One Final Salute to Ted Kennedy/Football "Kicks" Off

A fall like weekend in west central Ohio. After the Friday rains ended Saturday morning, we were treated with highs in the 60s and lows around 50 for the remainder of the end of the week. Perfect for the football games on Saturday morning and for yesterday's kick off of the youth football season in Celina.

One Final Salute to "The Swimmer"___

I've bashed Senator Assclown Kennedy and the overblown media coverage of his demise enough for the past few days...and I did plan on not talking about him again, let the dead be buried, otherwise they stink up the place. And Ted the Turd would smell things up big time. So one final "Salute" other than my middle finger to the not-so-dearly departed Teddy.

I salute you Senator Kennedy for allowing my blog to be hit more times in the past 5 days than any 5 day period since I began reusing "Sitemeter" in August of 2008. I also thank you for contributing to the most "hit" month I have had since that time...the top 2 days in numbers ever, and 5 of the top ten have been noted since August 2, 2008. So once again Ted...THANK YOU! Now enjoy your final resting place, wherever that may be.

I owe the success of the past 5 days in part to this photograph of "The Bloated Swimmer"

Football on Friday Night____

I attended school in Venice, Florida, from 1955 through 1963. Our High School nickname was the Venice Indians.

I received an e-mail late last week from an old friend from those days, telling me the Indians would be on national TV{ESPNU} Friday night, playing Oscar Smith HS from Chesapeake, Virginia. Both schools have top rated quarterbacks in the nation. Sims from Oscar Smith is headed for Alabama to play for the Crimson Tide, while the Indian QB, Trey Burton, is going to Gainsville, to play for Urban Meyers and the Florida Gators.

The final ended up with #6 ranked Smith topping the Indians 27-13. The game was played in a thunderstorm and several downpours...The team from Venice missed 3 opportunities to score inside the 10 and were victimized by one of the worst officiated games I have seen....in short, they got "homered" by a incompetent officiating crew. How the State of Virginia could allow such a crew to be featured in a national game is beyond me. I am in the process of writing to the National Federation about the game, and why it was not stopped during a thunderstorm late in the first half.

I can't blame the officials for the Indian's defeat, but I can blame them for being one of the worst officiating crews I have ever witnessed in a critical game, before a national audience. It was in a word, "pathetic"{and this is coming from a long time official who knows we all make mistakes, but this was ridiculous}

It was however good to see the old Green and White uniforms on the field...I fondly remember those Friday Nights at Venice Stadium...despite this defeat, it appears they are a great squad and will be a team to be reckoned with in the State of Florida again this season.

Off north to Antwerp for a JV game tonight....back later>>>>

Photos-Helmet of the Venice Indians...my old hometown. And the Kennedy Photo which maneuvered so many to this blog since his death...Thanks Again Teddy...now back to where you were sent.

Teddy Kennedy Chivas Regal/Cutty Sark Memorial Funeral

Now that the networks{including sadly Fox News} are winding down their 72 hours of Kennedy Death Coverage, I can do the same....Rumor has it that both Cutty Sark and Chivas Regal Scotch Distilleries are planning on the laying off of hundreds of employees, unless Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd and others can pickle er pick up the slack, now that their number 1 customer has assumed room temperature.

For an honest look at the Kennedy Legacy read this little ditty from Conservative Commentator Mark Steyn:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/kennedy-ted-chappaquiddick-2545006-mary-senator

For a more fun look at the left in general, take a gander and one of my new favorite blogs:

http://thepeoplescube.com/

One Final Salute and Bottoms Up Senator...

Unlike where Teddy now resides...

Cooler weather has hit the homestead, and it appears for the next week or more we will see plenty of sun and highs in the 70s with lows in the 50s....sounds pretty much like early fall to me, and I'm planning on enjoying it.

Did the JV Contest between Celina and Lima Senior this morning with Celina coming out on top by a count of 32-6, making up in part for the crushing varsity lost to the same school last night 49-14. Tomorrow Sam and I have the opener of the Cross County Rec League, with a double header between the JVs(9-10 year olds) and the Varsity(thru 6th grade)...Monday it's off north to Antwerp for a Junior High contest. Things will be pretty busy football officiating wise, except for a short lull for Labor Day.

Off for my Sunday sabbatical tomorrow, and back on Monday if I'm still kicking.

later>>>

Friday Thoughts/The Obama War Update

I have been doing my best to ignore the "Pity Party" for the departed Swimmer, Ted Kennedy. It has been almost laughable at times, watching TV and especially the left try to make this abortion loving assclown look somehow noble. While I feel no joy over Kennedy's demise, I, as previously posted, have not shed a tear now that he has assumed his place in Hell.

Have you ever noticed that the Kennedy men and women all look alike? You don't think major inbreeding could be a factor, do you? Just asking....because their political and personal life styles scream Issues!!!!

Do They Come in 3s____?

Not to be morbid or cruel...I am reminded that all things like the Kennedy Bucket Kick come in 3s....who's next? Perhaps Jimmy Carter, the Islamic terrorist loving cracker and absolute worst President of my lifetime...no tears there. And perhaps Nancy Pelosi will crash her taxpayer funded "Flying Broom" into the Rocky Mountains as she 'whisks' home for more criminal fundraising...nope, no sadness there either. We can only wonder.

Football Friday____

The High School Football season kicks off in high gear tonight...there were a few games last night, but the majority of contests will be held tonight. In the local area, most teams will be playing their non-league games tonight, before heading into league play next Friday.

No game for me tonight, Sam and I had a final scrimmage contest for Jr High last night at Spencerville...tomorrow morning, I will be here in Celina for the JV Contest between the Bulldogs and Lima Senior. The Varsity Contest between those two schools is tonight in Lima. Sunday, oldest son and I, have the opening Rec League double header here as well.

