Honey, I can't find the ...... (fill in the blank)

Lucky for me, yesterday was a warm sunny day here. As such, I was able to get out into the yard and get the mowing and various chores done.

The reason why I needed to be outside was because inside there was a veritable storm going on.

You see, it seems my wife decided to 'reorganize' and 'rearrange' the shelves and closets.

This bodes ill for me because now I have to go through another round of not being able to find anything.

Oh, she always makes sure she tells me the new location of various necessities but I've been on automatic for so long, it doesn't sink in.

By the time I remember what she said, it will be time for another round of 'reorganization'.

It's for this reason that men can never find anything. Whatever we're looking for, you can be sure it's been moved.

Here are some of the things I've had to spend extra time searching for:
camera, glucose test kit, old hat, old sneakers (which I fear are destined for the trash heap given the fact they're the source of the odor in the closet that we thought was a dead mouse in the closet walls), notebook where I jot down random thoughts, spare reading glasses...well, you get the idea.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go grocery shopping but I can't find my wallet or key fob...

An Observation about the Casey Anthony trial

I am not going make any judgments regarding whether or not justice was done in the Casey Anthony verdict.

I was not there, day in and day out, listening to the testimony and neither by the way were any of the talking heads you hear on TV and radio decrying the horror of the verdict nor were any of the outraged people criticizing the jury.

Rather, my observation is about the judge.

I feel very uncomfortable watching him. He speaks very slowly, mispronounces words and generally looks and sounds very nearly incompetent.

For example in watching the televised sentencing, he repeatedly pronounced the word 'specifically' 'pacifically'.

Does anyone else have a problem with that 'specifically' or the judge in general?

One hundred forty eight years ago today...

July 3, 1863, exactly 148 years ago was the 3rd--and last--day of the Battle of Gettysburg, the deadliest battle of the civil war.

Most historians regard it as the turning point of the war which until then had been going largely in the Confederacy's favor.

But the Battle of Gettysburg broke the spirit of the Confederate army.

The famous Pickett's Charge was the final straw, so to speak.

The ill-fated attack resulted in the following exchange between General Robert E. Lee and General George Pickett:
Lee: General, assemble the rest of your division.
Pickett: Sir, I have no division.

Total combined losses after the 3-day battle were in excess of 50,000.

Have a happy July 4th.

Seven years...and counting

Where has the time gone? I've been retired exactly seven years and it seems like just yesterday.

One thing that has kept me sort of in the game is that I continue to sub from time to time. Plus I follow and write about various local educational issues in town.

But aside from that, I've been so busy with other things that I haven't really looked back with regret. In fact there are times when I wonder how I had time to work!

So off we go, into another summer.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to baby sit for Cole & Nicholas, then workout, then water the garden, then vacuum the pool, then....See what I mean?

Energy Exploration-The Real Deal

This past weekend my wife and I visited some friends in a small farm town in northeastern Pennsylvania.

To me, the region has a great deal going for it. It consists of thousands of acres of beautiful woods and fields and friendly people.

Of course like any very remote region there are some drawbacks. It takes a while to get to stores and restaurants and forget about cell service or cable. But there is at least satellite service for Internet and television.

But what's really interesting is what you can't see. It's about a mile below the surface of the earth and large energy companies across the country are VERY interested in what's there.

Methane, AKA natural gas. An efficient, clean source of energy which just so happens to exist in great quantities far below the surface in this part of the country. But because drilling and extraction techniques have improved so much, it is now accessible.

Why is this particularly important? Well, if you, like our friends, live on a big piece of property that is in the pathway of one of the many natural gas wells and pipelines that are going in, you will very likely be contacted by one of the aforementioned gas companies who will be looking to negotiate a mineral lease.

That's the good news.

The bad news--maybe--is that one of the techniques used in the drilling operation is called 'fracing'. This consists of pumping vast quantities of water into the well to release the methane.

There are some who insist this process is contaminating residential wells. There are others who say the methane in this part of the country was always in the well water but it's only now that people are noticing it. It's no worse than it's ever been, they say.

So the jury is still out.

One thing's for sure. As we slowly run out of oil and search for new supplies of energy--coal, oil and natural gas--there are going to be consequences. Some may be inconsequential--but others may not.

One other thing. The gas companies are throwing around a LOT of money betting that it will pay off.

It always seems to come down to that, doesn't it? Money.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all those great fathers out there.

I have been a father for almost 38 years and a grand father for over 7 years.

Do I have any sage advice for those just starting out on this long, important road? Well, I'm not one to give free advice. Very often it turns out to be worth exactly what you pay for it.

