2009 Year In Review/July through September

Sam and I headed to one of the area High Schools near Lima today to officiate a JV Girls Game against a Toledo School....Wednesday at noon is not usually how things are scheduled....but I accepted the game earlier this summer figuring, what the Hell? they would have trouble filling in a weekday game, even in the Christmas week, so I was glad to help out, and Sam was home for school.

It was an up tempo game that got off to a fast start...when the head Varsity Coach{who used to be the boys head coach} decided to get in my ear about a call he thought I missed on a player stepping over the end line....she did, but it was because of the way I tossed the ball to her after a made basket, and I didn't make the call....So I listened to him for a few seconds, told him.."you coach and I'll officiate". About that time he yaps out something about the way I was officiating a non-league JV game. That was getting personal as far as I was concerned, so I "Teed"{Technical Foul} him up....

That ended that, I know he was not pleased....but let's get real, I wasn't working the game to please him or his ego. He left the bench area{not wanting to get a 2nd technical, which would have resulted in a suspension and fine}, let the JV Coaches do their job, and I didn't see him until I left the floor at game's end...he pretty much just glared at me, as I walked towards the locker...Oh' Well...**it Happens! Let's see, 60 years old, Vietnam Veteran, and retired...I'm gonna worry about the bruised ego of a coach? I think not! Besides, the home school won by a dozen or so in a high scoring game for a Junior Varsity contest, so what's he got to complain about?

Sam and I were home by 3:15, and he headed out towards Chicago for a visit with friends before heading back to Columbus for the beginning of classes come January 4th.....no games for me until that same date...the 4th, next Monday.

I'm ready for Baseball Season....by far my #1 sport....the egos of some(not all) Basketball Coaches is something to behold....and makes that game less enjoyable to officiate, than either baseball or football, in my mind.

The Summer of 09'___July through September

One thing I will always remember about the Summer of 2009 is the very cool weather we were blessed, or cursed with, depending on your pleasure....Global Warming? Right...

In late June Patricia and I decided that we needed to replace the aging roof shingles...despite it being shingled by a concrete and asbestos, the wood shingles{from 1923} were starting to show signs of rot...so we figured that one good shingle job would probably take care of the place for the rest of our natural lives.....

Once that was completed, I would climb up the ladders and begin the summer painting project...once again, probably the last I would do for this life time.

July____

The Amish crew arrived in late June and finished off the roof within a few days after the July 4th Holiday....once they were finished, the gutter boys came in and put up new spouting...the house, a former church parsonage, needed the upgrade.

After they were done, I took the paint I purchased, and headed up the various sized ladders, and began what was to be a 2 month long summer job for me....Not my favorite project, but I have to admit that I enjoyed the final outcome.

In my world, in addition to the painting, I had a full slate of American Legion and Summer ACME Baseball to umpire...110 games in all from March through August, and the legs held out for the entire season...that in itself was a victory for me. Also I got a visit via Harley-Davidson, from a old High School friend, Don "Rat" Boyce, whom I had not seen in over 40 years....we would hook up later in the year again, this time for lunch and a chat with another old buddy from that era, Bob Jones....

On the World Stage, Sarah Palin, the Vice Presidential Candidate resigned from her job as Alaska Governor to write a book...this of course drove the batty left in and out of the media nuts...good for Sarah, if you can drive the freaking libs nuts, you got my support.

August___

The 8th Annual Bar Stool Open took place on Grand Lake and the various bars that line it's shores....Nick, me, Hal, and his old college roommate Woost, took turns hacking up the mini golf course holes...and this year we stunk...but a good time was, as usual, had by all.

Patricia and I, along with Anissa, and some of the clients and workers, at Mercer Residential(where I sit on the Board of Directors) headed south to Cincinnati for a Reds game...and despite the poor season{again} by Cincy, we got to witness a extra inning Reds win, over San Francisco....Later on Nick and I took our turn at "Smoking" the Salmon we had caught the previous fall while fishing in Michigan...it was good, at least we thought so....

On the national front, Ted "The Swimmer" Kennedy assumed room temperature....considering how many lives were ruined because of his actions, excuse me if I didn't shed a tear for this bastard child of privilege.....may he roast in Hell, if that's what God has in store for his soul.

September____

After getting blood drawn at my regular doctor visit, the informed me that I was in the process of acquiring Diabetes 2....and they set me up with an appointment for a Dietitian at St. Marys Hospital. She put me on a 2000 Calorie/225 Carb a day diet, and I proceeded to lose some 20 pounds, down from 208 to 187 by December 1st...I've bounced back and forth between 187-193 since then, but with the Holiday feeds about over, I should resume my quest to drop to 180, without D2 medication, around January 2nd....

Baseball turned into football in August, and by the end of September, I was fully in the football mode...my back and legs held up for the duration.....

On the National Front, Obama's poll numbers and status with real Americans, continued to fall...but his Socialist Programs were still being pushed forward...lead by the Trillion Dollar Health Care take over, and the phony science of Global Warming, and it's Tax er... Cap and Trade boondoggle....

Fall was just around the corner....and the temperatures would fall to well below normal by October....

More on that next>>>>

Photos-Top Left, The 86 year old house after I completed another painting project. The next two photos show the work and the Amish Crew getting down to the old wood roof after removing the shingles/Me sitting on Nick's boat as our "Golf" Crew headed out early in the day of the Bar Stool Open in August...and finally, this is what Salmon that has been smoked looks like....taste pretty good as well.

2009 Year In Review/April through June

Headed down to Russia(Rue-She), Ohio, today for a couple of games at their annual Holiday Jr High Basketball Tournament....Got home about 3...just in time to pick up the Intrepid minus $660+ for repairs and a new battery...the ABS System and some bearing troubles. It happens on a 15 year old vehicle. Jeep needs some repairs as well, but I'll get to them later in the winter, once the snow driving winds down.


Sam has decided to purchase the 1999 Toyota Corolla we looked at in Dayton....so he'll use the Intrepid for a few weeks while he gets the paper work done and picks up that vehicle....

Tomorrow Sam and I head for Lima Shawnee to do the opener Junior Varsity game between the Shawnee Indians vs Toledo Waite in a Girls High School contest....then I'm off until January 4th, while Sam will head back to classes next week at Ohio State.



2009---Spring Springs___

April____After having pretty nice weather in March for baseball, April as usual turned wet and cold....I was elected eligible to do the State Finals for the first time...and although not getting a State game, I did garner the nod for a complete District at Elida...doing all 3 games in Division 3...and was also selected for a Regional Semi-Final at Patrick Henry. Those would take place in May, after the regular season concluded....