My old school in Florida, the Venice Indians with it's quarterback heading to the Florida Gators, take on top 5 ranked Chesapeake Virginia Oscar Smith tonight on ESPNU...Smith has the nation's top ranked QB, should be fun to watch the old school tonight at 7PM{eastern time}.

Diabetes 2 Diets____

Spent much of the day yesterday going over the Diet Plans for those with Diabetes Type 2 on the Internet....despite a few items I will need to give up over the next 6 weeks....it does not appear to be that difficult a plan...I will find out more next Thursday when I visit the Dietitian at St Marys. Looks like less fatty red meat, more chicken breasts, less cream, more brown rice, maybe a beer or 3 less per week, and more green tea. But it is doable.

I will be posting my results and progress over on my back pain blog:

http://patsbackissues.blogspot.com/

Since I have not had major back pain over the past year and a half, I might as well use this already up and running site for my Diabetes Journal.

Freak Mutant Sunflower?____

Have you ever seen a flower or at least a Sunflower like the one at the top? It's on the same plant as some regular sunflowers...see here>>>>

These are not the large Mammoth Sunflowers, but he garden variety from the same seed pack.

Have a great weekend...back later>>>>

Updates: How's the Obama War Going? And where are the screams from the Lapdog Left?

Where is the media, now that Obama's Favorite War, the one in Afghanistan is going badly...Already 45 American Heroes dead(the most ever in a single month), and for what? The glorification of The Kenyan Messiah. Nary a word of protest from Liberals and/or the Mainstream Media.

Photos-Top Left/The "Mutant" Sunflower in my back yard...speaking of "mutants", could peanut brain Jimmy Carter, the worst American President of the 20th Century become #2 in the "The Come In 3s Death trilogy" following Ted Kennedy? And a "regular" Sunflower from the same plant as the freak at the top...and no we are not talking Carter, "freak" is too kind for that Islamic Terrorist supporting asshole.

Ted Kennedy=A Milestone for me/Diabetes 2

Well my comments on the death of Ted "The Swimmer" Kennedy yesterday brought about a milestone of sorts for this blog...since I refired the "Sitemeter" a little over a year ago, my top "hit" number was 116 visits in a single day....I usually average 70-75 during the week and about 2/3rd of that on the weekends. I never worry about it, I know I have a couple of dozen folks who stop by on a regular or weekly basis. But thanks to drop dead Ted, and his bloated photo on top of the story yesterday, I hit a high number of 148 in a single day. Now I'm not so dope enough to think they were dropping by for my insights on Teddy's demise...they "Googled" that photo or the comment on Ted "Roasting in Hell" the story...anyway it gave them a chance to stop for a second or in some cases longer and view the hatefest I treated them to.

Now, don't get me wrong...I was not trying to attach visitors with my comments regarding the Taxyer2shits senior Senator, everything I said, I believe...and I make no apologies. He's gone, I hope he made apologies and knelt down before his maker when he passed...what God chose to do with his soul is of course up to him...my comments were about the man Kennedy, the man who did his best to destroy lives and this country. He's gone, and out of the picture, the country and it's ills{see Barack Obama} are no longer his problem, and he is no longer ours.

The one problem I had yesterday or last night...I switched to Fox News from the Little League World Series...and even FN was having an "Honor The Swimmer" Pity Party for Ted...get real Fox, this guy should not be honored in any way...unless being a coward who swam away for a drowning women as she clawed the roof of his car trying to get out, can be considered someone to honor. Unless being at the forefront of the slaughter of 40 million or so unborn children since Roe Vs Wade can be someone to honor...pray for the bastard's soul, but don't honor or ask me to honor him in death, because I sure the Hell didn't in life.

The Results Are In________

Nancy the nurse called me from the Doc's office in Minster yesterday afternoon with the results of my "blood work"....The beginning stages of Diabetes 2 it is. So, damn, I don't even get off with Pre-Diabetes. Was I surprised? No, not really...despite the fact I, at 60 years of age, am in pretty good physical shape. I work almost 200 high school baseball, basketball, and football, contests per year. Of late, I have kept my weight stable at around 205 on my 5' 11" frame...for a weight lifter, that size is not overly large, and my family{except the youngest sister} has no history of Diabetes. On the negative side...yes, I need to lose 20 pounds, I no longer lift heavy weights{too hard on the arm joints these days}, I drink too much beer, especially in the summer, and even though the only sugar I partake in is my morning muffin with preserves, my eating habits of late have been mediocre, but not awful.

I guess I could blame it on Agent Orange from Vietnam, many guys do these days...but I would be lying if I said or even thought that....40 years after the fact, even though there were AO drums at Nha Trang and Tan Son Nhut...I just don't believe that's the cause. It's a lifestyle thing, and I am content to live with that self prognosis.

Diabetes 2, unlike D-1 can be treated with exercise and diet{and maybe a pill later on}...so for now the insulin injections and daily finger sticking is not in the cards....I can be thankful for that at least.

A visit to the Dietitian_____

So I ask Nancy, "what next"? "Well Doc seems to think that no medication treatment for now is good", she says. "Meet with the Hospital Dietitian at St. Marys and then follow her advice for 6 weeks, check back in for more blood tests after that time, and go from there". OK, I say...I call, make and appointment for next Thursday, September 3rd, and we will go that way for 6 weeks...meanwhile I am doing my own research on the Internet, to see what I can do, other than completely giving up beer{ I can reduce or quit the fat foods that won't be a problem, neither is the sugar I consume} and an occasional nice weather cigar is something I would rather not do.

