Back! At It, 23 year Coma.....and Dartball Results

For those long time viewers/readers of this blog, you know that from October 2007 through early March 2008 I went though a battle with Spinal Stenosis...that being severe back pain due to the shrinkage of the space in my spinal column. After getting a epidural injection just before Christmas of 07, I slowly recovered, and since March of 08 my back problems have been fewer and less painful. That all changed yesterday....

More on that after a look at a Headline......

Man survives Coma for 23 years____

http://www.rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/9000/9585285/Belgian_says_he_was_alert_but_mute_for_23_yearsys_he_was_alert_but_mute_for_23_years

Hopefully this will give some food for thought to the Ghouls in and out of the media who cheerleaded the murder by starvation of Terri Schiavo in Florida, back in 2005....Schiavo had much the same diagnosis at this Belgium, and her husband, and the courts, the murdering bastards they are, let the women die the slow death by starvation....may they roast in Hell for their crimes. Those that supported pulling the plug on Terri Schiavo need to ask God for forgiveness, because I sure the Hell wouldn't forgive or forget if I was a member of her family.

Dartball_____

With some new back pain to deal with, I headed to Rockford last evening to toss darts for a couple of hours....I figured it(back pain) would throw me off on my delivery. That, added to the new location at the Rockford Church and the lower ceilings there didn't add up to a good night.

We took the first game 7-2 and I was 2 for 4 with a couple of RBIs, things went south from there. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in game #2, we folded up, finally losing in 13 innings by a 6-4 score, I was only 1 of 5...game #3 we lost 5-3, I was 2 for 3 when I came up in the top of the 9th, with a runner on, down by 2...I proceeded to toss the dart off the board for an automatic out, thus ending the game....I finished 5 of 13 with 3 RBIs to see my average fall to .406. The team now stands at 3 wins with 6 loses....very inconsistent.

The fact that I threw off the board was noteworthy if for no other reason than I had only tossed off the board 2 times in 17 years until last night....and that was 2 years ago when I had the season long back issues, and tossed the 2nd worst average of my years, at .339...the only one lower was my first full season. The 4' x 4' foot board is usually a big target throwing underhand from 20 feet away....with only 3 off the boards in all these years, my ego took a hit last night....we move on to perennial power Schumm next week.

The Back{pain}____it's back!

Yesterday as I bent over to retrieve something in the downstairs coat closet, I felt a slight pull in my back....within a couple of minutes, I knew it was more than "slight".....I spent much of the day sitting in a hard back chair and also applied some "Icy Hot" patches to the lower back which was affected. After a 6 hour nap{which was pain free}, I awoke this morning with the stiffness still there, and the pain returned....a basketball scrimmage tonight at Lincolnview should be a test to see how bad the back is.

I doubt(hope) that the stenosis has returned, but believe this is just a muscle pull or strain....at least that's what I'm hopeful of....with scrimmages tonight, then Friday and Saturday mornings, plus the moving of Anissa's stuff...the back issue will be at the forefront.....Ibuprofen and Hot and Icy wraps will be part of the plan, plus a few beers later in the day....

Back Later>>>>

Photos-The back pain has returned in the short run{hopefully short}, Terri Schiavo, the lesson unlearned by the ghouls of America, and our standard Dartball Board....

The Weekend That Was

The final weekend before Thanksgiving has passed, and the weather for this time of year couldn't have been much better....lows around the freezing mark, but sunshine, lite winds, and temps in the mid 50s for both Saturday and Sunday....plenty of time to sit out back and enjoy cigars and a new(at least for me) beer to sample.

More on that later....first a look at some news:

Obama's poll numbers continue to tank____

This past presidential election the Rasmussen Report was the most accurate of those taking polls...not top heavy with "adults" that don't vote, or tilted towards Democrats, like CNN, CBS, and even the Gallop Polls....Scott Rasmussen hit the numbers right on the head in 2008 when he predicted the margin of victory for our illegal Kenyan born Prez....That's is why the recent Daily Tracking Poll numbers have to have Obummer and Company gnashing their teeth"

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

Barack's(Barry Soetoro) poll numbers have been on the slide since early summer...and "if" the election were held today, the Democrats would be in deep trouble....but he and his lap dogs in the media(with the exception of Fox and talk radio) still have time to talk about the economic recovery, and the just ended Recession. Of course there has been no recovery, and there still is a deep Recession, probably a Depression....and Americans are finally figuring it out.