But, having said that, I guess one important thing I can think of for fathers is to be there for your kids, through thick and thin, good days and bad days. Just be there.

And remember...strength and kindness are not mutually exclusive.

Another great time with grandchildren

As I've noted in this space on many occasions, attending the various events involving our grandchildren is very important--and enjoyable--to us.

Pictured here is the latest of such events--Brooke & Courtney's dance recital.

See a video of it here: http://georgeswebpage.com/photogallery

Let the games begin

Here it is-summer of 2011--with the next presidential election over a year away it has started already.

Romney & Pawlenty in. The Gingrich campaign implodes (good bye and good riddance), thousands of Palin emails set to be released.

It's going to be a loooooonnnng summer!

A "Special" test for Sarah

Poor Sarah. First Katie Couric blindsides her with that question about the Supreme Court and then just recently in Boston a mean-spirited reporter asked her a question about Paul Revere.

Her answer was so convoluted that it ended up sounding like Paul Revere was actually warning the British!

But, hey, that aside, it just doesn't seem right. The poor woman can't get a break. The press is always gunning for her.

So in the interest of fair play and all that, I have taken the liberty of composing a 10 question history test just for Sarah that I think the press should stick to.

Come on. What's fair is fair! Here it is:

1. When was the war of 1812?

2. Where did the Battle of Gettysburg take place?

3. There are three branches of government-the executive, the legislative and… What is the third? HINT: They work in the Supreme Court Building

4. Who was the losing general in Custer’s Last Stand?

5. In the Civil War who was the general leading the ill-fated Pickett’s Charge?

6. In what country was the American Civil War fought?

7. Washington D.C. was named after a president. Which one?

8. Which “Day” was the the Normandy Invasion of WW II nicknamed (multiple choice-pick one): A, B, C, D, Tuesday?

9. The preamble of the constitution begins “We the people”. Who are the “people” it is referring to?

10. The year 1929 marks the start of The Great_______. Fill in the blank. Hint: Many people were thrown into a “Depression” because of it.

Kids think the strangest things!

Today was a cool, windy day. I was baby sitting for the boys--ages three and a half and two. It was a little chilly out and I had a truck load of stuff to bring to the dump so I loaded up the garbage, and the boys, and off we went.

When I got to the dump, I lowered the back windows of the truck so the boys could see me and know that even though I'm not actually in the truck, I was there and they weren't alone.

Sometimes when small kids think they're alone, they get frightened.

Well, sure enough. When I got out of the truck and walked to the back to unload, Cole started crying. He couldn't see me. He thought with all the commotion around us, I was getting hurt so he was upset.

I went to his side of the window and comforted him and then continued with what I was doing.

After that it was OK, but it got me to thinking how little things can bother kids--and some adults.

Many people are very strong, having endured a great deal, but then there are those who are very fragile. That's just the way it is. So I think the strong need to be there for the fragile. Then, in time, they'll get stronger and more secure.

That's life.

"Remember" Memorial Day

Let's not forget the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Click on the below link to read a short piece I posted on Newtown Patch.

http://newtown.patch.com/articles/we-must-never-forget

Ron White Said It Best

I've been hearing and reading about the folks who took seriously the rapture prediction that the world was going to end today, May 21.

Some of them actually maxed out their credit cards, living high because what the hell, tomorrow we'll all be dead. Then there were those who ran for the hills or did other things that they will never be able to undo.

Well, here we are. The sun came up this morning. We're slowly getting our garden planted. A passing T storm has made it necessary to finish up tomorrow which we will indeed live to see.

And for those who put it all on the line thinking the predictions were accurate? Well, comedian Ron White said it best, "You can't fix stupid."

A Logic Lesson from a 4-year-old

Yesterday my 4-year-old grand daughter looked at me very seriously and explained that she had 3 canker sores in her mouth and the cure for canker sores is juice-not ordinary juice. It has to be frozen. And since popsicles are basically frozen juice, I should please give her one so she can feel better.

How does one refute such logic? She got the popsicle!

What a lineup!!!!

Let's see. Who do we have so far? Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich and Donald Trump!

Obama must beside himself. Not only is he enjoying a 'bump' from the demise of bin Laden but he's got three of the world's biggest losers running against him...so far.

Buckle up, boys & girls. We're in for a rough ride!

Guest blogger describes a recent ordeal

NOTE: From time to time I will post the remarks of guest bloggers. Here is the first of such posts. It was submitted by my friend, Gene Garriepy.

This past week has been quite an eventful one. A royal wedding, the capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden, and the removal of a seventy-seven year old body part known as a gall bladder.

