A Little Road Trip

After a long winter, a little road trip was in order. The walls of the cabin have closed in on us at various times over the past several months, that, and the doctor office visits, that seem to go along with getting
"over the hill" lead to our decision to give the new Honda Pilot, her maiden flight on the Interstate's of the south. My wife's sister and her husband extended an invitation for a visit in central Mississippi.
They have a beautiful home situated on a very large lake. The hospitality, fishing, and good times were all first class. It was a visit we will have fond memories of for a long time.
I did get an opportunity to drive to Vicksburg, the city where I was born. The old saying "You can't go home again" sure rings true. I drove by the old homeplace of my grandparents and was disappointed
to see the owners had let the big old home fall into disrepair. I hate to say it, but the city itself is looking a little shabby as well, but my memories are still there, so mentally, I guess you can still go home in a way.
The new Pilot performed as expected, great ride, comfort and good fuel economy. This is our third Honda product, the realibility keeps us coming back. My old Ford truck, also a winner, is like the Ever Ready Bunny, it just keeps going, and going!
There were fewer cars on the road than I have ever seen. Gas prices I'm sure have a lot to do with it, but, there were more trucks than I have ever seen, probably all hauling goods from China, since we don't export much anymore.
It was good to get off of the ridge for a while. A little road trip brings everything back into perspective, I strongly recommend it!

A Cure For Gas Pains?

A few nights ago, I watched a two hour special on "The Amish in America." First let me say I have always admired these people for their hard, but simple lifestyle, religion aside. I had no idea how much time it takes to hitch a horse up to a buggy. The harness alone is enough to baffle you with all of the different leather straps required. Forgot, you have to catch the horse first!
Then I got to thinking, can you imagine how the environmentalist would react, if we ALL had to return to the horse and buggy days of the early 20th Century. We would be up to our knees in horse$hit and the methane gas created would blow another hole in the ozone layer (another joke!) But wait, maybe that  is the alternative fuel source the "Great O" is trying to make us go to, instead of gasoline. He is not telling us what the alternative fuel source might be. Did he watch the same show?
All joking aside, This gasoline thing is all political. Sure gas prices will continue to climb, but just watch, come September-October, they will mysteriously drop, just in time for the election.  We are currently exporting gasoline and natural gas, so what's that telling you!
What I still can't understand is why diesel or kerosene prices are so high. Kerosene is a by-prouduct of refining gasoline and does not require additional refining. There was a time kerosene was almost given away to get rid of it by the refiners. The bad part is that we are paying for the inflated price of diesel fuel in our grocerys, and everything that is put on board a truck, or train. Kerosene for jets is another animal.
If the Dumocrats win in 2012, think I'll have to keep an eye out for that horse and buggy!

Choices !

One question that I used to get asked a lot was "How did you end up in the funeral business." Well, it sure wasn't my plan, but just the way things worked out. I have always been an aviation nut. In high school I washed airplanes on Saturday's just to be at the airport, then throw in flying lessons and occasionally bumming a ride with any pilot that was going up just to fly around. I was sure that aircraft and engine mechanic school was in sight after high school, and  eventually my pilots license.
Then the fickle finger of fate came into play.
My grandmother owned a small share in a funeral home in Mississippi and wanted me to come with them, serve my apprenticeship, go on to mortuary college, then a director position in the firm. Being eighteen years old, sounded good to me. Wear a suit all the time, drive a Cadillac and go to college, and no greasy hands!
Well, long story short, when I graduated from morturary college, she was forced to sell her share of the funeral home.
So there I was, a licensed funeral director and embalmer, and no job! By then I had so much invested that the only choice was to go forward. I was lucky and found a slot with a very large firm in west Tennessee.
For the next 40 years or so my "unchosen profession" fed my family and gave us a roof over our heads. I worked with some really great people over those years, most of them with a great sense of humor, which you needed to make it through the day, with all of the sad stories. The families I worked with and the things I have seen over the years are forever sealed, kind of like the ad that states "What happens in Vagas, stays in Vagas." But, if I could, the stories would amaze!
Years later I did finally get my pilots license, so I could "legally"fly. Nothing can compare to it.
I have also been asked "would you do the same the thing, if you could do it over?" No, I would not!!!
Every time I hear a plane go over, I have to look up. Guess the dream never dies.

The Router?

I have been blaming my HP laptop for all of the computer problems I have had of late. Glad I didn't take the axe to it now! I couldn't understand why some days I could be on the net for hours, and others, maybe five minutes before the connection sign would appear on the screen. Keep in mind that if it's anything other than turning the thing on, I'm lost. So, being a late comer to the cyber world, a fix was way beyond my limited skill level. All I could see was $$$ for a new computer.

