Labor Day 2012

I remember as a kid that it wasn't until after Labor Day that we returned to school.  But these days most kids have been back for a least a week or more.

It's Labor Day that usually marks the end of the summer season.  Vacations are over, pools are getting closed, gardens are about done and the days are getting shorter. 

Autumn is a beautiful time of year.  The weather is perfect (to me) and the fall colors are beautiful.  But it's that which lies just beyond  that tends too dampen one's enthusiasm for Autumn.

But before you know it, that too is over and the flowers begin to bloom.  And so it goes.  Round and round. 

Happy Labor Day.

Time passages & mixed emotions

This past week has been a reminder of the passage of time and one of mixed emotions. Our two older grand children returned to school to start first and third grade and grand son Cole entered kindergarten. 

I was surprised at how enthusiastic and proud Cole is turning out to be.  At first he was upset he would be missing two 'grampy days' every week but since his little brother and I pick him up he at least gets two grampy afternoons.

All this serves to remind me of how quickly they're growing up...and how quickly I'm getting older! 

But it's all good stuff and all the more to look forward to.

Back to the routine

After four days visiting with a good friend in Butler, PA, we are back home.  It's a 7 hour trip both ways complicated by quite a bit of traffic and a lot of construction but we had a great time and got to visit a lot of nice people some of whom we've known for about years!

The highlight of the trip--besides the reunion with friends--was a two-hour ride on Segways.  Great fun.

Now it's back to the routine...Babysitting, mowing, closing the pool, etc.

Next trip:  Thanksgiving in Naples, FL.

Four Day Break

Off to Pennsylvania for four days to visit a friend.  Part of what we're going to be doing is riding Segues along the Allegheny River.  Video to follow.

While there we'll be carefully watching news of the hurricane headed for the area where we have a condo.

Who's more stupid?

MO republican Todd Aken has got to be the dumbest politician ever.  You mean to tell me he didn't realize the stupidity of his remark before it popped out of his mouth? 

Even if there were a modicum of truth (which there isn't) to what he said, wouldn't he have realized the insensitivity of the comment? 

It's a measure of his arrogance and ignorance that he wasn't able to figure this out.

Are republican politicians generally less sensitive to these kinds of issues or is it my imagination?

Consider the first thing out of Romney's mouth for example:  "He meant well"  Oh??!!  Did he??

Signs of the times

I voted in the primary election last Tuesday and while this is not  a particularly remarkable event there is one observation I wish to make.  What on earth is up with all the candidate signs?  There were literally dozens and dozens of signs for every single candidate...and there were a lot of candidates because every elected post was challenged by someone within each party.

The number of signs at Reed Intermediate where the voting took place was ridiculous and now they're popping up on people's front lawns.

Is anyone honestly influenced by a sign?  Is it possible that there's even one person out there whose mind is changed by a sign as he/she walks into the polling place? 

It's hard to imagine this nation's voters could be so shallow...but stranger things have happened!

More questions

Having a two hour drive before us with the two boys, I decided to cut down on the questions by setting up  double DVD players in the back seat.  The way they work is you strap them to the headrest of the front seats and plug the main one into the power outlet in the car.

Now for two hours instead of the boys asking questions ad nauseum we will be listening to Cars Two.

I'm not sure which I prefer...

Questions, questions, questions, questions

Here's a random sampler of questions I've been asked recently as Nicholas (3), Cole (4) & I are driving somewhere.

Where are we going?
When are we going to get there?
Why are you going this way?
Why are you going so fast?
Why are you going so slow?
Why did you stop?
Why did you go over those bumps?
Why did you swerve?
Who did you wave to?
Why did you honk your horn?
Why is your horn so small?
In how many minutes are we going to get there?
What should we count to?
What's that man doing?
Who is he?
Is his mower like yours?
Are we going by daddy's office?
Are we going by mommy's office?
Are we going by grammy's office?
Why are you playing that music?
Can you play our songs?
Can we go by an excavator [their words]?
Why do you have a truck?
What do you do with it?
Are you going to get a new one?
Can it be the color of my daddy's car?
Are we going down the hill or up the hill?
Why are traffic lights [their words] red, yellow and green?
Can't they be blue or white and other stuff?
Can we play I Spy?