On the world front, our Kenyan Prez, went on his world apology tour to Europe and the Middle East....daring to apologize to the world for our perceived "arrogance"...proving once again this lightweight asshole wasn't up to the task that the majority of dolts who voted had given to him....things would get worse as the year continued....

On April 15th pissed off Patriots gathered by the hundreds of thousands to protest the criminals in Washington DC, who had been spending like drunken sailors, at our expense....the main stream news media, with the notable exception of Fox News and Talk Radio, ignored the protests....showing once again they were indeed lap dogs of the far left.

In Sports, my NHL team, the Philly Flyers, were eliminated by eventual Stanley Cup winner Pittsburgh...while in the IHL, the Fort Wayne Komets, my favorite team for over 50 years, were crowned once again Turner Cup Champions...this time for the second straight season....

In Baseball....the MLB got underway, another disappointing season was in store for the Cincinnati Reds, while the Yankees would eventually win their first crown in 9 years...

The former Red Door, where I had managed and bartended back in the mid 1970s, had it's 2nd yearly 40th Reunion in early April...the crowd was not as large this time around, but a good time was still had by the decent gathering.....

May____

Our Kenyan in Charge, Barack "Barry" Obama, continued to build the road to Socialism...not only blackmailing the nation's banks...he decided to purge Chrysler and GM of their management, and the Government{taxpayers} became majority stockholders of the 2 bankrupted auto makers....Way to Go Barack!-you tool...

My annual mushroom hunt hit a snag....set to go to Mesick when my District games were over, I got a call from Rick and the boys telling me that our usual spot had been overrun by "bugs and worms"...they headed a couple hours north, I headed back to Celina. Turns out they found a great spot by Boyne Falls, and that is where we plan on making the trek next May.....

I hit post #500 on Blogger, and the weather would remain cool...not only for May, but for most of the summer...Global Warming? I think not....

June____
June saw the passing of my friend and NCOIC of Law Enforcement from Nha Trang AB, Vietnam, Phil Lange...before he passed away Phil and his son Paul, made a gift to me of flags, patches, and badges from our days in Vietnam, and paid for my Life Membership in the Vietnam Security Police Association as a gift of friendship....Phil's wife of many years would pass away a short time later, joining her husband in God's hands....

In addition to the loss of Phil, another old Sky Cop, Larry Dotson, who survived the Prison uprising at Lucusville a couple of decades ago, passed away in early June....Larry missed our mini-reunion in January due to illness, and never regained his health...

We finally had the century old maple tree cut down at mom's house...the worry of it falling over on her or the neighbor's place was too much of a risk....

On the national news, Obama went on another Islamic Butt Kissing tour to Egypt and the Middle East...proving once again, that his slobbering love affair with radical Islam knew no bounds....He is indeed an apologist and coward, to top even Jimmy Carter{which I never thought possible}.

I would spend much of the remainder of the summer painting the house, and we would have the gutters and the 86 year old concrete roof shingles replaced....those stories and photos next on the Review of 2009....

Back Later>>>>

Photos-Air/Security Police Badge, much like the one I wore during my 4 year stint.../I framed the badge, crossed pistol patches, and South Vietnam Flag, that were included in the collection that Phil Lange sent me before his death../Working the plate at Minster...I would be voted to State for the first time...and came away with both Regional and District Assignments in 2009.../Phil Lange, Captain Bailey, and Lt. Wright outside of Bailey's Speakeasy, the Air Force Sky Cop bar, movie, and eatery hangout at Nha Trang in the summer of 1969.

2009 Year In Review/January through March

After our "Green" Christmas due to an inch or so of rain overnight Xmas Eve, we got back to the white season yesterday afternoon...Sam and I were on our way back from checking out a possible replacement vehicle for him near Dayton, when the snow started coming down near Piqua, on I-75. But the time we hit the US 33/Ohio 29 four lane, things had gotten slick. Seems the road crews were a little late with the salt trucks, and drivers were sliding off the road at a pretty good rate...I dropped it down to 50 or so, and we cruised into Celina in good shape.

The photo at the top of the blog is from last night about 8pm looking south down Brandon Avenue from where the house intersects with Livingston Street....not a lot of accumulation, but enough to clean up the mess from the rain over the previous 48 hours.

Before getting started on the Year End Review portion of today's post....in case you missed it, another Islamic Scumbag has attempted to take out a plane...and nary a word from this guy's Muslim Brother...Barack "Barry Soetoro" Obama.

http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2009/12/27/northwest-bomb-plot-better-to-keep-obama-quiet/

This so-called 'Leader' is becoming a bigger terrorist "tool" with each passing day....even a moron like Jimmy Carter showed more balls than this neutered Kenyan.

Sports______Bengals finally Clinch Playoffs

Despite a poor performance against weakling Kansas City, the Cincinnati Bengals finally clinched only their 2 playoff spot in 19 years with a 17-10 victory yesterday. Carson Palmer led the Bengals on a 98 yard, 8 minute drive in the final quarter, and Leon Hall sealed the victory with an interception with about a minute left.

Meanwhile the previously undefeated Colts pulled their starters, including Payton Manning, with a 5 point lead in the 3rd quarter, and fell to the Jets...leaving New York with only a win over Cincinnati to gain a "Wildcard" playoff spot....look for Cincinnati to actually try to win that game at the Jets next week. The Colts will probably pay in the long run for a stupid coaching decision.....time will tell.

2009_____January, February, March______

Clint Thompson and I headed north and west to Rick Pearson's house on our usual Bowl and Beer Fest at Rick's Place for New Year's Day to get 2009 started off.....this has become a tradition over the past 20 years....it will be different this New Year however. Rick and his wife Toni have sold there country home, and temporarily moved into a town apartment, while the work on their new place on their 17 acres in DeKalb County moves forward....they hope to be moved in sometime before summer.....

In late January Barack "Barry Soetoro" Hussein Obama was installed as Emperor of these United States....or at least that's how it seemed at the time....the willing dimwits in Congress and the Main Stream Media, put Barry high on that pedestal, and so far, despite his falling poll numbers, the Congress and Press{with the exception of talk radio and Fox News} continue their slave like worship. The polls say the American people have finally figured this guy out...question is? Is it too late?

On a more personal level...Ohio State loses another BCS game...this time on a last second Touchdown to Texas, despite the best efforts of benched quarterback, local product Todd Boeckman....