The Obama Presidency is a shell game.......This Administration is the Titanic, this country is the White Star Line, and it's people are the passengers....be aware, and wake the Hell up!

Sports____

After enjoying an Ohio State win over Michigan on Saturday, I got to witness a complete late game collapse by the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday at Oakland...losing 20-17 to the sad sack Raiders, by giving up 10 points in the final minute:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap;_ylt=AqMxAQO8xzwcSMgxbJO5xuVDubYF?gid=20091122013&prov=ap

At least Pittsburgh and Baltimore also tanked, making it a total loss for the AFC North(Cleveland lost on the last play of the game at Detroit)...The Ravens and Steelers play each other this coming weekend, while the Bengals get home to face the Browns....a chance for Cincy to talk a stranglehold on the Division, but I've seen them at their worst, so you never know about this bunch.

The Weekend Past_____

Friday night I drove the 70 miles north to Edgerton, Ohio, and officiated a 2 hour scrimmage there, turned around and was at Waynesfield Saturday morning at 8 for another boys varsity scrimmage at the home of the W-G Tigers....due to the Buckeyes playing Michigan at High Noon, all area scrimmages were moved to early morning so they could be completed to get everybody home in time for that rivalry game....

After the Buckeye win, I headed outside with Anissa to enjoy the weather...I downed a couple of beers and a cigar. Sunday it was much of the same, outside I went, this time before the Bengals game at 4:15...it was nice enough I listened to the first half on radio, then came back in for the disastrous 2nd half.

Cigars and a few bottles of Sam Adams Winter Larger were on the agenda. Good cigars and good beer, along with good late fall weather, not much can top that at my age.

The "Short" Week ahead___and the empty nest

The boys, Sam from Columbus, and Hal from the Dayton area, will be home for Thanksgiving, which will see us celebrate with most of the family at sister Marty's home on the other side of town. Come Friday we will start to move beds, dressers, and other items from our place to Anissa's new house.....she will be moving into an assisted living situation along with caregivers and a roommate starting Sunday....this will complete our road to the "Empty Nest".

She, at 30 years old, will still be with us at least one night a week and we will see Sam when school is out of session at Ohio State...Hal will get home when he has a chance, so we won't be completely "empty", but it will be much quieter around the house most of the time. Changes are a coming in the PRH household....how we handle it will be interesting to say the least.

back later>>>>

Photos-Yesterday, me enjoying the sunshine, a good cigar, and a Samuel Adams Winter brew out by the garage, catching as much late day warming sunshine as I could. The Obummer's poll numbers, worse than Bush's by a mile at the same point in his presidency. The Bengals were once again the Bungles yesterday at Oakland....and a bottle of Sam Adams, and sunglasses were the order of the weekend in my Celina backyard.

Buckeyes Down Michigan...Again!

Another sunny Sunday morning appears on the eastern horizon in west central Ohio...made all the more bright, thanks to another Ohio State Football Victory over Michigan....6 in a row, and 8 out of 9 since Jim "The Vest" Tressel replaced John Cooper at the helm of "The Ohio State University"......

More on that after I look at the news headlines.....

Dems get 60 votes in Senate to push "Health Scare" ahead....

Like a couple of $5 Hookers on Saturday Night, the women Senators of Louisiana and Arkansas dropped down at the feet of Senate Leader Harry Reid, and said "Yes" to the soon to be defeated Senator from Nevada:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/21/senate-crucial-vote/

Debate my rosy red ass....this bill is going to pass, and America will continue under Obama, Reid, and Pelosi, to head down the path to becoming nothing more than a 3rd world shithole....and still almost 50% of the population haven't a freaking clue, or they want us to become that said 3rd world dump, because of petty jealousy. The left just hates those that are successful...plus they want to tell all of us, just how to live our lives.

Good Luck America....you are going to need it. It's at times like these that I say, "Thank God, I'm getting old", and won't have to deal for long with the mess that is around the corner.

Sports_____6 in a row for OSU

As a lifetime Ohio State Football fan, it's always good to see The Buckeyes defeat hated rival Michigan. UM, a shadow of it's former self under Rich Rodriquez, still leads the all time series 57-43 and some ties thrown in....but under Jim Tressel, OSU has won 6 in a row, and eight of nine.