That's a modest sampling.  There's more.  Always more.  Grand children.

The battle-lines have been drawn

There has just been an official announcement  that Wisconsin tea party republican Paul Ryan is Romney's choice for VP.

This is the guy who wants to throw seniors under the bus by turning their health care over to insurance companies.

He actually trusts HMOs more than he does government.

This is also the same guy, among others of his ilk,  who would rather see the country fall off a cliff than take the appropriate measures  to prevent a credit crises.

In short he's nuts. 

The upcoming election is shaping up to be one of the most important in the nation's history.

Guns...and the movies.

All over news headlines this morning was the story of a man here in CT who was spotted in a movie theater with a gun in his holster tucked in his pants behind his back.

Police were called, the theater was emptied and the man was confronted.  It turns out he has a permit for the weapon and was ultimately released. 

Here's the part I find interesting:  Had this happened in many other states across the country, it would have been a surprise if people DIDN'T have weapons with them.

That fact exemplifies the vast differences in gun laws across the nation and it's exactly for that reason that anyone can get a gun from somewhere.

By all means, preserve the 2nd Amendment but let's not make it so easy for the wrong people to get their hands on a gun.

A statistical analysis

I like statistics.  I like doing statistical analyses of various things.  For example I keep track of how much home heating fuel we use and have done so for all of the almost 26 years we've lived in this house.

I also keep track of how much gas each of our vehicles uses and the cost.

After I've recorded the data in an Excel spreadsheet, I turn it into a graph--or chart as it's called in Excel.  I love graphing stuff.  It's a good way to get a ready picture of the data.

The most recent chart I made was of my Facebook "friends".  Of course not all 125 of them are really friends.  In fact there are many that I haven't seen or talked to in years.  (Click on the chart to make it larger).

I determined that they all fall into one or more of 5 general categories.  Several people fall into multiple categories but I only counted them once so the total is 125.

The chart I've posted shows the breakdown.  Notice how many are former colleagues or students.  In fact the largest category is former students.  The reason for that is because some time ago I began posting class pictures.  The response was amazing.  All these students came out of the woodwork, tagging themselves and 'friending' me.  I confirmed the 'friends' because as a former teacher, I was curious how everyone turned out after all these years.

I'm happy to report almost all of them are doing exceptionally well.  They have gone on to further their education (MDs and PHDs), they have families and jobs.  In other words they've turned out to be an extraordinary group of young men and women.

I can't say for sure how much of that is due to my influence.  Probably not much.  A person's parents are much more important but there may be  some cases where the kids turned out well in spite of their parents rather than because of them. 

Anyway it was an interesting statistical exercise.

Maybe the next thing I'll do is start cataloging the number of different varieties of birds at my feeder--or not!

Happy birthday, Peter

Today is my son Peter's birthday.  He is 39 years old.  He has turned into an extraordinary young man.  He's a great son, father and husband.   Here's wishing him many, many more years.

Another one of life's little (actually big) aggravations

My primary care physician recently referred me to the hematology group of Danbury Hospital because of some concerns he had.

I wasn't going to do anything about it because he's always referring me to someone somewhere and if I followed through on all of them, I'd have to bring a sleeping bag to the hospital but they were the ones who actually called me so I figured what the heck.  I'll sit there and listen for a 10 minute consult while the doctor goes over my labs, listen to him/her say there's nothing to worry about and go home.

Yeah, right.  My appointment was at the hospital for 2:15.  After about 20 minutes of waiting in the outer waiting room I was shown into an examining room where I expected the doctor to show up at any minute.

ONE HOUR later I went out and asked a passing nurse how much longer the doctor would be.  She gave me a surprised look and said she'd check on it immediately--which to her credit she did.

When the doctor came in she asked me how I was doing to which I replied very annoyed.  I told her how long I'd been waiting and she said she didn't blame me for being annoyed.  No apology or explanation.