The supposed ravages of Global Warming still just seem to stay away from the great Midwest...in mid January we got down to 16 below zero in west central Ohio, with a Chill Factor of minus 35-40

And on the last day of January a group of 60 former Air Force/Vietnam Security Police guys got together at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Museum in Dayton for a "Mini-Reunion"...a great time was had, and this year we plan on meeting in early March, and hopefully increase our numbers.....

In February______

Glenn Beck moved his TV show from Headline News to Fox News in late January, but February he was breaking all kinds of viewer records for a 5pm time slot, and driving the Obama fans nuts...the wacky losers on the left can't figure out who the hate the most, Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin....either one, it warms the heart to see these gutless jackasses squirm....nothing better than watching Liberals piss and moan about someone exercising their right to free speech.

www.glennbeck.com/

I had a visit from a young man selling the world famous Kirby Vacuum Cleaners in mid February, and ended up buying one...what was I thinking? I'm usually not so easy to convince....

Our St John's Dartball team bounced back from a rather poor regular season, to take the 2nd place trophy in the Tournament held at Schumm Zion Church....and my basketball officiating season came to and end in late February, about 2 weeks early when I blew out my calf muscle....no permanent damage, but I did shut it down early, so I could be ready when baseball season began in mid March...I did, and I was.

Meanwhile the World and most of the US continued to love Obama, while the economy went deeper into recession....some of us were not so kind in our comments or thoughts about our Kenyan Born Prez!

Veteran Broadcaster Paul Harvey died in late February_____

March 2009____

In March of this past year, I decided that Obama and Company had their eyes on several of our God given rights.....freedom of speech, and the right to bear arms/1st and 2nd Amendments, pretty important stuff in my eyes.

I decided to keep speaking out, especially against the left wing radicals in Government, this little blog, view by maybe 75-100 folks per day was my attempt at free speech....as far as the 2nd Amendment, I cleaned up my old handguns and rifle....and in late March I headed off to Lima, to the Allen County Fairground for the monthly winter Gun Show....I purchase a nice little snub nosed .38 for self and home protection...not the most powerful gun in the world, but easy to handle, load, and get to in a pinch....like I said, my own small way of protecting the freedoms that Obama and his henchman in Government would like to abolish.

After nursing my leg injury, I felt good enough to go back at baseball umpire in mid month....after a long cold winter, March was rather warm and dry, and I got about 10 scrimmage games and the start to the regular high school season in, with no ill effects on my legs....Sam meanwhile decided at 27 to give College Baseball a try...not umpiring{although he did that as well}, but playing for Ohio State-Lima....not a great success, but any means{something you try to pick up after 10 years away seldom works out the way you would like}, but he did his best, and mixed a full class schedule, working at the OSU Athletic Department and umpiring work as well....all the while making the Dean's List 2 of 3 Quarters and finishing his Sophomore Year{his first back to college since 2001} with a 3.7 GPA.....

Tomorrow I'll look back at the Spring of 2009_____April through June

This morning I'll take the Dodge up to get the ABS and Bearings looked at....some kind of problems there...then tomorrow and Wednesday a couple of afternoon Holiday Basketball Tournaments to officiate.....

Back Later

Photos of 2009--Top Left...former Air Force Vietnam Security Police gather in frigid Dayton for a Mini Reunion on January 31st/Me(left) and my buddy Wayne DeZarn who helped me gather the group together as we got together for a photo shoot in the cold at the Defensor Fortis SP Statue at the AF Museum at Wright-Patterson. Local St. Henry product Todd Boeckman, after being benched early on in the 2008 season, came on strong in a losing effort against Texas in the January Fiesta Bowl/Broadcaster Glenn Beck, moved his TV show to Fox, to a larger audience where he continued to drive Liberals bonkers on both radio and TV/and finally my new "toy" that I purchased at a Gun Show{gotta love those "Gun Show Loopholes", don't your libs?} in March.

A "Wicked" Christmas

The White Christmas was upon West Central Ohio when Mother Nature decided to dump an inch or so of rain on us after Midnight on Christmas morning...and we ended up "Green" for Christmas...a light dusting of snow overnight and this morning firmed things up and got rid of slop on the ground....

My pre Diabetes 2 Diet took a hit over a 48 hour period...I jumped up about 5 pounds, from the food, sweets, and sodium....but yesterday I struck back and lost 3 of those and hopefully it was just a blip on the radar screen....didn't bother checking my Blood Pressure....I know that will take a couple of days to get back to acceptable levels....

All-in-all, things went fine......

Christmas Eve_____

I headed out about 1 pm to drive around the lake, just to get away from all things....and called my old fishing/drinking buddy Nick...he was in Coldwater, but asked that I meet him at his Montezuma house for a holiday cigar....I arrived about 2, and we proceeded to BS, smoke a couple of hand rolled cigars, and put a dent in the untapped bottle of Drambuie in his booze cabinet....I left for home about 5. Hal and his girlfriend Lisa arrived from the Dayton area shortly after I jumped out of the shower, and we all headed for Christmas Eve dinner at sister Marty and her husband Pat Hemmelgarn's place....both families kids were all home, and Mom and Mike made it all of our family except youngest sister Kelly...and why would you leave Naples, Florida, in December to winter vacation in Ohio? Plus Kelly and Denmark Mike have purchased a new home on the waterfront in Naples and are in the process of moving....Mike the Master Chef at a gated community in Naples has his busiest time of the year, making travel pretty much out of the question anyway....but we had a good crew consisting of 16 of us....

We stayed for 4 or 5 hours watched the newest member of the family, Lily, at 9 months old open her presents....and Anissa always opens a few with her Uncle Pat, who she jokingly tells each Christmas.."Pat, You Have No Class".... so he handed it back to her this season.... and she had her day in the sun as well.....we headed home before the rains came. Lisa drove back to Dayton, having to be back for Christmas festivities there, while Hal stayed overnight with us.....

Christmas Morning____

I continued on my 48 hour eating spree, turned on the "Christmas Story" Marathon on WTBS and waited for the rest of the family to arise...Anissa was up, and ready to open presents, as was Hal....

After breakfast we opened our gifts....no large gift exchange this year...with everybody grown we tend to be practical, more or less, except with Anissa...who enjoys the opening the packages, more than her treasures received....

A "Musical" for the parents___

Without a doubt the biggest surprise of the morning was the gift from Sam, Hal, and Anissa...instead of the usual Hockey or Baseball tickets at Fort Wayne...they laid out a small fortune for tickets and dinner in Dayton.