Take it from me, if you’re headed for surgery, laparoscopic is the way to go.

The Open Cholecystectomy is a thing of the past. No more three week recovery periods in the hospital. Nobody can afford it anyway. Just four small incisions are required, which, I might add, heal quickly and allow for a continued wearing of your favorite bikini.

But as with any surgery, there are risks and down sides. Your surgeon will be more than pleased to run down the list from misplacing your clothing to a Med. Insurance screw-up, which could cost the freedom of your wife and children.

I was in at 7:45AM and released to a bright new beautiful world at 5:30PM that same day.

The next five days were not without some discomfort or tenderness at the surgery point, together with some shoulder pain as a result of a gas used in the surgery. How well one deals with the anesthesia is a matter of individual differences.

The staff was just wonderful. Thoughtful, patient, and sensitive to my fears and needs.

Giving oneself over to strangers is not easy. But as Mommy would say, put trust in the skill of the surgeon and your faith in God.

As for the Royal wedding, I wish them a long and happy marriage. It sure cost enough.

Bin Laden’s ending was final justice. Though I might have wished he had the surgery I underwent without the benefit of anesthesia!

Is it time to privatize the U.S. Postal Service?

Our return to CT after 10 days in Florida was nearly flawless.

Our trip to the airport Sunday morning was smooth sailing. Check in at the airport? No problem.

Boarding the plane fairly efficient. We even got off a bit early and arrived in Westchester, NY ahead of schedule.

Pete picked us up and the ride home was without delay.

But today I went to the post office at around noon--it's busiest time--to pick up our vacation mail. Two people were at the counter when I got there. When I was about two people away from being waited on, one of the counter clerks announced she was taking a break and left one person there.

The line quickly extended out the door.

The one clerk who was there repeatedly called for assistance. Several postal workers walked by, peeked in, looked around--and left!

Finally, after a great deal of grumbling by people waiting, someone came to help out.

Yes, it's time. There's nothing like a little competition to streamline an operation!

There's no place like home

Our week at our condo in Florida is drawing to a close. The weather was very nice although a tad too hot for me. Nineties every day and no rain.

We're heading back home on Mother's Day.

It was a very relaxing week for us--but we missed the family a great deal. I did manage to get four framed picture collages on walls to look at but it's certainly not like being with them.

Nevertheless, we managed to have a great visit with Sandi's brother, Tom and his wife Kathy, and a not so great visit with her other brother, Ray, but on the flip side his wife Geri is a great gal.

Spent time at the beach and pool, ate out, went to Old Naples and generally enjoyed ourselves. We even got to the exercise room at the club house a few times.

We very happy we bought this place and look forward to many more trips here--with the little ones (and their parents of course).

But it sure will be good to get back home--to a lawn that needs cutting badly.

Farewell, Naples, until October.

Justice is done

...but it's bittersweet. With the killing of Osama Bin Laden, this country can finally bring closure to one of its most rending experiences.

Of course it won't bring back the thousands of lives lost on that terrible day nor will it bring back the thousands of men and women who gave their lives for their country since then. But at least we kept our word to the rest of the world and got to see a final accounting.

I'm sure the survivors of the 9/11 victims are feeling at least slightly better now as are the survivors of the many members of our armed forces who were killed fighting terrorism.

The fight isn't over but it's my guess the US starts to change the way it's doing things in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We need to find a different approach to the threat that still exists. One that involves fewer people and maybe relies more on sophisticated weapon systems like drones and 'smart' bombs and a well developed intelligence network which apparently had a lot to do with finding Bin Laden.

So this chapter ends--finally.

Oh, one more thing. Obama critics take note: 9/11 started on Junior's watch and ended on Obama's. Interesting.

More stories from Ed

I met with 97-year-old Ed again yesterday. When looking over his WW II experience, one has to conclude it's a miracle he's alive.

First, as described earlier, he survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Ed's ship, Light Cruiser Helena was not sunk but it was heavily damaged.

After repairs, Ed and the rest of the crew set out for the Pacific where they joined the task force that was headed for Guadalcanal.

On the evening of July 5th, 1943, Ed's ship was hit by four torpedoes.

Incredibly, the ship did not sink immediately so Ed had time to abandon.

Many men were killed, some made it to rafts but Ed was in water where he tread water and dog paddled for about two hours. Just when he was giving up hope, he heard voices so he swam over and was picked up by a raft.

From there they were picked up by rescue ships and that begins a whole new adventure for next time.

But when all is said and done after the torpedoes, over 400 men had been rescued and over 200 were killed.

