantic. Normally, around 8:00 PM or so they get frisky and chase each other, but this was different. They were running around like crazy, leaping over the furniture, looking up in the air.

I watched them for a little while and didn't really notice in the dimming light of the living room that what they were really doing was chasing a seemingly annual visitor ... an Eptesicus fuscus ... more commonly known as a Big Brown Bat. The bat was obviously having a good time flitting about, and seemed to be deliberately taunting them from about 15 feet up, safely out of reach.

Many of you know this isn't the first time we've had such a visitor. After all, living in a city-block sized renovated mill built in the early 1900's affords the brown bat a pretty good chance of finding safe haven. And, the brown bat is known to be able to get through a hole the size of a quarter - even smaller sometimes, if the bat is small. With our place having a large (10 ft high x 20 ft long) skylight, they obviously have possible entry points there.

Once they get in, it is sometimes difficult to catch them, since with the brick interior walls and all the exposed beams, they have a lot of choices of perching (hanging) places. This one, not being as dull-witted as some I have had, was smart enough to "go high" for lack of a better term. Part of the time he spent at the very peaks of the skylight, about 30 ft above the living room floor. The rest of the time he spent way up near the ceiling, hanging on the brick walls, like this little fellow (perhaps a "Big Brown" pup, or a Myotis lucifugus "Little Brown Bat") shown at right from last year.

So this year's bat (the first so far this year, I should say) eluded my tried and true Rube Goldbergian, but effective, bat-catching system (which consists of a wire mesh colander wire-tied to the end of a shower curtain tension rod I bought just for this purpose last year).

Alas, I resigned myself to calling building maintenance. After the woman at the answering service recovered from her repeating at least three times, "You mean a bat ... like the bird?" and my repeating "Errr ... yes, only it is actually a mammal technically, but also the only 'true' flying mammal" a couple of times, she dispatched the call to one of the maintenance men. This guy came prepared. He was equipped with a pool cleaner pole with the leaf netting that one uses to snare leaves from the deep end of an inground pool. However ... he seemed a little timid. So I used the pool cleaner netting to snag the now-frightened bat in the net ... but he escaped. Several tries later, as Jake and Elwood looked on almost misty-eyed at their fun being over, we ended up netting the bat and releasing him through our dining room window out into the night to search for more mosquitoes. Or ... a different unit to get into.

Now, not to belabor this story, but two things are funny about it:

1. The "boys" are still walking around and looking up into the air for their "flying toy"; and
2. If you look at date on the two bat pictures above, I wonder if it is the same bat from a year ago today!

Must Be The Week Of Awards

Well, I guess it's "going around". I was presented with my awards packet and certificate for "5 Years Of Dedicated Service to L*****, Inc." yesterday. Each year, the company honors length of service milestones (5 years, 10 years, 15, etc.) at a luncheon held in November. We are also given the choice of a nice gift commensurate with service levels. I chose a really nice watch, described as being waterproof to 165 feet.

All in all, life at L***** has been very good. It has afforded me travel to Hoosick Falls NY (coldest place I've ever spent a January), to Meinerzhagen and Ludenscheid, Germany for a month, to Albany NY, to Hamptonville NC, to Columbus OH, to St. Johnsbury VT, to Rochester NH (far too many trips, there), to Ossipee NH (with many more trips to come, in '06), to Austin TX (twice), to Boston MA, to Baltimore MD, and possibly soon to Atlanta. Also, L*dall was kind enough to allow my work-from-home situation when I broke the ankle. Other companies might have forced a short-term or long-term disability in that situation.

In retrospect, most importantly, it was also a major reason I met my lovely bride, since had I not come up here in '97, we'd not have met. Yep ... it's been a good eight (oops) five years.