The off Broadway production of "Wicked" the prequel to the "Wizard of Oz" is a hit around the country..and is playing this winter in Dayton at the Performing Arts Center...quite by accident and luck, Hal picked out March 6th as the date for the tickets for us...great seats and dinner at the "Outback" for the evening performance....That weekend happens to be the same weekend we were to be in Dayton anyway for my Vietnam Security Police "Mini-Reunion"...

http://www.wickedthemusical.com/#

PRH at a Broadway Musical??? Who would have thunk it?

Thanks Kids...I know Patricia will enjoy it...heck even I like music, and this should be interesting, to say the least.

Aftermath____

Quickly back on the diet yesterday and today that will continue. Sam and I will head for Dayton this afternoon...he wants to talk to a lady about her Toyota. A 1998 with lots of miles, but a seemingly reasonable price...will take a look at it and test drive...I have my doubts, but 2 of my favorite vehicles were Toyota Pickup Trucks...a 1993 and a 2001...and if I ever buy another new vehicle, it will probably be a that brand....

Plus the trip keeps me away from watching the Bengals, just in case they blow their playoff chances against Kansas City, I'll have a hard time kicking the TV from the car....in case disaster happens to the Cincinnati Kids....I don't want to see it, listening on radio will be hard enough.

Starting tomorrow, I'll take my personal look back at 2009....3 months per day, before heading over to Rick's(now in an apartment until the new house on 17 acres if completed this spring, since they need to be out by week's end to the buyer of the current place)on New Years Day. After 26 years at the same place in the country, has to be a culture shock for Rick and Toni....probably the last thing they want to do is entertain the guys on Bowl Day....we will see.

The look back at 2009 starts tomorrow.....

Photos-"Wicked" Poster...March 6th in Dayton/Grand Lake on Christmas Eve...the rain took care of this snow by Christmas morning/Anissa and her Uncle Pat Hemmelgarn..."They have no Class"/and the boys...Sam(left) and Hal show off their new Hoodies Christmas morning....Ohio State and The Bengals...both teams in need of big wins this week.

Christmas Eve in Vietnam 1969, Nha Trang Air Base, RVN

I got a comment from "Jan" on yesterday's blog about wanting to see a few photos of Patricia's famous Christmas Cookie collection.....

My wife usually makes several thousand cookies of 20 or more varieties for the family, co-workers, and friends....this year however it was cutback on the cookies time....with my battle since Labor Day against the possibility of getting Diabetes 2...she decided to take away much of the temptation of eating my way through them....with the 20 pounds lost thus far and the drop in my Blood Pressure, I am thankful for that...although I am sure the boys and those that usually get their share are disappointed....but sacrifices must be made...at least that's what I'm saying.... She did however, made several hundred of maybe a dozen different kinds, and got them out of the house and delivered before I got my hands on them....a couple of "named" plates remain, and honest, I have stayed away from those....Honest!

So just how is the diet going through the Holidays, you ask?

Well, when we headed to Wisconsin for our "Pre" Thanksgiving with the wife's family I weighted in at 192...a drop of 16 pounds...since then I have been as low as 187 and a bounce back up to 193...right now I'm in the middle of that at 190. Tonight at the family get together and next week at Rick's place for our annual New Year's Bowl fest, will be the 2 test days....I hope to stay at the 190 level or less through that, and then finish off the final 10 pounds before the end of basketball season, and our Vietnam Security Police "Mini-Reunion" at Dayton the first weekend in March. By that time I will know where I stand blood sugar and blood pressure wise...I hope to stay off any Diabetes meds and get off the BP medication{although that really is not a big issue}.....

Christmas at Nha Trang_____40 years ago

By the time Christmas Eve 1969 had arrived at our pristine little base on the South China Sea, called Nha Trang, I had received orders to Tan Son Nhut and Saigon....I had arrived at Nha Trang on a C-130 by myself from TSN 6 months earlier...I would be returning the same way on December 27th. Seems the Air Force was bound and determined to keep me separated from those I served with before.

I had left Dover AFB, Delaware, for combat training at San Antonio with just Walsh and Lippencott. Then it was on to Nha Trang by myself, with a stop over in Saigon....I would head back to Saigon/Tan Son Nhut as the lone cop from Nha Trang...others headed to Phan Rang, Tuy Hoa, Phu Cat, and other places in groups of 2 or 3. I was hoping to stay in Nha Trang...I really liked the place, plus I had secured a place to stay out near the down town and beach area on my days off. It looked like luck would have me staying, but Uncle Sam's Air Force decided to throw me one more(or should I say another, there would be more to come later} curve. I got my orders for Tan Son Nhut and the 377th Security Police Squadron on December 22nd....4 days and a wake up call and I would be out of Nha Trang....so I spent Christmas Eve 1969 packing and working a night shift(I had been on days for the entire first 6 months) driving a patrol Jeep near the Beer and Soda Storage Compound....As far as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Nha Trang....they seem like a blur these 40 years later.

Did I miss home? I'm sure I did...but to tell the truth, I really don't remember much about those 2 days...the days before, the day I got orders for Saigon, New Years Eve working the old B51 Bunker at the edge of Tan Son Nhut's Perimeter? I remember those as clear as it was yesterday...but those 2 days, Christmas and XMas Eve, somehow have escaped my long term memory....but I was there indeed, 40 years ago.

On a Holiday Note: It appears that our "White Christmas" may become a "Wet" Christmas...icy drizzle is being called for this morning, with rain arriving this afternoon and more rain tonight and tomorrow...our 3 inches of snow on the ground may be a muddy, icy, memory by the time nightfall on Christmas Day happens....Regardless:

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL.....

Back Later>>>>

Photos-Me with a cheap beer(a common sight) on the Beach at Nha Trang in 1969/Part of Patricia's limited Cookie output for the season/and Nha Trang Beach as it looks some 40 years after I walked in it's sand.

Christmas Eve Milestones, Obama Poll Numbers In the Crapper...

The day before, the day before....

Tomorrow will be Christmas Eve....always a day of remembrance for the Houseworth Clan....It will be 37 years since dad, Stan Houseworth, died at the age of 55 years old....I was in New York when I got the call from brother Mike....a massive Heart Attack on Christmas Eve evening...a somber flight home from Syracuse to Dayton....and a Christmas hardly remembered, except for the funeral arrangements, the Van Wert funeral home, and the burial on a cold December 27, 1972, at the Scott, Ohio, Cemetery. I was 23, and just out of the Air Force...looking back at the 60 years old I am now....Dad seemed somewhat old, but for sure too young to die of a Heart Attack....all these years later, his death now seems even more premature....but who said life is fair?