Since we're going to be in Florida until May 8, I won't be seeing Ed for a while but I have sufficient notes to continue this narrative until our return. So come back soon.

Easter 2011

It was a great day yesterday, Easter Sunday.

Debbie & Tim Sullivan hosted an Easter egg hunt and dinner for several family members.

Even Mother Nature smiled upon us with warm temperatures and (mostly) sunny skies.

My two grand daughters, Courtney & Brooke, are here hamming it up for the camera.

For more pictures and a video, click here:
http://georgeswebpage.com

Spring chores

I have not been very diligent with my blogging lately.

I didn't meet with my two new WW II veteran friends this week so I have no new stories to report.
In addition to that I have been busy with baby sitting duties and spring chores.

The leaves that blew into the yard over the winter are finally gone and the flower beds are cleared out.

I still have to buy and spread mulch, power wash the house & deck, paint the deck, wash the windows and plan our garden.

Unfortunately, spring rains are interfering with my efforts. Plus we are leaving for Florida soon for about 8 days.

Oh well, the chores will be here when we get back.

It is what it is. Whatever!

I'm growing more and more annoyed with the increasing frequency with which people are using certain expressions. OMG!

This is especially true where people who are supposed to have a command of the language are concerned, ya' know?

Hey, you guys. Listen up. Whenever you guys have an awesome story to tell can't you exercise a little more due diligence with the editing?

Oh, I know, I know. Awesome stories should not be minimized. I guess I'll just have to deal with it. Whatever. It is what it is. My bad. Ya' know? LOL

Meet Ed-The Greatest Generation

Today I met with Ed, yet another member of the greatest generation.

Ed is 97 years old. He is a veteran of WW II having served 10 years in the U.S. Navy.

Ed enlisted in the navy in 1935 at the age of 21. Because he had no training or skills, he had extreme difficulty finding employment. This was complicated by the Great Depression.

He joined the navy in order to have a job and acquire a useful trade.

Ed went to Machinist Mate school for 20 weeks. He is pictured here in front of the instrument panel of the number two engine for the USS Mississippi.

When Ed finished his training he was assigned to the light cruiser, USS Helena.

On December 7, 1941 the Helena happened to be docked at Pearl Harbor. Early that morning, while Ed was showering, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Ed escaped through a port hole (window) and swam to safety.

The Helena was heavily damaged but it could be and ultimately was repaired.

After repairs, the Helena with Ed aboard headed for the Pacific. And that is where a whole new set of adventures begin.

I'll be seeing Ed and Bert (see previous post) again next week at which time I'll have more to tell you.

Meet another member of the Greatest Generation

Meet Bert. Ninety two years old and a resident of an assisted living facility I visit.

Bert has many interesting stories to tell but I'll begin with the one about his WWII service.

Bert was a member of Patton's 3rd army. Specifically the 243rd Field Artillery Battalion. I found this to be particularly interesting because I was in a field artillery unit in my service days and my uncle also served in an artillery unit with Patton's 3rd army.

So Bert and I had many connections.

The most interesting story so far is one he recently told me. It seems Bert was a mess sergeant. For the uninitiated, 'mess' means food service. As a sergeant Bert was in charge of getting all the troops fed.

Toward the end of the war, Bert actually had German prisoners working for him. I didn't realize we did that as a matter of policy during WWII but Bert said it was not unusual. I asked him if he ever felt in danger or if the captured Germans presented a problem since they were now working for their enemy.

Bert said to the contrary. Toward the end of WW II, the German army was suffering terribly. Half the men were starving. Because of that and other issues, they were more than happy to work for us--if for no other reason than to get fed and generally taken care of.

The really interesting part of all of this is that one of the prisoners was an 18 year old German army deserter named Joseph Ratzinger. You may know him by his more familiar name: Pope Benedict XVI.

It seems the current Roman Catholic Pope had been inducted into the German army at a very young age, learned of some of the horrible things being done and deserted. He was ultimately captured by Allied forces and eventually assigned to Bert's team.

Bert has a lot more to tell me as does Ed, another member of the Greatest Generation I'll be talking to soon.

Come back.

Join me in welcoming two new members to the Lunatic Fringe

On previous occasions I have published a (growing) list of members to the group of people who have come to be known as the Lunatic Fringe.

They have earned this dubious distinction because of their loopy ideas and laughably absurd statements.

People like Glen Beck (who has recently gone completely off the edge), Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, George W. Bush & his clone Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Ann Coulter and Sarah Palin are the most notably insane among a growing group.