On top of that she had not received the file of lab reports from my PCP so she didn't have much to do except have a nurse draw more blood which she would discuss at our next appointment.

To say I'm aggravated is the under statement of the century.  There's no excuse for such treatment or incompetence.  I'd complain more but I don't know who to go to---yet.  I'm working on it.

I understand that doctors need some wiggle room in their schedules.  Some patients take longer than others and it's impossible to predict that kind of thing but to have to wait over one hour is not acceptable--nor is the level of unpreparedness acceptable.

My doctor will hear about it.

Happy August 1st

The dog days of August are here.  For more about the month of August either go to the Almanac page of my website (georgeswebpage.com) or click here.

Enjoy the month.  Before you know it the snow will be flying!!

A mixed week

This has been a decidedly mixed week.  On the minus side, our friend and my son-in-law's father passed away after a series of illnesses.   It has been a difficult time for the family.  It happened just a day after my son-in-law's birthday so obviously that celebration got put on the back burner. 

Dealing with a loss of that kind has many different ramifications.  Take for example the task of explaining all of this to a large number of  children who range in age from 2 to 10. 

The younger ones don't get it so it doesn't usually result in awkward situations.  The older ones do get it but they have better coping skills and they seem to have a fairly good grasp of the finality of a death.

It's the children in the 4, 5 and 6 year old range where it can get dicey.  For example 5-year-old grand daughter Courtney wanted to know if when he died his tongue was hanging out.  And then my 4-year-old grand son Cole who while not really related to Don liked him very much so when the family finally got together to celebrate his Uncle Mike's birthday, he kept asking "where's Pops?".  My son took him to a quiet place and tried to explain as best he could that Pops wouldn't be at any more birthday parties.

 Don's passing resulted in our having to cancel a 4 day vacation to a children-oriented hotel complex that we were all going to including Sandi's visiting niece and her son who were with us from Texas all week.

Nevertheless, we found things to do and ways to enjoy ourselves.

Michelle and TJ have left and Don's calling hours and funeral are tonight and tomorrow.  Then, like always, things will settle  down and life will go on--except for Don's wife.  She faces the grim task of making all the necessary calls and trying to get used to being alone but she  has a large family and many friends so they'll be there to help.

Now it's off to babysit for the boys.

He's his own worst enemy!

Well, let's see. First there was the American Revolution. Then there was the war of 1812. Now thanks to Mitt Romney and his out of control, big mouth we're about to have the war of 2012! Way to go, loser.  What a jerk!

Rest in Peace, Don. You'll be missed.

Don Sullivan
Donald Edward Sullivan, 70, beloved husband of Cathy( Fitzpatrick) Sullivan died July 23 after a hell of a fight.

Mr Sullivan was born September 30, 1941, the son of Leo and Gertrude (Shields) Sullivan.

He and his wife Cathy had been residents of Newtown for more than 30 years. Don and Cathy were married June 19, 1965.
He loved Newtown.

Don is survived by three sons and their spouses, Timothy and Debra Sullivan of Newtown CT, Patrick and Patty Sullivan of Oxford, CT, and Michael and Becky Sullivan of Beacon Falls, CT. He is also survived by seven grandchildren: Shay, Logan, Brooke, Lianna, Courtney, Kaila and Mia.

He was a proud Vietnam War Veteran, having honorably served in the US Army Special Forces.

Don retired from Pitney-Bowes, following a successful 38-year career with the company. He was the Director of Quality Control, Facsimile Division at the time of his retirement. His business frequently brought him to Japan where he made many lasting friendships.
When his sons were young, Don was involved in Scouting acting as a Webelo and cub Scout leader in several states.

He was a Lifetime Member of both the Special Forces Association, and the American Radio Relay League. He loved HAM radios (he built his first one), and enjoyed making contact with fellow HAM's in other countries. He was particularly thrilled when he was able to reach HAM's living behind the Iron Curtain.