No fan of Tressel or his overrated quarterback, Sophomore Terrelle Pryor, am I....but after an embarrassing loss to a below average Purdue team{that saw Pryor himself turn the ball over 4 times}, Ohio State has came back, won 4 in a row, and clinched the outright Big Ten Title, a share of their 5th straight, a Rose Bowl berth, and some respect back.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recap?gid=200911210029&prov=ap

So, while no longer a fan of Tressel{due to the way he dumped local starter QB Todd Boeckman last season in favor of his perceived savior Pryor} I still root for Ohio State, albeit with less passion that the previous 50 years...especially when they play that team up north{as Woody Hayes described Michigan}.

Go Bucks, bring back a Rose Bowl and BCS game win....it's been 4 years.

Basketball Legs___

Traveling 70 miles north for a 2 hour scrimmage at Edgerton on Friday night, and after a short night of sleep, I headed 35 miles east to Waynesfield for another boys varsity scrimmage yesterday at 8am{on Ohio State-Michigan day all teams in the state practice/scrimmage early so they are able to be done by the Noon start of the big game}. The 4 hours of running/walking up and down the hardwood courts put a workout and strain on my aging legs....off until Tuesday, then more scrimmages that day, Friday, and Saturday, before the regular season kicks off on December 1st.

Sitting out back____

After the Buckeye game yesterday, I sat out back on the steps while Anissa was outside, and Patricia{trying to recover from a sinus infection} was out looking for items for Anissa's coming move to a place in her next step in independent living, and smoked a cigar, downed a couple of Miller Lites, and enjoyed the 55 degree and sunny late November weather....I heard a buzzing noise, looked and saw one of the locals flying around in his motorized glider...55 at land temperature, you gotta wonder what the temps were a few thousand feet up were....looked cold to me, even in the sunshine. I grabbed the new camera and took a couple of shots of this brave soul.

Photos--Ohio State logo/Ronald Reagan, the last great American President, won't be coming to America's Rescue this time around...we may be doomed as a world economic power. Me, with Cigar, contemplating nothing in particular {no that's not radar sticking out of my head, just the tower at the local grain elevator a block away from the house}. And one of the locals flying a few thousand feet above my back yard in the clear blue sky.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend....back later>>>>

The Road to Waldo(Ohio)

Yesterday I headed the 100 or so miles though the back roads towards the small town in central Ohio called Waldo. Where is Waldo you ask? About 20 miles north of the Capital City of Columbus nestled in the corner of the Delaware, Morrow, and Marion County conjunction...just inside Marion County....I met up with an old friend from the 1990s, Bill Clem...more on that after the headlines:

__________________________
Glenn Beck Says______:

"If Health Care passes in the Senate form, the economic end of the nation is at hand".

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/33342/

Do you agree? If not{or if you do} check out the facts"

http://www.atr.org/userfiles/111809pr-comptaxreid%282%29.pdf

This should be enough to scare the Hell out of any non-freeloading, non-Marxist, "Legal" American....unfortunately, the Democrats and their Kenyan born leader Barack Insane Obama have only the above in mind when spending money and controlling the politics of the country.

Wake the Hell up America!

-------------------

Sports____

#15 Ohio State Basketball got it's first big test in New York against defending national champs North Carolina, ranked #4 at this early point in the season:

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=200911190443&prov=ap

The Buckeyes trailed the entire game but made it close in the end...UNC remains undefeated, OSU falls to 2-1 with the consolation game in NYC against #13 Cal tonight. The Tar Heels take on Syracuse for the 4 team title.

Being a Duke fan first in roundball and an OSU fan second...I hate seeing anybody that I root for losing to Roy Williams and the Tar Babies....

The Road to Waldo(and back)___

As I have written on many occasions in the past few years on this blog and my Ancestry Blog:

http://israelhouseworth.blogspot.com/

The small(population 325) town of Waldo in central Ohio is the town from where most of my double sided Houseworth family spread out from in the middle and late 1800s. GGG-Granddad Israel Houseworth and his sons Solomon, Frederick, and George, settled in Waldo around 1840, along with the wives...most of their children were born and raised in the Delaware and Waldo area of central Ohio. Many "Houseworth" stones can be found in the Waldo Town Cemetery.

