Sunday, June 29, 2008
The site of yesterday’s celebration was the Marriott in Santa Clara, right across from Great America. The screams from the riders could be heard from the hotel. Bud and Vita are officially married and great fun was had by all in attendance. The beverages flowed freely, the appetizers and food were incredible. The dance floor was rockin’ and even the sounds of a trumpet filled the room. It was also a great reunion of friends: Nick & Roxanne, Lynda, Norma, Dick Jones, Alan and Lee Ann, and Linda. The room had to be emptied at 5, but the festivities continued in the bridal suite. (no, not those festivities) Family and friends reconvened in suite 2609 as gifts were opened and more stories unfolded. A truly memorable day. Thanks Bud and Vita for your invitation and wonderful hospitality.

Saturday Morning, June 28, 2008

Thought I would post a few pics of my trip before the Bud/Vita wedding later this morning. Of course I had to stop at Fagundes Meat market to get some of Frank's famous seasoning. This particular morning they were unloading 20 cattle, so I helped. (not)

Mr Foleyman is proud of the fruit of his first harvest. Jamie taking a break from her studies relaxes with her mom and myself on the back patio. Jamie and I prepared a meal last night and this pic shows the toasted pecans, honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, over brie and served with sliced apples dish that we prepared.

No visit to Manteca is complete without a stop at Kelley Bros. Brewing Co., a local favorite, seen here with Laura, and the infamous Patty. Linda and I showing off our mugs. Enjoy.

Thursday, June 26, 2008
Happy Thursday to all. It was a long day of travel beginning at 2:30 am in Fond du lac. I hit the highway by 3am, got to Midway airport (Chicago) by 6am. Flight left at 9am. So that was the first 6 hours. The traffic in Chicago was just starting to back up to my exit, so the timing was perfect. It was a 3.5 hour flight to Las Vegas, which surprised me a bit, since I didn’t know I was flying to Vegas. It appears that a direct flight does not mean non-stop. I did not have to change planes, and after about an hour, I left Vegas, and 90 minutes later landed in San Francisco/Oakland airport. After the car rental challenge, and an hour plus drive, I arrived in Manteca, my previous home town.
Ok, all that was not very interesting, so from a different perspective, here is my new story. If you haven’t flown Southwest, you might not know that their flight attendants have some leeway when it comes to behavior.
On the first flight, as we approached Vegas, they decided to have a toilet paper race with two teams. The right side passengers and the left. Beginning at the front of the plan, each side was given a roll of toilet paper which they had to pass the row behind them, without breaking it, and continue till it got to the back of the plane. It was pretty funny, but not being competitive and lacking in leadership skills, my side won. TP is one of my specialties. Oh, the prize was free soft drinks. It didn’t stop with the race, we then had to place the long line of tp on the aisle floor and then the attendants, one in front and one in the rear of the plane, place the paper in the toilet and flushed. I have never seen 200 feet of tp move so fast. In 2 seconds, both lines were gone. Funny!
The second flight one of the flight attendants announced that this was a new plane and that it had a new way to take drink orders. He said that you had to ring your call button and speak into the speaker to place your order. Again, hilarious as numerous naïve passengers began to do this. The attendants were busting up and had to tell people that the system wasn’t working and they had to revert to the old method. An older gentleman in front of me was so confused that the attendants gave him free wine.
In another situation while they were boarding, they had two customers at the very last wanting to board. They asked for a volunteer to give up their aisle or window seat. The lady a few rows in front of me said no way, but the guy next her agreed and they gave him free drinks. You should have seen her face when this 500 pound plus guy began to walk down the aisle. Priceless. Yep, he took the two seats next to her and then some.
So there is humor all around us, some days we have to look a little harder. But yesterday I didn’t, even though it was a long travel day. I arrived safely at my destination. Enjoy.

These few pics are of my two very good friends, Julia & her mother, Lisa. I believe I wrote about them earlier this year when I said that I was mentoring Julia in Quantum Physics and Advanced Differential Equations. She has recently completed 4th grade and ended the year with a 100% on her final spelling test which included words like Australia and Antarctica. I don't think I was even reading until ...... still learning how to read without using my finger to underline the sentence. Don't laugh, I know some of you are doing it right now as you read this blog.

I've attended and enjoyed several of Julia's soccer games. She is by far the tallest one on her team and defends the goal with great tenacity. Two of the photos above were taken during one of Fond du Lac's largest festivals, Walleye Weekend. Until it got rained out, the day was beautiful and sunny.

The tag-team lawn mowing was due to a recent wrist surgery that Lisa had performed. She is off work for at least a week and most likely with limited duty for the next month. Some of you might wonder why the two of them were mowing lawn and I was taking pictures. Those that know me aren't surpized a bit. I truly believe that I am allergic to labor. Nor does the picture of me working with my brother Pete to fix a leaky window well. As Pete puts is so well when asked how long the job will take. "If I do it myself, maybe an hour. If John helps, then more like 4 hours."