Tomorrow evening we will head as a family to sister Marty's place....both families kids will be there, including out of towners, Hal and Mikki, Hal's girlfriend Lisa, and the newest member of the family, Molly and Aaron's 9 month old daughter Lilly.....Mom and Mike as well.....those 2 will head out sometime next week for Florida, where mom will spend the winter with youngest sister Kelly, and her husband Denmark Mike, the Danish Chef.....

Things to do today...finish off a quick Christmas shop for Patricia, take the Intrepid in and have a bearing worked on/or at least looked at...bank, and take some fall yard items from Anissa's rental place....after last night's double header, I need a easy day...

Headed to St. Marys for a Freshman Girls/Boys double header with league and county rival Wapakoneta....the home Roughriders won both ends...taking the foul easy girls game by 10, before the boys took the court. The boys contest was a foul filled frenzy first half, followed by an intense second half that say St. Marys come out on top by 3 over the Redskins....I did call a technical on a Wapak player with about 4 minutes left in the game...my first of the year. The call was simple, he overreacted to a call my partner Steve made....way overreacted...and the "T" was the only call to make....Wapak missed a desperation 3 at the buzzer, and St. Marys came out on top by a 59-56 score....off now for a week, next contest will be a Junior High tournament at Russia(Rue-She), followed by a Girls JV Holiday contest at Shawnee on December 30th.....


Christmas is the time for joy_____


And the latest Obama poll numbers from Rasmussen are certainly great news for Real Americans....the lowest of any first year President since they began polling...gotta love it:


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

Barry is down by 3 touchdowns(-21)...but of course it's late in the 1st quarter{of his presidency}, and I'm sure the Kenyan-and-Thief and his lap dog press corp still have some trick plays to get his numbers back up....stay tuned!

Out and about...will check back later>>>>


Photo-Stan Houseworth {12/10/1917-12/24/1972}-in 1942/and Obummer's falling poll numbers are a Christmas gift for any "Real" Americans....

That Damn Global Warming!

While the eastern US digs out from under 2 feet of snow in some places...like my Vietnam buddy and fellow Air Force Cop from our days in Nha Trang describes on his blog:

http://harrysrantsandraves.blogspot.com/

To the record cold in Europe....where death comes a calling:

http://bigpondnews.com/articles/World/2009/12/22/Big_cold_kills_at_least_80_across_Europe_409339.html

Meanwhile that fat, bloated, useless son of a jackal Al Gore, the Liar and Thief, Barry Soetoro Obama, the Euro Trash Union, and a few Marxist so-called climate experts continue to cry "Wolf"....the only wolves are these bastards and the socialist power hungry money grabbers trying to prove that unprovable science and lie called 'Man Made Global Warming'

Our own small taste of winter____

This morning I jumped into the Jeep and heading out on West Bank Road to take a look at Grand Lake and to check out how the 13,000 acre pond was freezing over.....with the exception of a few "open water" spaces that the Canada Geese were using as their own private swimming pool....the Lake appears to be on the way to a complete freeze over...More Global Warming???

Dartball Results other Sports____

Last night we took on our old South Division rivals from Mount Carmel to end the first half of play in the Wabash Valley Dartball League....used to be when we met, a title or at least half championship was in the balance....not so this time. We came in at 7 wins 11 loses, while they were in control of their own destiny, with a tie for first at 11-7 and the tie breaker over Hopewell St. Johns....we stunk up our home board in the first two games, losing 8-1 and 6-0, while managing only 11 hits, including 3 in the 2nd game shutout....in game 3 we strung a few hits together and pulled out a 4-3 win...I ended the night 5 for 10 with 2 triples and a couple of RBIs...to move to .427 on the season..getting home I find out Hopewell had swept Bethany Church and clinched the first half of the season with a 14-7 record...Schumm won the North First half with the same record. So, despite the first half flop, we did have a say in who won....by eeking out that last game. I end the first half at .427(good for first or second in the league so far, a down year for the league) and 12 RBIs...I remember winning the RBI total one year with 72....and finishing 2nd in batting with a .491 average, those days are gone forever.

Off next week, then the league resumes the final half on January 4th...as we take on Hopewell at home.....

Basketball tonight, I'm at St. Marys for a girls/boys combination double header at the Freshman level...girls first at 5pm, boys to follow...both teams play their rival Wapakoneta...Sam has a girls Junior High double header at Spencerville.....

back later>>>>

Photos-top left/This Morning the light snow as it falls on the PRH abode...Me(left) and my Nha Trang Buddy Harry Bevan in our "Summer of 69" at Nha Trang AB, RVN....Harry retired last year after 35 years as a Philadelphia Cop....a picnic table at the shoreline of frozen Grand Lake on Celina's west bank....and the bike/walking path along the shore with a fresh cover of snow...and finally some Widdy Darts from the Wabash Valley Dartball League.....one half season down, one to go!

A Sweet Update: Obama Approval in the Crapper:

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

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

Looks like Barry got no bounce from his Marxist/Socialist take over attempt of Health Care....choke on it liberals...your boy and his lemmings in Congress are in deep crap come next election cycle{if the clueless, gutless GOP can figure it out, which is pretty doubtful} We are being railroaded by a group of power hungry radicals....

Down goes the Economy!!

Thanks and a Merry Christmas to Obummer and his gutless minions in DC.....assholes!

Our Kenyan-in-Thief have passed the Health Scare Bill in the Senate and now all they need to do is get with our Rubber Faced House Speaker Nanny State Pelosi, and shovel up an agreement to effectively take over 1/6 of the nation's economy...which is on life support at this writing anyway....

Not that Barry cares what the people think....because as of this morning, his poll numbers of folks who strongly disapprove of his work has reached an all-time high...all this in less than 1 year, a full 43% can't stand the SOB, while 26% continue to worship their "progressive" savior...overall his disapproval rate out scores the approval by 53-46%

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

Rasmussen hits the nail on the head...the average folks have finally figured this Marxist out....but I'm afraid it might be too late.

Gather your ammo and food supplies.....you might just need them in short order....Barry and Company are coming after yours_____Hyper-inflation is just a stones throw away. Thanks Suckers(those of you who voted for this assclown).

Dartball Tonight....Basketball tomorrow afternoon...then the Holiday rush is in full throttle....will be checking in on occasion...

back later>>>>

Christmas Week is Here/Winter Brews and other temptations

Like a out of control freight Train, the final 2 weeks of 2009 have arrived....