My Great-Grandparents Nelson(son of Solomon) and Mary Ann(Daughter of Fred and Ursula) were first cousins...apparently not that uncommon back in the day, due to large families and rural living...or at least that's what they say? Who really knows?

Anyway after Frederick died great-great Grandma Ursula became a large property owner in and around the town.....on one of her properties the Waldo City Park now rests.

Meeting up with Bill Clem____

Bill Clem his wife Sandy, and their two kids Billy and Shannon lived in Celina for a spell back in the early and mid 1990s. Billy played soccer for me and his dad and played for his old man against my little league baseball teams back in the day...Bill was also a drinking buddy at the old Lakefront Racquet Club....Sandy and Bill moved with her job to Marion, Ohio,(about 15 miles north of Waldo) back around 1996. Billy, now a coach and math teacher in Marion, helped lead his Marion Pleasant team to a State Baseball Championship back in 2001 as the starting catcher, he now coaches baseball and basketball at MP. Sadly Bill's wife passed away for cancer a few years back, and although I had talked to him several times in recent years, I had not seen him since Sandy passed away. I had talked with him in person last in 2001 on a rainy semi-final state baseball game, back in that spring of 2001.

Bill has a new women in his life, and seems to be the same old Bill...a good guy for sure. We had a good 2 hour visit over the famous Bologna Sandwiches at G&R Tavern, a couple of beers and I took him for a visit of the family plots at the local cemetery.

I took my damn camera, planning on getting some photos of us...but during the conversations forgot all about it....we parted with a promise to get together for a longer visit next time around. He wanted me to drop over to his house, but knowing I would down a couple of quality beers with him....I didn't want to drive those back roads home for 2 hours with "beers in my belly". Such a concerned wimp I have become..... :{

The Road Back to Celina____

Saying our goodbyes with a handshake, I headed out the back country roads towards west central Ohio. State Highway 47 goes through some small rural towns that the ghosts of the Houseworths haunt these days...Richwood, West Manchester, Prospect, and others. I headed out 47, finally cut off a few country/country roads towards Rushsylvania...I bypassed Bellefontaine, drove on through Indian Lake and Russells Point, on Route 33 towards Wapak, St. Marys, and finally home to Celina.

I did plan on taking some back road routes to find some old bridges to photograph, but time was short{due mostly to the early darkness these days}so, I got a few photos along the traveled route and didn't wander off the beaten path too far.

Of course I fired up a good cigar and a large coffee for the trip home, and arrive back just before dark on this cloudy, rainy, typical November-like Ohio day.

Basketball and Ohio State-Michigan weekend___

Basketball officiating tonight some 70 miles north to Edgerton...don't ask me why I took a scrimmage that far north for $60, there is not much profit in it with gas at $2.65 a gallon. But I do like to travel in decent weather and see other places and different teams...if you remember I took a Varsity football game up there in October. So I am familar with Edgerton and teams in the Green Meadows Conference, from football, basketball, and especially baseball, where I do about a half dozen league games per year.

I should get home around 1o:30 or 11pm, just in time to grab a shower, have a beer, hit the sack and get up at 6am for another varsity boys scrimmage at Waynesfield, some 40 miles back east off US 33.

If I and my legs and back survive all of that....I will kick back and watch the annual Ohio State-Michigan football game at Ann Arbor. Under Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes have owned the Maze and Blue during the decade of the 00s...tomorrow look for them to continue that faze of the bitter rivalry. But never take this game for granted, with the Rose Bowl clinched, OSU needs to not look past Michigan, who have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Back Later>>>> Enjoy the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Photos-top/the Waldo Park now site on the property owned by my GG-Grandmother, Ursula Scribner Houseworth back in 1878. These days the most famous spot in Waldo is the world famous G&R Tavern, where the famous Bologna Sandwiches are served...along with a cold beer, they are at the top of my menu. Waldo as it looked on the plot map in 1878...the circled properties were the homesteads and farm land of Ursula Houseworth./On the way back from Waldo on State Route 47, I snapped the photos of a long abandoned bridge outside of Richwood, and as you enter West Mansfield on Rt 47 you are greeted by the long ago abandoned grain elevator at the railroad tracks.