Like all things in life, I look at this as and adventure...so let the "adventure" begin...bring on those salads with lo-cal dressing and baked chicken breasts....

back later>>>>

--

Photos-(1) Ted "The Swimmer" Kennedy will swim no more/(2) Chart of my Type 2 Diabetes...shed no tears for either.

Ted Kennedy RIH 2009

The Liberal Lion of the Senate has checked out...assumed Room Temperature, passed on, etc, etc.

RIH Teddy...RIH as in Roast in Hell you murdering bastard.

This shell of a man, a bloated drunk, responsible for the death of Mary Jo Kopechne in the summer of of 1969. While drunk driving home, he drove his car with Mary Jo in it off a bridge...while she was trapped inside, the coward from Massachusetts, got out swam away and immediately was looking for an alibi. Of course being the spoiled rich kid and a member of America's most famous family of inbreds...he basically got off scot free and was allowed by the idiot voters of his home state to stink up the halls of the Senate for another 40 years.

Of course the news is all over the talking lap dogs on MSNBC, CNN, Headline News, and even Fox News{to a lesser degree} this morning.. Our Moron of a President, vacationing nearby on Martha's Vineyard, says Kennedy is the Greatest Senator of our Time...No Barry, he was a cowardlly bastard, who saw to it that abortion, right up to the minute of birth, was legal...he championed the right to slaughter the unborn...If there is a Hell, this piece of trash is surely residing there...

Of course the sad part is, the liberal shithole called Taxyertwoshits will put somebody as equally corrupt and far left as this clown...so voting wise, things will not change. The face however will, and just knowing he won't be around to lie, disrupt, and murder, is good enough for now.

Good Riddance! I won't be shedding a tear for this useless bastard...let God take him and do with him what is right.

--

back later>>>>but in the meantime enjoy the "Real Ted Kennedy Legacy" @

http://www.nndb.com/people/623/000023554/

So I Lied!

Worked an hour and a half scrimmage for Freshman Football last night at Rockford...home team Parkway vs Spencerville. Thursday at Spencerville for a Junior High Scrimmage, then Saturday my first regular season game...Celina hosting Lima Senior in a JV contest. Sunday Sam and I have a double header as the Cross Roads Youth Football League kicks off it's season. Teams from west Ohio and east Indiana square off for the next 2 months.

A hint of summer is back for the next few days...then cooler by the weekend and early next week....I'm sure Patricia and her cohorts are glad for the humid conditions as they welcome the students back today....nothing finer than sitting in a hot, humid, classroom with kids that still have summer on their minds....Not!

So I Lied!____

Yesterday I made a pledge to not discuss politics as much on this blog....so I lied. Sure I can't do much except bitch and prepare, but at the same time I cannot watch this big eared son of a bitch that thinks he's King of the World sitting in the White House, without making a comment here and there.

A little civic lesson today or maybe just a wake up call. First you need to Google Van Jones Communist. This is Obummer's new "Green Jobs Czar". Jones is an avowed "Radical Communist"...no, I'm not bullshitting you, this guy wears his Red with pride. And he's just one of many in the Ebony Messiah's Administration.

While you are at it...Google up Jeff Jones Weather Underground...Jeff and his cohorts, Bill Ayres and Ayres' radical wife Bernie Doran founded the Anti American Weather Underground back in the 1960s...Jeff Jones helped write the Obummer Stimu-less Package that bilked the taxpayers out of almost $800 Billion so far.

But there is some good news___

This radical Marxist's (Obama) Administration is still getting a free pass from the main stream media, led by the Cheerleaders from MSNBC and other General Electric outlets. But the word is getting out, thanks to folks at the Drudge Report:

http://www.drudgereport.com/

and of course the chief thorn in Obama's side, Glenn Beck:

http://www.glennbeck.com/

Beck has been giving a full report of Barry's "Czars" and their checkered past on both his highly rated radio talk show, and on his 5PM EST show on Fox News Television....the guy is public enemy #1 in the eyes of the American Left and their lap dog supporters in the MSM. What really pisses them off is the fact that Beck's TV Show, despite being not in prime time, is kicking the shit out of the other news networks prime time shows---COMBINED!

Wake Up America!!! Some of you are, and Obama's poll numbers are falling like a rock in water, the rest of you that care, need to pull your heads out of your collective asses.

And this Jar Head gets it right at a Washington State Town hall Meeting___

You gotta love this disabled Marine Veteran, and the way he gives it to this left wing Congressman, who called the town hall protesters, "Brown Shirts"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rRE5UK6NQU

So, yep I lied about giving up political rants...but I believe in life you have to do what you believe is right, even if nobody is listening....so the politics will stay a part of this blog, more or less. I will continue to look back at my time in Vietnam some 40 years ago. I will continue to report on my mundane life and what is going on in it, and I will continue to bash Obama and his Marxist henchman for all that it's worth whenever I get the chance, or have something I believe important to say.

back later>>>>

Photos-"Don't Tread On Us" This old flag is coming back and the Revolution is on the Horizon.(2)Matt Drudge and Glenn Beck, 2 voices in dissent in the vast world of Obama Lap Dogs in the Media

Back to the Routine

After cooking/smoking sausage and ribs over at Nick's place on Friday...I pretty much hung around the house over the entire weekend. The Governor's Cup Boat Races were held in Celina on Grand Lake over the weekend, but I didn't bother....If I had thought our NAMBLA supporting Gov Ted "The Head" Strickland would have shown up, I probably would have been there, just to boo and protest his sorry ass, but he didn't and I didn't either.....and the weather for the weekend you might ask? Cloudy and Cool, never got out of the 60s with only a hint of sun on occasion...a preview of fall? Perhaps.