We got our 2 or 3 inches of snow yesterday, but that is fine...unlike some of the folks out east, who were dumped on with a foot or 2...I was disappointed however, that DC didn't get buried once and for all....we could have only hoped that Obama and every member of Congress and their staffs had been buried alive and out of our misery once and for all....instead the Kenyan's Lap Dog Democrats banned together and stole 1/6 of the Nation's Economy by passing the massive Trillion Dollar plus Health Scare package...."We is Doomed" ...but we really knew that once we put this bastard and his Marxist Allies in office, didn't we? It's time for the good Conservatives of Montana, Nebraska, Louisiana, and Arkansas, to vote out your turn coats who reside in the Senate...2/3rds of your citizens didn't want this bill, and yet your elected Senators threw you under the bus...time for you to do the same to them next election.

The Battle of the Bulge that is Christmas Time____

The time of the year from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day is the time that, on average, folks gain 5 pounds or more...it's just tough trying to stay away from all the food and parties, booze, winter brew, and eggnog.

I was bound and determined to stay off that one way treadmill....

I began my Diabetes 2 Diet on Labor Day...and have dropped 20 or so pounds since that time, and seen an equally good decrease in the Blood Pressure as well...but I knew that I had coming the fishing trip to Michigan, the drive and weekend in Wisconsin, Thanksgiving, the Christmas week, and then top it off at Rick's for our annual New Year's Day Bowl Bash....after dropping from 208 to 187, I figured that this would be the last battleground to get to 180 by winter's end....and up until this weekend I was still winning the battle....

I survived Sam's Ice Cream Birthday cake...nary a drop of that....then Friday came Patricia and my Anniversary dinner out, at a Mexican Restaurant no less....then yesterday I did battle with the Beef Stroganoff...and a half case of Samuel Adams Winter Brews, a selection of of ale and dark beers....ouch! Needless to say, a "slight" setback this was....but after a 2 day off diet binge, I will hit it hard today through Christmas Eve...then the New Year Bowl roundup....I'm hoping to stay in the 187-190 range and then finish off the weight loss through January....

Sam Adams Winter Classics____

I have never been a "Beer Snob" and am not afraid to admit that I like to keep it simple...Miller Lite is my beer of choice during the summer and warm weather. Of late though, thanks to the home Brewer Garry, and my old college roommate Mick in Ashtabula...I have found a liking for winter brews and some heavier stuff{of course this comes with the dangers of more calories and carbs}....Friday afternoon, while shopping at Wally World I came across a selection of brews by Sam Adams....the half case contained 2 bottles each of 6 different beers...including the regular Samuel Adams Boston Larger and my new favorite SA Winter Larger....I have managed to try them all except the little number called Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic...just can't get myself to try a "Cranberry Beer"...the rest were pretty good. I still like the Winter Larger best, but have to admit I also enjoyed the Old Fezziwig Ale and the Holiday Porter....these are not brews you want to get "hammered" on, but the taste with a fine cigar is something to enjoy....

So with that in mind, I grabbed the lawn chair that I had put in the garage for the winter, and donned a wool cap, coat, and gloves, with a good Robusto Cigar, and planted my butt outside and downed a Fezziwig and polished off the cigar in 20 degree weather with darkness approaching....my fingers felt the sting of the cold and snow, but all-in-all the experience was enjoyable.....

The upcoming week____

Sam and I will head to Dayton tomorrow to check out a Toyota that a women has for sale...the vehicle is not that old, but does have 170,000 miles on it...the price($2000) seems worth bargaining with...but we will see after a test drive and look under the hood.

After that, we head home...Sam with double header Junior High basketball contest at St. Marys, and me on to Dartball to finish off the 1st half of the season...as it sit now, as a team we have a chance to know Mount Carmel out of the first half title in the South....with the game at home, we have a shot. As for me, with enough at bats to qualify, I sit at .415 in batting average, good for 2nd place in the league...and honestly that's not that great, but a sign how far the league has fallen over the past decade...I remember finishing at .491 back in the late 1990s, and that was only good for 3rd place. An influx of new players and the aging stars that have dropped down{or died} in batting/dart tossing skills, have put a dent in the quality of play. But we continue to persevere as a league...and we need the new so far unskilled players to keep the Wabash Valley Dartball League going into the future.

I have a double header at St. Marys Tuesday, with a Girls Freshman game followed by a Boys of the same class....then off for a week before tournament games on the 29th and 30th.....

Thursday night we head to sister Marty's place for our family get together, Hal and his girlfriend will be home for that, then Christmas day at our place will be for just us 5....and I'll probably spend the day watching "A Christmas Story" off and on all day....then do a weigh in and hope for the best before New Year's at Rick's place....

Actually Rick's place has been sold, and Rick and Toni will be moving into the new place, currently under construction on their 17 acres, sometime this coming summer....in the meantime they will be moving into an apartment in Auburn....I'm sure this will be a real culture shock for them after living in the country for almost 30 years...but it will be a short bump in the road for them....and they will be back out in the sticks, soon enough.

That's the story for the upcoming remainder of the month/2009...I'll be checking in, and have my Year End Review starting sometime around the 27th or 28th....

Back Later

Photos-The Samuel Adams Winter Classics....buy the 12 pack, most are pretty good...others? Not so much....but worth the chance. Sam's Birthday Cake, Chocolate and Ice Cream...I stayed away from this one. Then left to right...a Sam Adams"Old Fezziwig Ale" with a Robusto smoked outside in the cold and snow...me standing out smoking, drinking, and freezing...and the Yellow Roses I got Patricia for our 33rd Anniversary.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

#33/Oconomowoc, Wisconsin December 18, 1976

After not having a cold or at least a bad one for some 15 years...last winter at the start of basketball officiating season, I came down with a douzy that lasted most of the winter off and on. Looks like I may be back in a similar situation this season. I had a cold, albeit not bad, a couple of weeks ago...after ditching that one, I was ready for the cold free season...not so fast, I've managed to acquire another weak one...but still irritating, none-the-less.

Basketball north last night...a JV Girls game, in which the "squad" had to haul one of the girls off to the ER...didn't look serious, probably a hip pointer, but still causing a delay...can't remember the final score, but the home team got beat by 21-10 or something like that...a real ugly game, with fans and coaches wanting us to call more than we were willing to do...it would have been a long evening, especially with the varsity game to follow.....some nights you just shake your head and move on.

Nothing tonight as far as Basketball, tomorrow a JH Boys game at Waynesfield...one game next week{Tuesday} then off for the Christmas Break, until JH tournament games on the 29th and a JV game on December 30th, before one final break....then a very busy January is in store.