Trying Some Changes

Like anything else you tend to get bored when doing the same thing day after day...guess that's why I could never get my heart into assembly line work some 40 years and more ago. Yes I tried, but the everyday grind of doing the same thing day after day, hour after hour, was just not my thing, and something I would never be able to do for a long stretch. So with that said, I am going to try a few new things with the blog, in looks and some content, although the basics, my look at my world past and present will remain the focus.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News Headlines and a comment:

Did Obama Grovel when he bowed to the Japanese leader?

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/11/17/20091117ObamaBow17-ON.html

My thoughts: Yes, our Man-Child Kenyan born President did a bit of "groveling" ....he has before, he made a half-assed bow to the Saudi Prince earlier this year. In all fairness, Bush2 made a fool of himself by holding hands with the protectors of Islamic Terrorists in Saudi Arabia as well....Nixon and Clinton were also weak kneed "Grovelers" to some foreign leaders.

Sports w/comments____

Got started with the High School Basketball season last night at Lima Central Catholic....4 of us doing a Tri-Scrimmage with host LCC, Lima Perry, and Russia(Rue'-She) High Schools. Doing the 3 man crew that is common in Varsity games these days, the 4 of us rotated 3 ten minute quarters in 1 out for 2 hours....It was a good workout, and my legs feel it this morning. Running up and down a basketball court is a different workout on your legs than either football or baseball officiating/umpiring.

Friday I'll drive the 70 miles north to Edgerton{where I had a Varsity Football game earlier this fall} for another Boys Varsity Scrimmage...then turn right around and do a 8am scrimmage at Waynesfield-Goshen. 8AM??? Yep, all the schools know they need to get them done early because on Ohio State-Michigan Saturday, with the game starting at Noon, nobody would work the games if they tried to hold the scrimmages later.

Speaking of OSU-Michigan Football, the Buckeyes have ruled the Wolverines over most of the Jim Tressel era...Ohio State is 7 wins 1 loss under "The Vest". Looking at things this season, Ohio State should roll, should I say, and this is what makes Michigan so dangerous. With the Rose Bowl and a share of the Big Ten wrapped up, The Buckeyes need to make sure they don't take their arch-rival lightly.

_____________________________________________________________

Back to Waldo____

Tomorrow I will head back to the home of my ancestors, Waldo, Ohio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo,_Ohio

The small berg with the World Famous Bologna Sandwiches. As I have said before on this blog and my Ancestry Blog:

http://israelhouseworth.blogspot.com/

Waldo is my kind of place. Tomorrow morning I will head out with a cooler full of Cheese Curds to G&R Tavern, where I will meet up with an old friend Bill Clem. Bill moved to Marion from Celina more than a decade ago, and we have only seen each other a handful of times since 1996. His son Bill Jr, was a outstanding Soccer player and the starting Catcher on Marion Pleasant High School's State Champion baseball team in 2001. He now teaches and coaches at Pleasant. Bill Senior lost his wife a few years back, and it will be good to see him again, swap some Cheese, talk politics, and down a beer and baloney sandwich.

Bill and family, like Patricia and me, lived in Wisconsin for a few years, and knows that when it comes to fresh cheese, bratwurst, and fish frys, the Badger State has no equals.

Today___

Rain and cooler conditions are in the area today....and looking out my living room windows, it looks like November.

Patricia is back at school, although with the sinus infection she has, she probably should not be...but she says she has work to do. Not sure that is the way to cure the virus.....but she is determined to get her work completed....9 more years untill retirement. I wonder if the Republic will last that long? I have serious doubts.

Tonight I have a scheduled Basketball Rules meeting in Van Wert, but of late I have not got a good night's sleep, and with 5 meetings already in and only 4 required, I may skip this one, and rest up....time will tell, I'l see how I feel come 6pm.

Back Later>>>>

Photos-Photo of the Day: Our Kenyan-in-Chief Barry Soetoro as he grovels in Japan...what a tool!!

From Waldo: My Grandfather Sam Houseworth(1877-1928) top, 2nd from left, and some of his siblings around 1900. 8 of the 12 children of Mary Ann and Nelson Houseworth were born in Waldo. A Waldo Livery Stable around 1900 and the old school house at Waldo in 1916.

Oconomowoc-Some Photos from the Trip/Blog Changes part #2

Not sure what is up with blogger, but after some tooling and trying, I think I can now add some photos from the post earlier today{scroll down to read and view that}.