Cole is the name of Julia's prized grey kitty. It has been a blessing to meet these two young ladies and it gives me pleasure to help them out when I can. Really! Not just to sit in a chair and take pictures. I even think Lisa took some video to have proof that I do help, but somehow it might have been erased. lol

Happy Friday!
It’s been a week since the big storms hit Fond du Lac. After hearing numerous stories from friends of their extreme flooding and basements, furnaces, water heaters, appliances, and electronics being ruined by 8 feet of water, I can count my blessings that I only had a trickle of water in my subterranean structure. After surveying my damage, I found a soaked bag of Kingsford Hickory charcoal in my wet garage. Not sure FEMA will accept that claim, but I can try. Below is a link to pics on the Fond du Lac reporter’s website. Not sure it will work, but give it a try. If it doesn’t, just Google the Reporter and it will get you there.

http://www.fdlreporter.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=U0&Dato=20080614&Kategori=FON01&Lopenr=806140803&Ref=PH

Now if somebody could design a water heater and furnace that can survive a flood, you might have something. Even if you could move the electronics higher or even have the ability to quickly remove them, when the waters begin to rise, you might have something. All you engineers reading this, think about some solutions. Of course one could always not build a basement, and then they wouldn’t flood. Brilliant! (rhetorical) Where would we go in the event of a tornado? Which is exactly what happened last Thursday as the city’s alarm system was blaring.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008
YUM! Cathy, newest friend, is showing off her cooking skills with Plank grilled salmon and grilled asparagus. Not the first grilling that has been done at House 56, and not the last. Now the story that goes with the cedar plank is the brick you don't see. You see, the plank must be soaked in water or some other kind of liquid and as you know, wood floats. Ask Noah. So my idea was to go out and buy a nice looking brick, to hold the plank under water, at the local lumber/hardware store. Well, you need to find the display, select your brick style, pull a card, bring it up to the cashier, pay for it, and drive around back into the yard where they will load your merchandise. Yep, one brick. 44 cents. Can you see me doing that?

Friday, June 13, 2008
Lucky Friday! Warning to those that know me, the following blog contains some graphic language, i.e. rectum and anal. If this offends you, read on.

colonoscopy

Audio Help (kō'lə-nŏs'kə-pē) Pronunciation Key Inspection of the interior surface of the colon with a flexible endoscope that is equipped to obtain tissue samples and inserted through the rectum.

Well Wednesday was the big day. Colonoscopy Day. Finally. It was my birthday gift to myself, even though the big 52 is not until July 16th. You might consider a colonoscopy an unusual gift. Consider the source. I was going to say that I had to give it to myself, ‘cause nobody else would ……wait a second. I know a few of you that would have loved to have given me a colonoscopy. Lol That gives me an idea for your birthday gift.
As many of you know, during the procedure I overheard the doctor mumble something that sounded like “my goodness, this guy is full of crap!” That shouldn’t surprise anybody. But the truth of the matter, the day before surgery was a real porcelain cracker of a day. As directed by the good doctor, I purchased a quaint product (just had to slip that word in even though it makes little cents) called a bowel cleanser. Wow! It worked. If I had installed a pressure sensor on my butt, (found a used one on ebay) I know it would have read over 100 psi. Wow! (Hey, I warned you.)
After all was said and done, like this blog is not, the entire 24 hours leading up to and including the procedure was a piece of cake. (now please don’t picture that, ok) I compared it to a typical morning after a day in Mexico, so all the time I spent in Mexico helped prepare me for this. Even the consumption of the 24 ounces of ‘bowel cleanser’. I found that if you mixed a little Patron Silver Tequila with the Phospho-soda, blended in a little ice and salted the rim, it was absolutely marvelous. In fact my roommate, who was unaware of the product, asked for a taste. OH, that was so tempting. (you don’t think I would actually do that, do you? Rhetorical, ok.)
Well, I got a clean bill of health except for one thing. Diverticulosis. I suggest that you try not to discuss this with your doctor while under sedation. I have no idea what my response was to her, but I can surmise that it wasn’t brilliant.
To those that have a mild curiosity, it means in English: Many people have small pouches in their colons that bulge outward through weak spots, like an inner tube that pokes through weak places in a tire. Each pouch is called a diverticulum. Pouches (plural) are called diverticula. Some of you Latin nerds out there just went “well, duh!” The condition of having diverticula is called diverticulosis. About half of all all people over the age of 60 have diverticulosis. There you go.
The doctor recommended another colonoscopy in 10 years, so that was the good news. I hate to say that it was actually a pleasure and I’m going back next week, but that would be sick. lol
Thanks to my brother Pete, who video-taped the procedure. See link below