33 Years Ago_______

Patricia Callies and I were married 33 years ago today, on a Saturday afternoon at Martin Luther Church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin....we had a small wedding and small reception at her parents house near Lake Nashoda between Oconomowoc and Deleafield....a 1 night "Honeymoon" at the famous "Pfister Hotel" in Milwaukee, then back home to Celina. We would have a "real" honeymoon the following October to the east coast and down to the shores, both east and west coasts, of Florida. Rick Pearson was my best man, and her sister-in-law Sandy Callies was her maid of honor...Rick actually traveled with us in my buddy Rick Tester's car to Oconomowoc...Pearson and I had been in mine when it got t-boned the week before. We drove back in a snow storm...after the weekend in Wisconsin had been unseasonably warm, with temps in the 50s and 60s.

I first met Patricia when I was 24, just out of the Air Force and working as a "Janitor" at the local schools during the day, and bartending at the infamous Red Door at night....not sure as what I wanted to do with my life...I had returned to Celina that fall of 1973, and no longer wanting to work at the local Huffy Bicycle Plant, I figured to go to college, I just wasn't ready....that would take a couple more years.

Patrica had graduated from a Business College in Milwaukee{Bryant and Statton} and had moved to Celina and was rooming with a college friend of hers, and working at the Celina Insurance Group...she was just 20 at that time. Eventually she would add a BA and MA in Special/Early Childhood Education from Wright State to her Resume, and starting somewhat late in life{mid 30s} she now has over 20 years of teaching under her...er belt.

We were married 3 years to the day after we met...December 18, 1976.....

Lots of water under the bridge, good times, tough times, kids, cars, houses, several moves, several states, and towns along the way....we have survived thus far, as has our marriage...and I have no doubt we will remain together until one of us departs...we get along, and give each other space{especially her giving me space} when we need it. Neither of us are clinging vines, and that's the way we think it should be.

Tonight, after she finishes up a school meeting for something or other, we will go to a small Mexican Restaurant in town, and have a small dinner...keeping it simple and comfortable as usual.

Happy Anniversary Patricia.....

Enjoy the weekend...back later>>>>

Photos from Oconomowoc 12/18/1976

Happy Birthday Sam!/Fallen Bengal/Obama Blackmail

Sam and I headed the 60 mile trek to Bellefontaine to the southeast...He needed to get one more basketball rules meeting in to stay eligible for next season, I went along for the ride and to help the Top of Ohio Association out by signing us both up for it's association. We are already members in Van Wert, but these guys are a good group and being in the Southwest District{Van Wert is in the Northwest}, it gives us more contacts for seasons to come.

We returned around 9pm....and I watched a couple of Bogart movies on TMC. Wednesday in December is Humphrey Bogart month on Turner, and last night featured The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, and Treasure of the Sierra Madre...3 Classics, and 3 of my favorites.

Sam turns 28 today....more on that after a look at news:

Obama The Blackmailer_____

Yep, it appears that our Kenyan-in-Chief is a low down dirty blackmailer....and it has nothing to do with his race, like all things Obama it's about power and politics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5NZ0bEfu80

And Glenn Beck isn't the only one talking about this....it appears these sons a bitches will do anything to get his Marxist/Socialist Agenda rammed down our throats.

Chris Henry Dead_____

Troubled Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry did not make it this time:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4749165

What a waste of talent and a tragic figure....Henry had been given multiple chances by the NFL and the Bengals...26 years old, with 3 young children, the man had it all on his fingers, but like a floating Carson Palmer pass, it appears that he finally dropped the ball for good.

And the update...it is confirmed Chris Henry dead at 26:

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2009/12/bengals-chris-henry-dies-after-falling-from-truck.html

Sad indeed!

--------------------------
Sam Houseworth turns 28______

Samuel William Houseworth was born on this date in 1981...1 day before Patricia and my 5th wedding anniversary.
Sam was the first boy on our side of the Houseworth family since I was born in 1949, some 32 years earlier...mom had 2 daughters and 5 granddaughters before Sam came along. Since that time, only Hal has broken the string of girls in the family...mom has a total of 6 granddaughters, 3 great-granddaughters, plus her youngest children, Marty and Kelly are both girls, then there are Sam and Hal. Men in the Houseworth and extended family are few and far between these days.

I remember that night in December when Patricia went into labor...and heavy snowed was blowing in when I made the 15 mile trek from Coldwater Creek Road south of Celina to the Hospital in St. Marys. Patricia worked at that hospital at the time, and thus her doctor worked there, so we made the long trek rather than the 2 mile route of Coldwater. When Sam came down the chute, with me in the delivery room, I thought to myself..."the drought is over...finally a boy in this clan". Not that there is anything wrong with women...but in this family, the string of females born was bordering on bizarre.

Sam could read and write by the time he was 2...he would spend hours in front of the TV watching game shows and writing down the answers on his small chalk board. The kid was amazing to say the least.

In school Sam was a decent student, but had his share of battles, and his grades suffered due to them. He however did excel in Math, winning many awards in 5th and 6th grade, and taking home state honors in Junior High and the early days of High School. He however never warmed to the High School settings, and once he graduated in 2000, he was fed up with school.

That winter after graduation Sam headed to Daytona Beach where his grandma Houseworth wintered, and took the 6 week $3000 Harry Wendelstadt School of Umpiring course. Sam had been umpiring since his junior high days and umpired youth ball when he didn't have games himself...he seemed to enjoy that more that playing the game. Although not getting a professional assignment upon graduation, he did return home to begin his work on the High School Diamonds....he has been at it ever since, and has added football and basketball as well...I credit him for getting me back into the swing of things, and I re-fired my officiating career in conjunction with Sam back in 2000.

After a year at Wright State Lake Campus, Sam still was not ready for college dropped out...and went to Truck Driving School in Van Wert, where he got his Class A CDL. He joined me in driving RVs back and forth around the US and Canada....over the next 5 years he logged hundreds of thousands of miles. When the bottom dropped out of the RV World Sam decided he was mature enough and ready to head back to college....his major of choice was Actuarial Science, something I had no idea what the Hell it was? Heavy in Math it is, and Sam breezed through the pre-testing at Ohio State University/Lima Campus. He was eligible for grants because of his math skills, and that eased the burden of any paybacks he would have to do....after a successful year at OSU-Lima, where he made the Dean's List each Quarter and play on the OSU Lima Baseball team, Sam headed off to the main Campus at Columbus this fall...getting his Fall Quarter grades yesterday with As in Physics, Accounting, and another small elective, to offset the C in Calculus #3...he finished with a 3.1 dropping his cumulative to 3.6 before entering his Junior Year....