Before I get into some of the photos from the weekend....I will add to what I mentioned this morning.

I will be making some changes to the blog as the days ahead move on...some will be ASAP, others will take awhile longer before I get them done, and will no doubt require some toying around with...

The basics of the blog will remain. It will continue to be a diary of my days and a look back at the past. I also plan on more photos, and more links and comments about politics, sports, and world in general, both locally and on a national level....my opinions may continue to piss off a few{or many}, but they will continue to be my opinions, and as such, will be the ones that matter as far as this blog goes.

Photos from the weekend: Todd's Grill in downtown Oconomowoc with little parking these days on the main drag, most restaurants and stores have parking strictly in the back. Patricia, Anissa, and Bill{Pat's Dad} wait for Bev to park the car before we entered the back entrance of Todd's, for our Friday Fish Fry. Lac La Belle from the city park.....the Presbyterian Church mirrors itself on Fowler Lake. The City of Oconomowoc sits across from Fowler Lake. The Condo that Bill and Bev is part of this 2 building complex that sets along the walk/bike path, in the wetland area next Silver Lake. And the Mars Cheese Castle and some of the goodies we selected on our way back to Ohio. Mars is located on exit 142{I think} on I-94 near the twin Lake Michigan cities of Kenosha and Racine in extreme southeast Wisconsin.

Oconomowoc, Wisconsin/Blog Changes

Back from Oconomowoc_____

We rolled back into Celina yesterday afternoon about 4:30pm from Patricia's hometown of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin....I first visited Oconomowoc in 1975, a full year and a half before we were married....I tagged along to meet her father Bill and step-mother Bev, and attend her younger sister Sue's wedding, which Patricia was a bridesmaid. I have been back at least once{usually twice, at least back in the early days} for the past 35 years.

Oconomowoc, when I first visited, was a town of about 9000, about the size of Celina, and like Celina, surrounded by water....the big difference was the Wisconsin town was close to large Milwaukee(about 30 miles west on I-94), and instead of one large mud hole, like Grand Lake, Oconomowoc was surrounded by several deep clear lakes, including Lac LaBelle, Lake Fowler, and Silver Lake. Patricia's parents lived between Delafield and Oconomowoc on Lake Nashoda.

In the years since my first visit, I have noted changes, and most not for the better. The suburban low lifes from Milwaukee and Chicago have infiltrated the Lakes and town...while leaving their crime ridden suburbs, they have brought their own brand of strip malls and yuppie shops to the revamped downtown and outlying areas next to I-94....In the name of progress, Oconomowoc and nearby Delafield have become sometime else other than what they were, thus eroding the quite and charm of the villages.

Of course this is my own personal opinion, I hate this type of progress. I have seen what happened to my childhood home of Venice, Florida, in the name of progress...not good, and Celina would like to join the Oconomowocs and Venices, by making Grand Lake something it's not. This is what happens when real estate speculators and politicians have egos and ask the citizens to pay for those egos, with taxpayer funds.

Fish Frys on Friday___

One thing I have always loved about Wisconsin is there Friday Night Fish Frys....now we are talking all you can eat, and more of the best seafoods. When Patricia and I lived near Wausau, Wisconsin, back in the late 70s{before the kids came along} we frequented a place north of Wausau called Bullocks...all you could care to consume in seafood and side dishes for $4.95 a person...we would usually drop $15 or $20 at the bar then head for the dining room each Friday. It was a treat....we also tried other eateries around the area, but Bullocks stood out head above the rest, at least in our minds.

So on Friday, a few hours after arriving at Bill and Bev's Condo{they moved out of the country setting a few years ago}, we headed uptown to Tony's, a place we had not eaten at yet, and had our Friday Fish Fry. Starting out the weekend when I left Celina, I had dropped a full 18 pound in 2 months and my weight had settled in at 190.5 pounds on my basement scale...I knew the weekend, with the fish, beer, the early Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner, and Sunday meal, would be a challenge...I survived, weighing in this morning at 192, I gained only about a pound and a half/the bloop pressure was also in pretty good range, standing at 135/75 with a 65 resting pulse rate.