Patricia begins another school year today...St Henry and most other teachers are back at it, with the students to follow tomorrow....She has had a busy summer, canning, cleaning, etc...I'm sure she is probably ready to go back, but will miss her time off.

Football in full time begins this week...I've got scrimmages at Parkway{Rockford} tonight and Spencerville Thursday...the Regular Varsity season begins Friday, and I'm scheduled for the Celina-Lima Senior JV Game here on Saturday morning.

Obama The Victim____

Poor Barry....Our Kenyan Born Prez is vacationing with his skinny legged wife Michelle Antoinette Obama and the kids this week, on the taxpayers dime of course, at that Liberal shithole, Martha's Vineyard....The dump the King and his Queen are staying at is only $35 to 50 thousand per week. Don't you hark en back to the days when GW went to his own ranch in Crawford, Texas? Of course the media and left loons bitched about W being away on Vacation while Iraq Burned...nary a word a word of complaint about Barry and "Shell" spending taxpayer's money to wine and dine with the Kennedy Clan and other white trash on The Vinyards....how soon we forget.

Of course Barry is also complaining to the press that they need to give him space, so he and "skinny legs and all" can get some rest from the political wars that the Obama's are losing...losing Big Time! The Rasmussen Report Sez:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/

Click on the Presidential Tracking Poll....

Yesterday Ol' Barry was down to a minus 14 in his popularity ranking{the all time low} with today being a -12....seems The Messiah ain't fooling everybody all of the time no longer...must be because he's black{or at least half black} and we are all racists? Right Barry! You Hypocritical Son of a Bitch, we despise you and your policies, not because you are black, but because you are a Marxist out to destroy the country for our kids and grandkids.

Of course losing your war in Afghanistan and losing the battle for Socialised Health Care tends to make you a bit cranky....how's that change working Barry and supporters? I have to say it's pretty sweet watching this pompous ass sink and his lap dog media worshippers not figure out how to stop the slide.

Scotland____with friends like this...

Meanwhile our "allies" in the British Isles continue to spit in Obama's face and suck up to Radical Islam{hint: All Islam is Radical} by letting the Lockerbie Bomber go home to Libya to die...for compassion's reasons of course. Where was the compassion when this bastard blew 273 souls out of the sky over Scotland a few years ago? And the weak protests coming from the Obummer Administration are pathetic.

But enough politics...they are starting{and actually have been for awhile} to get boring...the majority of American voters elected this half baked Chicago Street Pimp as President. The weak kneed Republicans are hardly better, so what good does it do to bitch and moan? Time to kick back, fire up a good hand rolled cigar, have a nice drink, say "Screw It", and enjoy the ride.

I can no more do anything about the political situation in the country than I can about the fact that as I age, my body is not what it was at 25.

This doesn't mean I will stop speaking out against this Administration or against things I believe are wrong...but I will no longer rant and rage, on this blog, life is to short{especially after you hit 60} to spend my spare time on things I cannot change.

Back Later>>>>

Photos-30 Giant Sunflowers are now out...the head on this guy is 41 inches in circumference..13 1/2 inches round...this is the granddaddy of the 30, pretty happy with what I've grown here. The Obamas, the Joker and his wife Michelle Antoinette...who appointed these assholes King and Queen of America? And the Victims of the Lockerbie Bombing and their families get another insult from the Brits and Islam.

Tony's Bike Adventure Hits a "Bump"

A little rain in the area as I type this Saturday morning...although we have put a dent in the drought, the Celina area has still been spared most of the much needed rain, and every little bit helps. I'm sure come November we will be back up to speed and bitching about the wet stuff, before it becomes 'white'.

Spent another Friday over at Nick's, sitting beside the Smoker, smoking cigars, drinking a couple of Miller Lites, and smoking meats....yesterday we took a slab of ribs and a tube of sausage, and smoked those during the early afternoon...the results were outstanding to say the least. Home smoked sausage beats the Hell out of the store bought anytime. Meanwhile after 3 hours of smoking the ribs, we added a glaze of Mango Salsa, and pulled those out. They were delicious, and we split up the treasure...I ate a few bites of that, and the rest will go in the crockpot, so as to make it more tender before we dive into that. I had some of the sausage this morning with scrambled eggs. Don't eat those kind of breakfasts much these days, I don't figure it's all that healthy in the long run...and after all I wouldn't want to be targeted by our Asshole-in-Chief, Barry Obummer and his henchman as one to go against his grand plan for Socialised Health Care, would I?

Crazy Tony Takes a Tumble____

If you look at My Favorites on the right side of the blog, you will see one labeled "Crazy Tony's Bicycle Adventure". Tony is my age, 60, and originally from nearby Versailles, Ohio{now living in Greenville, some 30 miles south of Celina}. While I was sweating it out in Vietnam back some 40 years ago, Tony was toiling and sweating it out on the football fields for the University of Toledo Rockets...an outstanding High School Player, he went on to play linebacker for the Rockets in the late 60s and early 1970s. We have been acquaintances/adversaries for a few years now on a local high school sports site, that features the MAC High School Conference in western Ohio.

www.themaconline.com/

Tony and I have battled it out over sports and politics...and I'm sure at times he would like to kick my ass...but I digress, we have found some common ground, and have kept in touch.

This spring Tony took off on a recumbent bike trip across the country:

http://thebicyclemonologs.blogspot.com/

His great adventure started out in the Pacific Northwest and the months brought him back across The Great Plains to return for a short stop here in west Ohio. After a short stay locally, Tony started the last leg of his journey towards Washington DC and the finish, before returning home to his business adventures, and family.