(I can't believe you actually are looking for that link)

Tuesday, June 3, 2008
I finally decided on a title for my new book: The Complete Idiots Guide to Scootering for the Elderly. This was decided yesterday when I tried to compete with a 10 year old on a scooter. Aka Razor. Not being one that turns down a challenge, first mistake, I took a couple practice runs and continued to increase my velocity with each trial. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th mistakes. With my confidence running high, I blasted out of the garage at a speed not even recommended for 40 year olds. 5th mistake. At the bottom of the driveway was a 90 degree turn that had to done to perfection to maintain ones momentum. 6th mistake. With the small wheelbase of the ‘death trap’ aka Razor, and the huge chasm called a sidewalk crack, I was doomed. My competition and the only eye witness, who is now in a witness protection program lest she divulge the complete stupidity of my maneuver, was amazed that 200 pounds of mass when in motion continues to stay in motion until it hits the cement. Hey, I was teaching her some elementary physics. (oh look a chicken) Damage control reported one severely scraped knee cap, two battered adjoining toes, and a pair of bruised palms. When the medic arrived, Lisa, I was treated with Neosporin and an Incredible band aid. Her nearly uncontrollable laughter hurt more than the injuries. I have just sent a warning article to AARP and my contemporaries with hopes that those with Alzheimer’s don’t even think about doing what I did.

Monday, June 2, 2008
A lot has happened since I returned from Graduation Week in Baltimore. The short versions is: I bought & closed on a house. I moved.
Wow! What a week. I first want to thank all my friends for helping me move. I couldn’t have done it without both of you. (one of them I had to pay)
I’ve included a few pics of 56. Aka my new house number and now the house’s name.
Closing was on Thursday, the 29th of May. By noon I had entered the world of “home ownership”. Yee Haw! By 5pm I had my bedroom and bath moved and was prepared to spend the night in my new abode. By 5:01 I was at happy hour.
Friday was a big day because it involved coordination. What are the chances that the cable guy, Sears, and the AT&T person show up on time? Add to your probability numbers that all three show up at the same time. (some of you are enjoying this math. Most of you are just reading this blog. Which one are you?) So by noon I have two new DISH’s on my roof and the pleasure of watching the evening new in HD. I’ll tell you now that it doesn’t make the new any better. Sharper, yes, but not better. Four rooms are wired for cable coupled to two receivers and a one DVR. AT&T showed up, thankfully, and redid some of the old phone lines , got me connected to the internet (high speed DSL) and even was kind enough to run another line so that my DISH receivers could be connected. Sears was great in delivering the new side-by-side as shown in one of the pics. They also delivered and unwrapped the new mower, filled it with oil, and unpacked the gas powered weed wacker. My attempts to get them to mow the lawn were sadly unsuccessful. Mowing the lawn: that’s another story.
I shouldn’t admit this but do you know how long it takes a rocket scientist to mow the lawn? Especially given 3 or 4 new lawn machines! 5 hours. (flat) Let’s see, you got the new manuals that have to absorbed and then categorized and filed. You have rebates to complete and prep’ed for mailing. New address labels to be printed to go on the rebate envelopes. You have fuel to purchase for both 4 stroke and 2 stroke engines. (had to walk down to the station to get this fuel) Did you know that for 2 stroke engines you need to mix oil with the fuel in a 40:1 ratio? At least I had some fun with the math. Do you keep a pen/pad in your garage for such circumstances? You should, you know, eh! I had to purchase cooling agents and beverages for hydration. That was another trip to the store. By now you must be amazed that I did the lawns in only 5 hours. It gets better. Did you know that you can’t start a riding lawn mower while standing next to it? Did you know that there is a special lever to turn on the blades for such mower? That only took me 2 or 3 passes to discover. Did you know that riding mowers really can’t get within an inch of the For Sale sign, safely? After it was all said and done, 5 hours flat, the lawns, in my opinion looked like crap. The lines weren’t straight. The radius cuts were not symmetrical. The excess clippings, because I didn’t know the mower was clogged, were hideous. Gotta love home ownership!
I have to thank Cathy and her sister for the house warming gift of potted flowers in the absolutely so appropriate ‘Cold Beer’ container. I also learned that they used crushed beer cans on the bottom of it for drainage. Now to keep them alive. Thank-you!

Before I leave Baltimore, I wanted to show you some pictures of Robin’s beautiful ranch. Aka Paint’n Place. She has 10 acres with a pond which makes for a great place to sit back and relax. She cares for 2 or 3 or sometimes 4 horses which is quite a feat in and by itself. I wanted to thank Robin for her hospitality, not just for the week of graduation, but for the many years of housing me, feeding me, and sharing a few bottles of wine. Thank-you, Robin! Mucho appreciato! (that’s Spanish) I’ll let the pics do the talking on this one.