After a weekend of Football and Food, we said our goodbyes yesterday morning early, and make out way down the Interstate past Milwaukee and towards Chicago. We stopped at the Mars Cheese Outlet to check into some Cheese Curds and other specialities that my buddy Bill Clem asked for. I am hooking up with Bill this Thursday in Waldo, and he asked for some "real" curds....having lived in Wisconsin a couple of decades ago, he knows the fake stuff from the real. We picked out a selection of cheese products and other items, and Anissa, Patricia, and I, headed down the Illinois Tollway towards home.

We arrived in Celina at 4pm, and before we stopped home, we headed out to the Celina Pet Center to pick up Reagan, she had been lodged at the Kennel for the weekend{with the boys no longer living at home, not much option there}...she had a trim, nobody seems to know how to trim Airedales correctly, so I should call it a butcher job, but at least she is ready for the winter without the excess baggage of hair. We headed home and were promptly ignored by a seemingly pissed off cat, who fended for herself for the 4 days....such is the life of the cat, able to survive on their own, if you leave a clean litter box in the basement and plenty of food and water.

Blogger Bummer___

Seems Blogger has changed the way it let's you write and publish these daily posts, and I can say, it sucks....not sure how it's going to look when I hit the publish button, but I'm not at all please with this. I seldom like big change anyway, but guess I'll learn to live with this, if I have to....the editing seems to have gone back to the 1998 version.

I was planning on making changes and the layout of the blog and content anyway...and you regular visitors may see them as the week progresses...if I can figure out what the Hell is going on.

back later>>>>

With the current set up I can't figure out how to drop photos where I want them...so I'll add a photo of the Oconomowoc City Hall and the sign at Lac LaBelle for now, until I can figure out just what the Hell is going on.... :(

Off for a few days

A few days of Indian Summer are set to return, and we are taking a few days off ourselves....with Basketball Officiating set to start next Tuesday the 17th, this seems like the perfect chance to get away and come home ready to roll into the long winter season.

Hopefully my legs and back will hold out for the season, and the 60 or so games I have on the seasons schedule, from Junior High to High School Varsity, will make the long winter before baseball season seem just a little shorter.

Back with stories and hopefully some good photographs from the upcoming weekend....enjoy the time I'm away, I plan on it.

Oh' Baloney @ Waldo, Ohio

Happy Veterans Day to my Fellow Veterans Past and Present.

More November like weather has returned to west central Ohio, low 50s yesterday with some sprinkles, but the sun is back out today with temps headed for 57 or so. I headed southeast the 100 miles to Columbus yesterday afternoon...the goal was to pick up car less oldest son Sam, and drag him to a local basketball rules meeting. After he crashed and totaled his car last Wednesday on the way to a meeting in Bexley, so he had some work to do to pick up his 4 required meetings. So I picked him up at the University Apartments and we headed out to grab a bite to eat, before driving on to Bellfontaine for the 7pm "Top of Ohio" Association get together.

I had a plan...it was only 3:30, so I figured to make the 20 mile ride up US 23 to Waldo, Ohio, home of my deceased ancestors and the world famous G&R Tavern and their outstanding Bologna Sandwiches. Sam, despite being a big eater{as his 6'1" 235 or so pound frame would attest} but a picky eater...so he decided not to try my favorite bar sammy...opting for baked chicken strips and fires. Myself? Well I grabbed a cold Miller Lite, and a side of deep friend mushrooms, and picked out a thick sliced G&R special Baloney Sandwich with Swiss cheese and sweet pickle to top with a shot of spicy brown mustard.


Not exactly a mainstay of my Diabetes 2 Diet...but well within the range of my day allotment of carbs, fats, and calories. After eating our delights I made the obligatory drive through the Waldo Cemetery, and saluted our ancestors. My GG-Grandma Ursual Houseworth and sons are buried in one spot, while Waldo's most famous Civil War Veteran, and longest living, Maish "Frosty" Houseworth(1846-1944), is buried across the gravel drive along with his wife Maria.

Yep, the Houseworth's, from landowners, like Ursual{a descendant of one John Smith, from the Mayflower} to Outlaws, Like convicted murderer Enoch Young, and his acquitted brother-in-law and my great-great Uncle Gilman Houseworth{another wounded Civil War vet}, called Waldo home....now the village of 325 just north of Columbus on the Marion County side of the Marion-Delaware County Line, is known for some of the best Baloney in the world.