A "small" problem befell Tony last weekend....he crashed, got rescued by some local Amish dudes near Cambridge, Ohio, and was airlifted to Columbus for surgery....problem seems to be, among other things, Tony doesn't remember the wreck or what happened just prior.

As one who has had 2 serious Motorcycle wrecks(1975 and 1987) and one nasty bike crash(1998), I can say I remember almost every excruciating minute.

Tony has great hopes of finishing his trip this year, but I think his family has other plans...At least for now, it looks like the trip may be on hold. However, if you have time, drop by his blog and read the details and view the photos of his adventures these past few months., and his details(those he can remember) of "The Crash".

back later>>>>

Photo-Tony at one of his stops along the way{actually at his old home port of Versailles, Ohio}..."borrowed" without his permission for this posting...so "Soo Me Lefty"...

A Day at the Great American Ballpark

The Cincinnati Reds opened their 'new' ballpark back in 2003...sad to say the Reds have not put much to view out on the field as they near completion of the 7th Season at GABP. For the most part the Reds have finished around 5th in the six team NL Central, and this season, after getting off to a good start in April, May, and June, the River City boys have floundered back into old territory, and reside in 5th place, just ahead of the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates.

I long ago got tired of the cost, political correctness, and free agency of Major League Baseball and seldom go...I had not been to a Reds game since 2005 when my buddy Andy, his brothers, some nephews and me went to see a weekend inter league series between the Reds and upstate rivals, The Cleveland Indians. Yesterday would be my 4th trip to Great American and first one in 4 seasons....much preferring to view minor league games at Fort Wayne.

Anyway, being on the board of Directors of Mercer Residential Services, with daughter Anissa being a client, Patricia, Anissa, and I, tagged along with 5 of the residents and 2 staff workers yesterday to see the Reds take on the San Francisco Giants...the Cincinnati Reds crew, with injuries to many regulars and not much hitting regardless, had fallen 19 games under the .500 mark and had lost 5 in a row. The clients headed down in the handicapped accessible van from MRS, while the Houseworth clan took Patricia's van and headed south as well. The forecast was not good, thunderstorms and rain showers were forecast throughout the day, some severe...so it appeared this would be a hit-and-miss day at the ballpark.

Down I-75 past Wapak, Sidney, Dayton, and Middletown, we traveled the 130 miles to the Queen City. The 12:35pm starts are called "Business Day Specials" at GABP...they usually happen on Thursdays, called "Get Away Days", when the Reds and/or their opponents are getting ready to finish a series and head out of town...in this case the Reds to Pittsburgh. Anyway, it rained off and on all the way down the interstate, but things started to clear a bit by the time we reached the parking garage. When we got inside to our seats the rain had stopped, and we would only see a sprinkle or 2 late in the game...things went well.

The Reds won the game 2-1 on a "walk off home run" in the bottom of the 10th of the extra inning contest, and we stayed dry...Anissa and some of the guys bought items to take home, Anissa, a T-Shirt fanatic, picked up a old fashion "Mr Red" logo shirt which made her day...the only hitch on the way home was the fact that I got "lost" when getting off the exit at Middletown, where we were to meet up with the rest of the guys for Pizza at the Pizza Hut....road construction put the directions on worthless...but not to matter, we grabbed a bite at Wendy's, called Terry, the van driver, told him not to wait on us, and we made it home by 7:30.

A Cincinnati win, no rain out, good weather, and no problems driving{for the most part}, and a good day was had by all.....The announced crowd was 13,390, one of the worst of the year...the bare bones Reds squad, bad record, and severe weather threat probably had the number of folks show up at about 10,000...can't really tell from my Camera Phone shot from behind and above home plate, but the stands were pretty empty...giving us plenty of "stretch out and move around room". So it was not all that bad to see a small crowd.

Type 2 Pre-Diabetes?____

Got back from Cincinnati last night and listened to a message on the land line answering..."call tomorrow about you blood sugar test". Well this cant' be good, otherwise they would have just said all is fine, I thought. Anyway, long story short...blood sugar is still elevated. Possible Pre-Diabetes or Type 2 already in the works. Well Shit! No known Diabetes in the family, don't eat much sugar{plenty of beer though, especially in the summer baseball season}...but 20 pounds too heavy for my size, somewhat high blood pressure...you never know. So Tuesday morning I head back to the Doc's office at Minster and get "stuck" again for a Hemoglobin A1C test to see what is up.

To tell the truth, I'm not overly concerned, at 60 Obama and his Marxist henchman would like to see old Conservative Christians dead anyway, we are a pain in his and his agenda's ass. So sure, I can lose the weight, cut back on fatty foods, already eat plenty of veggies and fruits, already pretty active for my age{as 110 High School and American Legion baseball games this season can attest to}, but probably should walk more, and cut back on my beer consumption, which maybe the hardest part, especially in warm/hot weather. But I will do what I have to do, and see how that works out....guess I'll know more by the end of next week.

No football scrimmages this weekend, but will get back at it on Monday at Rockford, then Thursday at Spencerville.....the Regular season begins next Friday for the Varsity squads and the JV begin on Saturday August 29th when I have the Celina vs Lima Senior Junior Varsity game here at Celina Stadium. Patricia heads back to school at St. Henry on Monday, and the students return for classes next Tuesday.

That's about it for now....

back later

Photos-I took along an extra battery and extra disk for the Sony Digital...jumped out of the car, left the extra disk in it, thinking "no problem, I've got a new one in the camera, good for 15 or 20 shots"...wrong, I left the one at home, and when I went to snap the first photo at the entrance to GABP..."NO DISK" was the message...so anything on here is either "borrowed from the Internet, or from the Phone Camera on my cell...which the quality sucks...but, what you see, is what you get...sorry!