Mr Sullivan was a member of Newtown Congregational Church.
He and his wife Cathy enjoyed helping others, volunteering with Newtown Meals on Wheels and the Newtown Fund's Holiday Basket program. He was known as the “fix it guy” at the Newtown Congregational Church's Cornerstone Thriftshop.

Mr Sullivan loved music-especially music from the 50’s and 60’s.

More than anything, Mr Sullivan loved and lived for his family. He married the Love of his Life, couldn’t be prouder of the men and fathers his sons had become, and he adored his Daughter in- Laws and Grandchildren.
He told corny jokes, always sang out of tune and was never ever ever late. He was the Toughest Man in the World.

Calling hours will be Monday, July 30, from 5 to 8 pm, at Honan Funeral Home, 50 Main Street in Newtown. A funeral with full Military Honors will take place at Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West Street, on Tuesday, July 31, at 10 am.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that friends consider making a donation to The Special Operations Warrior Foundation at www.SpecialOps.org or the Newtown Congregational Church, 14 West Street, Newtown CT 06470

Here we go again.

I've been following an interesting thread on Facebook.  With the nation still reeling from the horrible situation in Colorado, gun enthusiasts have been quick to defend the sacred Second Amendment.

They're quick to point out that people kill people so it's not the gun's fault nor is it the fault of the millions of law abiding hunters and sport shooters.

This is true to an extent but the point that I believe is missed by many of these people is the simple fact that it is altogether too easy for guns to fall into the wrong hands.

Come on!  You mean to tell me it's OK for absolutely anyone to go to a gun show in, say, Texas or Alabama, pick out your weapon of choice, pay your money and  leave right then and there with it?

How can any reasonable person accept this?  Absurd.

Another busy day

As I sit here and write this at 7 A.M. Wednesday morning, I await the arrival of Cole & Nicholas.  It's going to be another hot day so I'm sure we'll be in the pool.

Also coming today is our water treatment company to treat our well with chlorine.  A recent water test revealed we have Coliform bacteria in our water.  My research reveals that this type of bacteria does not directly cause disease and will probably not make one sick.  Nevertheless, it is recommended that it be treated.

Apparently the source of this type of contamination is not necessarily due to a polluted well.  It could be any number of things such as improper sampling, water softener equipment or contamination around the source of sampling.

One thing that could very well be the problem in my particular case is that I dump water from our dehumidifier in our basement into the water softener tank.  Our basement has been known to have a mouse or two in it along with all sorts of dust and debris. 

After the well is treated, water can not be consumed for 3 to 5 days.  Then you have to wait another 10 days before retesting.  So stay tuned.  Results to follow.

A Busy Weekend

Saturday morning with Mike, Becky and the girls at Lyman Orchards in Middlefield which as it name implies is almost exactly in the geographic middle of Connecticut.  Then fussed in the yard and cleaned the pool.

Sunday morning shopping, update my website, mow grass, and spray poison ivy.  Next on the agenda was working on Sandi's quilt frame after which Birds Unlimited opened so I could buy a book and birdseed. 

Then by late afternoon Cole & Nicholas came over to spend the night.  Pete & Jen have to be out very early tomorrow morning so since I'm with the boys every Monday they might as well spend the day here so we can go swimming.

Thanks, Mitt

Tax breaks for the rich.  Screw the middle class.  Thanks, Mitt, but why would anyone be surprised???

Two great discoveries

Who said there's nothing but junk on the Internet?  I've made two great discoveries.  The first is a website called the Khan Academy.  It's a series of thousands of tutorials on just about anything you've ever wanted to know.

The other is a site that streams live web cams of various animals in the wild.  It's great for all ages.  Here's the link to it.  Explore.com live cam.

There's plenty of other good stuff too but you have to be careful--especially if children are using the web.  There's all too many ways to find yourself where you definitely don't want kids to be.

Are you feeling nauseous too?

You'll have to excuse me if this post doesn't make its usual sense.  I'm still quite dizzy.