This past week end after turning the PC on and trying to get on the net it happened---nothing, Nada, zip! I happened to look at the router which is slightly hidden behind a chair and it looked like a Christmas tree with red and green lights flashing. Could it be the router causing all of the problems? Well, a call to AT&T was in order. I was dreading the call, as last year, I had a question and called their technical service people and ended up talking to some guy in Mumbai, who was barely fluent in English. We all know how that conversation went, but this time I got a 100% American young lady. She explained that the old
router had "bought the farm" and a new one would be on the way and coming to me overnight. That's service!
Maybe AT&T finally got enough complaints about their off shore people to do something about it.
Who knows, but I was very pleased with the results. By the way, the wife (Miss Techno-smart) installed the new router for me! I used to be able to tear down and rebuild a car engine, but the HP is a mystery to me. I admire my fellow bloggers who put all sorts of things on their site, perhaps one of these days I'll try to tackle some of that. Buck, Andy and Dapper Dan do a great job in that department.
So now I can once again spend my mornings with a cup of coffee and reading my favorite blogs, of which there are many. I enjoy them all, even the one's I find a little off of the wall at times. I was remarking to Dapper Dan the other day, about how much the computer has become more a part of my life than I would like to admit. Anyway, it's good to be back!

Hang On Granny, We're In For A Blow!

What a night! The weather folks on the news in Nashville, at six, said we had some bad storms coming at us from Memphis. We, here on the ridge, 30 miles north of Nashville, always have wind, so we figured it couldn't be too bad. WRONG!
We had just gone to bed and the weather radio was going nuts! About every two minutes they were warning counties to the west of us of the impending high winds and rain, with the warning to get in the basement or a low place. Well, we have no basement, and I always picture us standing in the middle of a big concrete slab wondering where the house around us went!
It hit us around 1:30 A.M. and started with rain coming down in buckets. It was indeed a frog strangler, and a chunk floater! Then the wind! I swear, our house here on the ridge was swaying in the gust's.
We lost our shingles last year to a wind storm, so the 100 MPH shingles, we replaced them with should be O.K., then there were several loud bangs, I kid you not, the wind was screaming all this time.
We finally hit the sack at 4 A.M., and the storm was on it's way to the Smokey Mountains.
I went out a little after daylight and found pieces of fascia hanging from the edge of the roof, but every thing else seemed to be alright. For here on the ridge, I guess we got off light!
I called our handyman, and by supper time we were as good as new, or ready for the next storm, anyway.
Maybe tonight, I'll get to sleep like a baby!

On Restoring An Old Home

Anyone who ever thought about restoring an old home, should have that experience ONCE!
Some years back, the company I was with, decided to move us to the Charlotte, N.C. area from Tennessee. Not wanting to live in Charlotte, we started looking for an older home to work on, in some of the small mill towns in the outlying  area's. After several weeks of looking we finally settled on one.
It was a huge single story place, typical of the South, with a porch that wrapped around two sides of it,  the place hadn't seen a coat of paint in at least twenty years! It had been in the sellers family for at least five generations, being built in 1865. The price was dirt cheap, which I guess really drew our attention to it, despite the obvious needed repairs.
It  took most of the summer, and right at 35 gallons of paint just for the outside. People would stop by and tell us how glad they were that we were restoring the "old girl" to her former self, as the house had once been the home of a lumber baron, who built it as the Civil War was ending. We got a lot of history, but no volunteers!
Cosmetically the place ended up looking good, both inside and out, but mechanically it was a wreck!
The wife had to make sure almost everything was off to use the hair dryer, so the fuses wouldn't blow.
The plumbing, which had been installed in the '30's had rotten pipes, and a leak would appear almost weekly! The furnace, installed in the late 50's, to replace the fireplace's in every room, would rattle and grown, but about the only thing that still did it's job in the house. Air conditioning? Forget about it!
We threw money at that house for two years, until the company called me back to Nashville.
We were lucky in that the couple that bought it, had just finished restoring an old home in upstate
N.Y., and were coming to Charlotte and looking for another to work on.
The best part of the whole experience was the profit we made on the old barn.
Every once in a while, the wife and I will watch "This Old House" on TV, and share one of those,
"Do you remember when" moments. The kids don't want to talk about it!
Would we do it again? Naw, once was enough!

Slogging On

It's been a month since I posted anything, and despite sitting here in the recliner, gazing at the Christmas tree, my mind is still blank!
There are many things that I could write about, but the opinions I have about the state of our nation at present, have pretty well been covered by all of the talking heads, both pro and con, so I think I will let that alone for now.
I am slogging through the Christmas season with a total lack of enthusiasm. It's just one giant 'buy fest."
This year we have refused to be part of the commercialism, and every one will get a monetary gift, like it or not!     Baa Humbug!
 I have noticed a lack of Salvation Army kettles at stores, at least here on the ridge. It's the only outfit I help support, as I have seen first hand the good they do for displaced families with kids.
The other is St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis. I guess everyone has their favorites!
This morning I got up early, drove the 15 miles down the ridge to civilization, to give them a blood sample in advance of next weeks doctor appointment. These quarterly exams get a little old, but if grazing with the cows and eating rabbit food works to keep the ticker going, I guess everybody is happy! BUT, I did sneak over to Mickey D's for a sausage bisquit after I was done....shame on me, but it did taste damn good! What's a little more grease, huh!
I have been finding that to get through my favorite blogs, it takes up most of the morning. I guess you know who you are from my commenting from time to time on your blogspot.  Keep them coming, they sure make my day! There is life out there.
The big question for the week... will Newty be able to stay on top in the polls?
OMG has a new meaning...Obama Must Go. Can I hear an "Amen."