We had good seats for the game, right behind home plate in the second deck of the Mezzanine, giving us a row for special needs folks by ourselves...I even had a padded chair, which Patricia swapped{stole} from me about half way though the game...{top left} The entrance to GABP with the statue of "The Old Lefthander" Joe Nuxhall at the front....The Radar as it looked at 9AM, and the lack of crowd tanken by cell phone from our seats above and behind home plate.

Finally!

The "Summer(project) of Houseworth" is finished!

I started out about 6 weeks ago in early July with a goal to paint the house and clean up the garage and bushes/Jungle/shrubs around the house. I figured with me hand painting the house and garage, some 2500 sq feet with 3", 2", and trim paint brushes by hand it would take me the rest of the summer, so I set out a goal to be done by Labor Day. Lucky for me, it has been for the most part{the past 2 weeks not withstanding} a dry and cool summer....so I finished up the project. Now I can get back to enjoying the rest of summer...which means a few cigars, a lot of beer, and sitting around in the back yard when I'm not officiating football.

The house, which we purchased in 1995, was built in late 1923 as a Parsonage for the Pastor and his family of the First Church of God in Celina{located right across the street to the north and west} When the new church was built in the late 1980s, they sold the church to a local bar owner/landlord, the house was sold to a local Plumbing and Heating Contractor...his family lived there for a handful of years, before he sold it to us in 95. Back in the 1970s Patricia and I lived just a block north of the Church and she had always loved the house...20 years or so later we made it ours. The Kitchen was added in 1944 and the detached 2 1/2 car garage and dog kennel were built in the 1980s. Given the fact that the majority of the outside wood is 85+ years old....the painting by hand is a chore, but well worth the effort. But I have to believe this, my 3rd try, was my best, and my last time to paint the homestead.

Blood Drawing, Football Meeting, and Reds Baseball____

Those are what today and tomorrow entails. This morning, after fasting since 10PM last night..I drove over to my Doctor at Minster to have one of the nurses draw some blood. Seems when the were doing my blood work last month to check my Kidneys...the found those OK, but my sugar levels were elevated...so back this morning for more Vampire feedings....seems she may have stuck that needle in a little awkward...by the time I got home my inner arm had a nice knot from the sticking..about the size of a half of tennis ball...No wonder I hate giving blood? I'm guessing they are checking me for Diabetes, although no one in my family has ever claimed it...as long as they don't ask me to give up beer drinking in the Summer or want me to stick myself in the finger everyday, I can handle the other options. We will see how that goes.

Will head back to Van Wert with Sam and Garry tonight for another local Rules Meeting....no more scrimmages for me until next Monday the 24th at Parkway, and then the 27th at Spencerville. The regular season begins at all levels the weekend starting Friday August 28th.

Tomorrow Patricia, Anissa, me, and 7 other clients and workers from Mercer Residential head for Cincinnati to take in the Reds....although the season has been lost for some time now, this gets the guys to a ball game...hopefully the 60% chance of Thunderstorms will pass the Great American Ballpark and leave us dry. One thing about GABP, not a bad seat in the house, and we will be under the roof in case it does shower. The group will stop in Middletown after the game at the local Pizza Hut for supper.

That will about do it for Patricia's summer...she is back at St. Henry for classes next Monday, with the students first day being Tuesday the 25th

That will do it for this report, back either tomorrow night or Friday with details of the Cincinnati Trip.

photos-The completed project..front of house{top left} The Kitchen as seen from my fenced in back yard, and the October Red Garage Doors, which I finished up yesterday. Finally tickets for the Reds vs Giants in a afternoon game, tomorrow, in Cincinnati.

And this from the American Thinker Magzine hits the nail right on the head:

http://www.Americanthinker.com/cartoons/?id=639

Funny and True!

The Weekend in Review

Summer has decided to wait until mid August to rear it's head....still no rain in our area, but plenty of it north, south, in Ohio, plus Illinois, and Michigan...we have been dry, but they are calling for a chance of storms for the next week...some around today, but it's all north..AGAIN! Maybe we will get our share.

The Weekend____




After we picked in Nick's Garden on Friday, and Nick and I smoked the Salmon, Patricia left and Nick and I sat around, smoked a couple of Cigars and downed a few beers....I got to bed early Friday night. Saturday dawned humid but cool enough for the Celina Scrimmages to go forward in good style. Sam, me, and Jim S, did the Freshman vs Piqua, Garry and his crew did the Varsity against Sidney. Just 11 days before the regular season kicks off August 28th....hopeful the rains will soften the fields, and the humidity will drop down.

I had finished painting the house on Thursday, and now just have some garage trim and the garage doors...might get at it today, maybe not. I will then clean up the bushes around the house and garage and the Summer House Project will be done. Here are some after photos:
Canning____

Patricia spent all day Saturday and part of the day Sunday "Canning" Veggies...plenty of beets, tomatoes, peas, green beans, etc, to go with the already good supply of fruit jam. That is almost done for the year....Good thing too, Patricia is back to school next week, so Summer for her, is about finished.. Here is some of her weekend work:


It was a humid Sunday...after Church, we rotated between the A/C inside and the back yard hopeful of catching a breeze. Anissa, a little tougher than us, when it comes to heat and humidity, spent most of the afternoon in the back yard. As the old song goes.."Too hot to fish, to hot to drink beer." As short, dry, and cool as our summer has been...I am ready for some fall type weather....70s and some dry humidity sounds good.
--

The week ahead___

--

Will try to finish up the painting, and then wait on some cooler, dryer, weather to do the trimming of the bushes. Wednesday I head to Minster to get some blood drawn...sugar levels were somewhat high on my last Doctor visit...so will get that checked...not really concerned about it, never had a problem, but we will get it looked at anyway.