The latest spell comes from Mr. Romney's sudden turnaround regarding Obamacare.  Now it appears it IS in fact a tax.  A short time ago it wasn't a tax.  Looking back further to when he was governor of Massachusetts the identical health care reform act was a GOOD thing.  Now it's a BAD thing.

Are you feeling nauseous too?  Is there anything Romney is willing to stick his neck out for (aside of course from low taxes for the wealthy, the right to outsource American jobs and his devotion to the foreign banking system)???????

What a pathetic loser!

Happy birthday, U.S.A.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Some things people don't understand about Obamacare

   I've been following a Facebook thread (that in itself is a big mistake but...) lately wherein people weigh in with their thoughts regarding the health reform act the Supreme Court recently ruled constitutional.

The people commenting were responding to something someone put up regarding some remarks Donald Trump made.  As 'most' everyone knows Trump is one of the world's leading gas bags whose hypocrisy is so blatant as to be laughable but that's not really the point.  The point is that so few people understand some of the key components of the health reform act--including Trump himself.

The chief criticism of the act is that people think it will result in more taxes.  What they don't understand is that we are already paying a premium because every time someone who chooses not to buy health insurance goes to a hospital, guess who picks up the tab.  That's right.  You and me.

By requiring people to purchase health insurance, this penalty is removed.  Get it?  Actually, whether or not anyone understands this aspect of the bill is irrelevant.  The real issue isn't really health care reform.  The issue is Barack Obama.  The plain fact is there are a significant number of people who would resist absolutely anything he did simply because of who (or what?) he is.

We have a word for that.  It isn't pleasant.  We have a long way to go in this country!

(Partial) renewed faith in SCOTUS

Whether or not you may agree with health care reform (aka Obamacare) is irrelevant.  The important thing to me about yesterday's ruling to let it stand is that it appears that at least a majority of the court has decided the Supreme Court is where law should be made.  Congress makes law.  Not 9 people.

The other encouraging aspect to this is that a very conservative justice joined the left leaning side of the court thereby giving one reason to believe that maybe, just maybe, the Supreme Court is capable of being objective.

All of this represents a small step but it's a start.

What's wrong with this picture?

Sweet crude hits new low-$75 a barrel.
Price of gas nationwide at the pump down 75¢...EXCEPT in Connecticut!

What's up with that?  I know we have the highest gas tax in the country but even so, why isn't the price going down more?

I've heard and read that it has to do with "zone" pricing.  It's not what gas costs to produce and transport.  It's all about what the market will bear...and apparently we folks here in CT can "bear" more. 

What a crock!  Something needs to be done...

A great morning at Masonicare Newtown

Masonicare of Newtown hosted a morning of activities for families.

Activities included fishing in their large pond, a petting zoo, crafts and food.

Pictured here is Sandi with Cole & Nicholas each displaying their first catch of the day.

Curious little boys

Nicholas and Cole have an odd obsession with the engine compartment of my truck.  On the other hand, being little boys I guess it's not so odd.  My grand daughters have never shown any interest in it at all.  I'm convinced we're pre-wired for such things.

Anyway,  as is often the case shortly after we go out to play, they ask me to put the hood up and then they  stand on the bumper to look things over. 

Inevitably the questions start.  What does that do?  Why?  What are those for? Why do you need them? What would happen if they didn't work?  Suppose I climb in there and you drive away.  What would happen?  Why?  Why do you need a fan?  Suppose something broke?  Could I help you fix it? What's an air cleaner?  Is it for us to be healthy?  Where does the smoke go?  Why isn't there smoke when you drive if you're burning something?  Can you put juice it it to make it go?  Why? 

And on and on it goes.  And yes I patiently answer every question. 

Soon they have the information they need so the next stop is the back of the truck where they like to climb in and explore but mercifully the back of the truck doesn't prompt  as many questions except they can't understand why they can't ride back there when we go somewhere. After all, his daddy and Aunt Becky did it when they were little so why can't they?

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to at least two great fathers out there--Peter Stockwell & Mike Sullivan.  Modesty prohibits me from including myself but I guess I did OK.