Well, today it gives me great pleasure to announce two new members: Donald Trump and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann (R).

Let's take Trump first. He's actually considering a run for the presidency but why would anyone be surprised. He has such a monumentally huge ego, I'm surprised he hasn't declared himself the Second Coming.

This wing nut is running around echoing the lunatic tirades of the 'birthers', supporting their belief that Obama isn't really an American because as Trump puts it, no one in Obama's kindergarten class would remember him! What a jerk.

He then goes on to say that his superior negotiating skills would be used to sit down with the petroleum exporting countries and demand they lower their prices.

Uh, OK. Let us know how that works out, Donald.

There's more but I can't bring myself to think about it. It's all so absurd.

Now for the latest product of the Tea Party movement, Michele Bachmann. This nut job stated in a recent speech that the American Revolution started in New Hampshire. As we all know it was in Concord, Massachusetts that it started, not Concord, New Hampshire.

She also stated that our Founding Fathers eliminated slavery in the Declaration of Independence. Wrong, jerk. They did no such thing.

Finally, she has concluded that global warming is a hoax perpetrated by the liberal scientific community.

Enough about this one too. You get the idea.

Welcome to the Fringe, Donald and Michele. I'm sure you will both feel very much at home there.

The Greatest Generation-Revisited

Part of my volunteer work over the past few years has been to meet with World War II veterans and talk about their experiences.

I've described those conversations many times on this blog spot.

Over time, the men with whom I had these conversations died or moved to other locations so for the past couple of months I haven't talk to anyone.

Recently however I was asked to meet with two men at an assisted living facility.

One is a WWII veteran of the U.S. Navy who was at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day. He is 97 years old.

The other served in an artillery unit with General Patton from D Day to the end of the war. He is 88 years old.

I am going to be meeting with these two men on Tuesday afternoons and because they each have so much to say, I'll be meeting with them separately for about 45 minutes each.

So stay tuned for some interesting stories.

What is it about my hair?

My grand children seem to have a weird fascination with my hair--such as it is.

Brooke and Courtney are always trying to give me a mohawk or put it in curlers or comb it in different styles which as the years go on is more and more difficult and now Cole has joined the fun.

Yesterday, for example, we were playing and he suddenly stopped and began to closely examine the top of my head which with the exception of a few stray strands is pretty much bare.

He looked at it for a while and finally said, "I like your haircut, grampy." I of course didn't get a haircut. In fact I need one but Cole wasn't looking at the sides of my head or the hair around my ears and neck. He was looking directly at the top of my head.

I explained to him that I didn't get it cut. It was falling out on its own. He pondered that for a while but still thought it was nice.

I wonder what he'll say when I actually do get it cut this weekend!

Life with grand children. It's always an adventure.

Have we learned anything from history?

It has been reported that since our involvement in Libya's civil strife, the rebels who are fighting against Gaddafi have become completely reliant on western support.

Senator John McCain supports our involvement and criticizes Obama for not having done something sooner but I wonder if this is wise. We're already stretched thin around the world.

Is it our role to be involved in every country's business?

Witness Viet Nam & Iraq. Haven't we learned anything from history?

Children and their games

Children never cease to amaze me. My two grand daughters, ages 4 & 7, are constantly making up games.

Now, their cousins, my two grand sons ages almost 2 & 3 are following suit.

For example for the last few times I've been baby sitting for them, they've been playing a game 3-year-old Cole made up. It's called police station.

The way it works is that I am a police office, Nicholas is my assistant and Sadie, the dog, is a police dog.

The way it's played is Nicholas, Sadie and I sit in the living room which is the police station with the double doors closed. Cole plays the part of someone seeking assistance from the police.

Cole knocks on the door and when I answer it, he reports that there are foxes all over the house. It's our duty to round them up and lock them into an imaginary cage somewhere. The problem is no sooner do I pretend to lock the door, then they get loose and start running all over the house.

Other variations to this game are Cole knocks on the door and reports that he's lost. As a police officer I of course offer to help him. When I ask him if he knows where he lives he says 24 Charter Bridge Rd. Actually, he lives on Charter Ridge Rd. but it's a small difference so I don't make a big deal of it.

And so it goes. One problem after another. Sometimes it's someone else who needs help. In that case, we all help.

Even 2-year-old Nicholas is into the game. As soon as I get there in the morning, they want to play 'police station'.

It's great fun but I can't help but wonder what's next!

Crimes in Wisconsin

What's happening in Wisconsin is nothing short of criminal-period. I am sick to death of public employees taking the brunt of the blame for a particular state's insolvency. It has to stop.