Thursday Patricia, Anissa, and I, along with some of the men and crew from Mercer Residential will head for Cincinnati, to take out a Reds-Giants game at The Great American Ballpark....the Reds stink, but the guys love this kind of stuff, and we will be there to enjoy the day with them.

Friday I may have football, maybe not. Garry needed a sub for his crew at Fort Recovery, so told him I could help with that scrimmage if needed. Things, football wise, become more active next week....by the first of September, I will have more days with games than those without.

Back Later>>>>

photos-{top left}-22 of the 30 Giant Sunflowers are out and blooming...the rest should be in full show by the end of the week. Also the west then east side of the finished house...painted, new roof, and new down spouting....this should last me until my last days...at least the spouting and roof...paint? Not sure about that, but, I won't be doing the entire thing again. And finally a collection of Patricia's canning work from over the weekend. Will give some away to our garden partners, and Mom...the rest heads to the basement storage area for future needs.

Smokin' Salmon

More sunshine and a little warmer today...Patricia and I headed over to Nick's place to pick beets and a few other things from the garden for canning....and I took about 15 pounds of Salmon from Nick and my fishing trip to the Au Sable River/Lake Huron last fall. When we returned from the Tawas City/Au Sable area in late October 2008, we cut out some fillets from our catch and proceeded to freeze the goods. Nick purchased a smoker this spring, and today we decided to see how we did with the fish....the results were excellent, if I don't say so myself.

The garden at Nick's is coming along, with plenty of "stuff" now ready for harvest....Patricia has been canning for the past month and with school starting in just a week or so...we gathered beets and some tomatoes....meanwhile we loaded the Smoker with chips, water, and hickory and we put the thawed packages of some of last year's catch....within 2 hours Nick and I were treating ourselves to Salmon and Beer....

Scrimmages being____

------

9AM tomorrow it all begins...the start of the High School Football scrimmage season gets underway. Sam and I along with a couple other guys have the Celina Freshman game with Piqua. The good news about the early start is with humidity on the rise and temperatures as well...we will be done before Noon, and before the heat begins. A few more scrimmages next week then the regular season kicks off on August 28th.

Photos-{top left} A few pounds of smoked Salmon as we pulled it out of the smoker{2} A couple of those same Salmon with me as they looked late last October{3} Nick and Patricia digging up some beets for the canning jars, still plenty of stuff to pick, despite the drought, it's been a good year in both gardens that we share{4}Nick's new smoker...next weekend we will smoke some red meat, we just have not decided what kind yet...so far Chicken and Fish have went through it{5} The Salmon at about the half way point...butter lime/lemon garlic sauce with pepper and sea salt makes this a great meal.

Enjoy the weekend___back later>>>>

The Children of Nha Trang 1969

Held our first "Local" Football Rules Meeting last night in Van Wert....17 or 18 of the members showed up for the first of the season. The State and now 1 local meeting out of the way. Scrimmage start Saturday at 9AM...Sam, Jim S, and I have the Freshman scrimmage at Celina, Garry and his crew have the Varsity across the school campus, at the Stadium. Good that it's early, the heat is predicted to be back on at 90 degrees with humidity to match...always happens early in the season, then by the end of the season, we are freezing our butt's off.

Will get back at painting the trim this morning, and should have that done by nightfall....the house will be complete, and then just the east and front of the garage plus the doors...tomorrow heading over to Nick's to smoke some Salmon. The very Salmon we collected late last October when we headed for the Au Sable in northern lower Michigan.

Nha Trang, The Kids 40 years ago_____

Nha Trang Air Base was surrounded by the 5th Special Forces(Green Berets) at Camp McDermott and by outskirts of Nha Trang City. The villages were mostly of cardboard clap trap homes, made with wire, discarded junk from the bases....it was our reality in 1969 Vietnam.


The men of the 14th Security Police Squadron Law Enforcement worked a variety of posts...from mobile Jeep patrols to the SAT Alert teams to the V-100{as shown at the bottom photo with me on the header}...and the entry control points and gates. Many of the entry control posts sat next to the housing projects. The one constant was the kids of these projects. These kids, anywhere from 5 to 15 knew how to charm the Sky Cops at the post, usually begging for candy and snacks for our uneaten C-Ration Boxes....I seldom ate C-Rats, so I usually, when on a gate shack, would give the parts of the packages, crackers, beans, and whatever was inside, except the smokes, to the kids that hung around the rolled wire that separated us from them. The wire was a joke..these kids had pathways through those fences that they could crawl through in lightning speed in seconds.


During our day shift work, these kids were a constant...talking, yapping, begging...they were great kids and great entertainment. It was what kept us sane during those long boring 8 hour shifts...One kid in particular was named "George"...I'm not sure if George "Bruce" Thompson named him, but he was always with one of us...sometimes in the Jeeps, sometimes sitting in the shacks with us...Little George was our Mascot of sorts. The rest of the kids we knew their faces, but everybody knew George by name.

Problem with George was he became too close to us. I remember one morning near the end of my tour at Nha Trang, a forgotten guard let him "look" at the SP's M-16 and George put a round through the gate shack roof. That ended our days with the local kids hanging in the gate shacks and Jeeps. But they still hung around....just not so close.


The kids were comic relief, one wonders what happened to those Children of Nha Trang Air Base when the Communist henchman took over in 1975...brainwashed? Escaped to the USA? I often wonder, and sometimes really don't want to know the answer.

Back to the painting, smoking Salmon tomorrow, back later>>>>

Photos-From Phil Lange and other collections.