Not Bad at all....plus he continues to officiate all 3 sports and works part time as a cameraman for the Big Ten Network and OSUAthletics.com.....

Happy Birthday Sam, Keep up the Good Work!

Back Later>>>>>

Photos-top left/Sam Houseworth behind the plate in the summer of 2009. The Tragic Chris Henry, Bengals wide receiver, dead at 26. Sam with younger brother Hal at Hal's Wright State Graduation in 2008. And on his collection of cans he collected walking along Coldwater Creek in the mid 80s. At 15 with his Trophies from the Ohio Math Competition...some 1st place and 3rd place hardware in the Statewide Challenge. And finally Sam the entrepreneur in 1993...a successful Lemonade, pop, and candy stand that summer.

Nostalgia 101/William Waldron and Family

Sam and I worked basketball for the first time together this season, last night at Spencerville...a Junior High Boys double header between the host Bearcats and visiting Paulding...with the Panthers coming out on top in both the 7th and 8th grade games. I looked up in the stands as we were walking off at half-time of the first contest and saw my cousin Jim Poling, sitting in the Paulding side. Talked with him for a few minutes...he told me he had just returned from his place in north Florida, and was planning on returning shortly after the Holidays....still riding his Harley, still the old hippy is Jim, a quiet guy who I grew up with and ran around with in 1950s Florida...we see each other these days at Weddings, Funerals, and and occasional basketball game, where he has a rooting interest with Paulding.

No games tonight, but Sam needs to get one more Rules Meeting in, so Ill head with him to Bellfountaine, for one more go around...so he can stay eligible for next season. Tomorrow I'm at Van Wert for a Girls WBL JV game, while Sam heads for St. Marys for a Girls Junior High double header.

Nostalgia_____

After my Aunt Eva passed away in 1998, as the executor of her affairs, I had access to the house in Scott, Ohio{see yesterday's post}...as I have mentioned before, Eva, her old sister Cecil, and Grandma Wilda Houseworth, became pack rats over the last half of the 20th century....they bought at least 2 of every item, and saved everything and anything....When Eva died at the age of 87 after a couple of years in a Van Wert nursing home, I, along with my cousin Linda, who lives in Missouri, were left with the task of sorting, tossing, saving, through the stuff....a large dumpster was needed to dispose of much of the stuff....the antiques and collectibles were sorted out and divided. I eventually sold the old homestead to the aforementioned Jim Poling, he fixed it up and sold it

With a garage and basement full of memories and 'stuff' I went about the task of selling,{on ebay} storing, and looking through the massive amounts of photographs, small items{collectibles, etc} I had inherited....

1950s mechanical toys, trinkets, old glasses, bottle openers, thousands of postcards, sea shells, marbles, and other items, some were put up for sale, others with obvious family interest would remain with me or Linda....Some of the items I sold I regret, but some things just had to go....some were worth much more than I had ever imagined.

William Waldron______

My Great-Great Grandfather, William H. Waldron, was born in January 11, 1861, just before the start of the Civil War, he passed away on June 16, 1950 in Scott...I was 15 months old, so I never really knew the old guy, except from stories passed along. I do know we lived with him for a spell, and after his death, we eventually lived in his house, until moving to Florida in 1954.

The women saved many items of William Waldron, including a collection of Hunting License from the early 20th century....this items were from the 1911 through 1930 era, and the older ones were made of a composit leather type material....it turns out they were very valuable.

I, not knowing just how valuable they were, decided to keep the one in the best shape{from 1915) and sell the rest, including the original "leather" license from 1913....by the time I sold the licenses on ebay, they had brought in over $1500, including $500 for the original 1913 license. It almost knocked me over...I had no idea they were worth that much. I'm thankful I kept the one from 1915.

That is what got me started in 1999 into family history and nostalgic photos....

See my Houseworth Genealogy Blog @:

http://israelhouseworth.blogspot.com/

Everything from Salt and Pepper shakers, to guns, bottle openers, post cards, road maps from the early days of highways, etc....Dad collected large and small antique items...I prefer the smaller stuff, my basement and garage has enough of the family items both large and small to keep me busy for the rest of my days.....

Yesterday's look back at my childhood in Scott, Ohio, got me searching again, and some of the photos on today's post are a result.

Back Later

Photos and descriptions: Top left sitting on my 1900 era desk, which I got from the Houseworth/Waldron homestead are a retro 1940 radio{used for broadcasting XM and nostalgic radio programs and music, along with a 1940s globe from Patrica's dad. And some not so antique items.....A group of Antique Bottle Openers which include from left then top to bottom and right....some almost 100 years old...left opener from the Christ. Diehl Brewing Company of Defiance, Ohio{ Christopher Diehl makers of the long forgotten Centennial Beer}, next an unknow bottle opener with Pipe Tabbaco /Nut Picker, the patton date is 1912. Top to bottom in the next row are a "Drink Wooden Shoe Beer" operner, Old Dutch Beer opener from the Krantz Brewing Company of Findlay, Ohio, followed by a ? from a Cigar Company...the only part I can make out are _____ sh Cigar Co. It's not an opener...but since Granddad Waldron smoked a pipe, I figure it was a Pipe Tapper, used to "tap down" pipe tobacco and tap the end of cigars after they had been clipped...but that is just a guess, maybe I will do some research into that one. The one on the bottom use to have a label of some sort, not that old, Patricia have had this one since our early days of marriage, so it's probably from the early or mid 1970s. Finally the one on the right is from The Bavarian Brewing Company, Covington(south of the river across from Cincinnati), Kentucky, "Bavarians Old Style Beer".

Great Granddad Waldron's 1915 Ohio Hunting License in frame with a photo of him and dad{Stan Houseworth} taken in 1924....Then William Waldron(1861-1950) near the end of his life, and finally an "Airline" Radio from the 1940s...this radio still works{but makes one Hell of a Buzzing sound} and it sat upstairs of Grandma Houseworth's place for as long as I can remember....I doubt if it ever left that west bedroom until I brought it home in 1998.

Links to some of the Brewery Information on the old openers:

Christ. Diehl Brewery:

http://www.ohiobreweriana.com/library/holdings/diehl.shtml

Wooden Shoe Beer of Minster, Ohio:

http://rustycans.com/COM/month1207.html

Old Dutch Beer/Krantz Brewing Corporation

http://www.taverntrove.com/Breweries/Krantz-Brewing-Corporation-Findlay-830.asp

Bavarian Brewing-Old Style Beer, Covington, Kentucky

http://kybeercans.com/4.html