If you get there, I guess I should add, that you don't think of Bologna as in store bought, packaged, sliced thin, Baloney....the two have little in common, except the name.

That was my first trip to the home of the Ancestors since last October...but the turn around won't take that long...next Thursday November 19th, I'll be back hooking up with an old buddy, Bill Clem, who lived in Celina for a few years, but moved in the late 90s to Marion.

So, back to Waldo for some more good eats next week.....I'll take some photographs of the event.

back later>>>>

For more on Waldo, photos, and stories, you can drop by my Genealogy Blog @:

http://israelhouseworth.blogspot.com/

The Photos-a Classic G&R Bologna Sammy with sweet pickle and Swiss Cheese, you can top em' anyway you want. The graves of my Ancestors CW Vet Maish and GG-Grandmother Ursula Schribner Houseworth set in the Waldo Cemetery.... Civil War Veteran and the aquitted Gilman Houseworth, as he looked in 1880. And G & R as it looked in October 2008..more photos after next week's visit.

Dartball Begins and the Bugs of November

First off a rant....

Check out my comments section yesterday and observations made by my old friend "Cookie" ...{then do yourself a favor and stop by his site for some well deserved laughs}:

http://thecookshack.blogspot.com/

and my response...it contains our thoughts on the Politically Correct reason that 13 of our troops are dead, all in the name of Islamic Terrorists, and our national fear of offending them. It is a sad sight to see how our military has become de-bagged by the PC world. The military leaders are nothing more than gutless politicians, where the Hell are Swartzkopf and Patton when you need them....instead we get clowns like Colin "Fu**ing" Powell, and the current leader of the Army, the titless WAC himself General George Casey.....the feminizing of the Military is in full mode. As long as we continue to bow to Islam, the military is basically useless, and I would never expect my sons nor anybody's kids to join up in a toothless Military, where PC is king.

On a good news from another stinking Islamic Terrorist Muhammad, "The DC Sniper" accused of 10 shootings back in 2002, is set to assume Room Temperature by lethal injection...let's hope he gets to meet his 70 Virgin Camels about Midnight.

Opening Night Dartball____

Last night we traveled with 3 new team members to Mendon to take on the Mendon team in Dartball....Mendon has been the doormat for years in the league, seldom finishing out of or near the basement....back in the 1980s and 90s we went through a period where we defeated them 34 straight games...a couple of years ago they defeated us in the end of season tournament 2 games to 1, then settled back into us whipping them on most nights...that all changed last night. With our overflow roster, and minus Sam, one of our best throwers, a short handed Mendon team swept us out of the opening night, 3 games to none. The scores, 3-1, 5-4(on a 9th inning home run), and 2-0, starts us out at 0-3 for the first time I can remember.

With Sam away at Ohio State, the new guys getting used to the rules and board, and some of the older guys starting slowly...it was an ugly night...with a full playing roster of 12, the at bats were few and far between, the hits, even more so.....

I did alright as an individual, going 6 for 9 for a .667 batting average with 2 of our measly 5 total RBIs...next week we play at home{St. John Lutheran Church-Celina}, then go on the road for 3 straight weeks....the early part of the season could be a rough stretch.

The Bugs of November{and October}___

Over the past decade or so, at least in this part of the country, the invasion of the Lady Bug type beetles, called Asian Lady Bugs, have increased 10 fold it seems. The docile{although they can make a lite pinch when attaching themselves to you} little creatures, are everywhere come fall, especially when the sun is shining. They can work themselves through the smallest opening in windows, screens, door jabs, etc....they love to attach themselves on fruit, in window screens, and florescent lights...a minor nuisance, but they are fun to watch, as they gather in the sunshine, and then disapear in the cloudy and cool conditions, when those return.

Off to Columbus again, to pick up Sam...we will grab a bite to eat, then head for a Basketball Meeting in Bellfontaine, Ohio....tomorrow is Veterans Day, so no classes at OSU, so he will stick around for another meeting at Van Wert, as we move towards getting our 4 meetings in before the regular season begins.

Will drive him back to the Campus on Thursday...Sam will be working a NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament Saturday at OSU on Saturday, as the Buckeye Women's team moves into tourney action with a home game or 2.

Back Later>>>>

Dartball #2 Darts, the standard Dartball Board, and The "Asian Lady" Bugs of November....