Top Left-"George" decked out in his combat gear/Kids in downtown Nha Trang/Walking and Playing on the wired Perimeter Fence at the Base/George and some of his buddies

Gone Painting'

Posting will be a hit and miss affair for the next week or so....I want to finish up the painting project...just some trim and 1/2 the garage+garage doors to do. Football classes start tonight, scrimmage contests start Saturday....a Reds game next week and a few other things to catch up with before Patricia heads back for the start of school in less than 2 weeks.

back later>>>> photos-One of the Citrus Sunflowers and a couple shots of my tools of the non-paying trade.

The 80% Solution/Summer Winds Down

The second straight day of hot humid weather was in the cards yesterday. Today won't be quite as humid, and tomorrow the cooler, dryer weather moves in...well at least dryer. The Dayton area got hammered with some nice rains yesterday, we got nothing, again. The dry weather seems to be confined to a swath of ground from the Fort Wayne area in Indiana down to us...north and into Michigan has been damp, while the Dayton area and south has had more than their share of showers. No rain in the forecast for another 7 days, so says The Weather Channel.

The House, 80% or so complete____

I laid off the painting again yesterday, and probably again today....with 80% of the house complete{just the upstairs outside above the kitchen and some minor trim to go}, I can finish up that and the garage and then work on the shrubs around the house. Should not have a problem getting done before Labor Day.

Football scrimmages begin on Saturday. I have a morning session with Sam and a couple of other guys at 9AM here in Celina...for a Freshman contest.

Despite the Lack of Rain___

My Giant/Mammoth Sunflowers are going great guns...maybe I should have entered them in the Mercer County Fair this coming week{starts Friday}? A couple started to bloom last week, and now my 30 or so plants have at least a dozen on the grow...some of them bigger than my head, which is quite the size. Now, what to do with them? They say, once complete, put them in paper bags and let the seeds mature in a basement or cool spot....well, I'm not a big fan of Sunflower Seeds...but the Doves that frequent the backyard feeding area probably are...so, maybe I'll save some, and let the birds have at the others....one thing for sure, if I'm still kicking next year{Obama Rationed Health Care you know?}...I'm going for at least 50 of these and the small variety...they grow quick and are fun to watch...Shows you how easily entertained I am these days.

Off to get a haircut____

The middle portion of an exciting day{just kidding} will see me head up to George's Barber Shop, to get my ears lowered...that way the stripped football lids will fit my bulbous head, without the hair sticking out...Gotta look sharp.

More Nha Trang Stories and Photos coming up this week, as I look back at my time in Vietnam, 40 years ago.

back later

photos-The house with the front now complete...just some trim, the top side of the back and some garage work to go...then repair the shrubs, and done for the summer fix up season. The Sunflowers are growing in size and numbers...heads bigger than mine, and a dozen or so already making the bees happy.

2009 The 9th Annual "Bar Stool Open" on Grand Lake Ohio

Cloudy and humid, but not bad for yesterday's annual Bar Stool Open. We, The Duck Iguanas, started out with 5 on board. Nick, Hal, his buddy Woost, and me...along with our 5th Trivie Bruns....the Duck Do-Do in another boat had 6 on board. I don't have the final totals of participating teams, but usually about 150-165 teams show up with a number of hangers on and followers, making 900-1000 total participants. Yesterday's crowd seem a mite small, maybe because of the economy or the cloudy weather...or maybe we were just ahead of the crowd.

The shotgun start began at 9AM more or less. We left Nick's dock at Bayview Lodge and headed for Duckfoot Landing, where we start each year{that way we can end up at the home dock and finish}. After shooting 8{all 4 of us getting 2}...things quickly went downhill for our boys...we were pretty much out of it by the 5 hole, and our chances of winning any of the big prizes were done. So the party began.

By the time we arrived at The Breakers and Roberts Town Tavern holes we decided to slow down, both the fast pace of the golf and beer consumption.... after playing the Breakers with our best score of 7 and with the DDDs seemly one step ahead of us, we got a cell phone call as we docked at It's It's Landing near Montezuma....they were dead in the water. The boys had his something and tore up their prop...so out we go to pick them up....and our boat of 5 became a gang of 11....

Eventually we finished up back at Bayview around 6:45 making a 9 1/2 day on the Lake and 13 bars a semi-success. Hal, Nick, and I headed back to Nick's place a mile from Bayview, and waiting for Patricia and Anissa to make the 15 minute drive from Celina to pick Hal and me up. We fired up a couple of Indian Tabac Maduros and waited for the sober members of the family to arrive. All in all, a pretty good day....No Hangover for me...and Hal is already on his way back to the Dayton area for a family get together with his girlfriend's family.

Not sure of our final score, but I'm sure we finished in the middle somewhere...Hal scored 2 hole-in-ones, and Nick and I each added one ourselves.

Me? I'm gonna have another cup of Joe and decide if I want to climb the roof in 92 degree heat and humidity and finish the final section of the house painting...I'm betting the answer is NO...That may wait for tomorrow, I might just chill out...with tea, no beer, for today.

Back Later>>>>

Photos--Some Photos taken before my battery on the Old Sony crapped out for the day___

(1) Me, early on in the event with our 9th edition Bar Stool Open T-Shirt(2) L to R...Youngest son Hal, his college roomie Woost, and Trivey, enjoying one of his may Coronas.(3) Nick taking aim at the Shingle Shack's new hole(4) Our team of 5 becomes 11 as the Duck Do-Do's don't...the stalled(blow prop) can be seen in the back as we load up their supplies(5)Nick at the Helm of his Pontoon....(6) I take my turn guiding us across the Lake.(7 and 8) The Moose Lodge and the Breakers(formerly Carta Villa) a couple of holes midway through our Shotgun Start from Duckfoots