Looking back at the Weekend

Despite not officiating a basketball game Friday Night for the first time in almost 2 months, the weekend none-the-less was pretty busy.

Friday______Rasberry at Club 211

As I wrote Friday, somehow I managed to pull a muscle or some such in my left shoulder area at Thursday's game in Lima....the rest Friday might have helped, but between Nick and my walk downtown and getting home about 2am, then 3 games on Saturday, the muscle didn't stop hurting, and this morning I've still got a crick in it.

Nick drove over Friday evening and we decided to walk the 10 or so blocks to the old Coffee Shop/Red Door building, now called Club 211 and The Fuze....site of the Old Red Door which I managed back in the mid 1970s, and which now days host the Red Door Reunions during April. Ron Rasberry a Western Ohio musical legend was performing his classic Rock and Roll...so being about 9 months since I had seen him perform we would walk up, have a beer or 2 then walk home....being the older, wiser ones, we don't touch alcohol and get behind the wheel these days....sometimes with age, does come a bit of wisdom. Sometimes!!

I took the camera and decided to grab a few photos if I got the chance...the temperatures were cold, but no wind, and the skies had cleared, so the 20 minute walk was enjoyable...we arrived about 9:30 grabbed a seat and beer, just in time to see Razz come on the small stage and begin. We spent the next 3 1/2 hours meeting some old friends and BSing. Nick's youngest daughter Krista came in the door, and I'm sure she was surprised to see her old man...and said as much.

With 3 games to do on Saturday, the first at 11am, we headed back to my place just after 1am...with the kids gone, Nick stayed at our place, but opted to sleep on one of the recliners....Patricia got us up about 8:30 and I got ready for 3 games of Basketball in the next 10 hours.

Saturday Basketball___

Despite the late night and sore shoulder/neck etc...I made my way north to Convoy for a Junior High Tournament double header. 2 pretty close games with the first one ending in a controversy. Technical fouls, Intentional fouls, and what else is new? Once done with that I headed south to the small town of 20 people called Schumm, where JD and I were to meet with a couple of fellow Dartballers, and pick up the "travel" Dartball Board for the beginning of Sunday's Tournament....now that sucker is big and heavy....lucky for Gep and me, JD and Gep Jr, are younger....so we let them do the heavy lifting into JD's truck and I headed the half hour drive back to Celina.

Time for a quick shower once home, and back on the road to Allen East for the contest with rival Waynesfield-Goshen....Dan the Man and I did the JV game, showered(me for the 3rd time that day, no wonder my damn old skin is dry), then watched a bit of the Varsity contest, before heading the 50 miles home....a long day came to and end....I hit the sack early.

Sunday Dartball____

The Wabash Valley Dartball League Tournament kicked off Sunday at 1pm at St. Johns Lutheran....with us being the host team Sam made it home from Ohio State to help out with getting the area ready. JD fixed the food, and we were ready to go. Sad to say, our team, at least playing wise, wasn't. Mendon knocked us off in 2 straight games, 2-0 and 3-0. I was no help...despite a .441 batting average for the year, good enough for a virtual tie for the batting championship(second place by percentage points)...I got skunked...0 for 6....and after being shut out only 1 time in 42 games during the regular season, we doubled that total in about an hour. We were done....but JD and I will stick around for tonight's Division Playoffs, Next Sunday's Tournament Finals, the All start Game on March 8th(JD and I are on the All Star Team so we will be doing double duty,as hosts and players). Then we will wrap things up on March 15th with the season ending banquet, and put the darts and boards away until next October.

Last night I sat on my butt nursed the shoulder watched the USA defeat Team Canada 5-3 in a major Olympic Hockey upset, no doubt some teeth gnashing north of the border this morning. Caught a few minutes of the Duke Blue Devils knocking off Va Tech...and hit the sack again....it was a long, but fast moving and good weekend.

This week I finish up basketball officiating for the season with JV games at Lima Perry on Wednesday and St. Marys on Friday. Then it's time to concentrate on baseball....this coming Saturday, Garry and I head to Dayton for a all day session with Major League Umpire Tim Timmons and others from the college and minor league ranks. I'm not sure how much an old dog like me can learn or improve, but for $50 with lunch included, what the Hell? It can't hurt.

back later>>>>

Photos-Ron Rasberry(L) and company performed the usual great stuff at Club 211 on Friday Night. Nick and youngest daughter pose for the young vs the old at the Club, I'm sure she was surprised to see her Old Man there. Dartball Sunday ends our tournament run, but work still to be done. And MLB Umpire Tim Timmons will instruct a class on Saturday at Dayton....I'll see if this old dog(me) can learn any new tricks.

More Snow and The Weekend That Was

Another round of Snow is in the forecast for today and tonight....although it appears that most of the "white death" will go south of Mercer County, and the amounts closer to a foot will fall in the southern Miami Valley and down towards Cincinnati....Hal will get his share in the Dayton area it appears, looks like Sam and Columbus will get 6 to 10 inches, we may get 3 or 4 inches. Even that's more that I want to see...especially with no snow melt from the previous storms. Despite the onslaught of Al Gore and Barry's Global Warming Hoax, February, thus far has not seen a day above freezing in West Central Ohio, and it is doubtful(looking at the forecast) that we will see anything above 32 degrees Fahrenheit anytime before March.

Dartball and Basketball Wind Down____

After the basketball fiasco that was Thursday evening, things got back to "normal" over the weekend. Friday evening I did a Freshman/JV double header, then Saturday I followed that up with a afternoon Girls JV game drove another 25 miles east and north and officiated a Boys JV game in the evening....yesterday I gave my legs and back a well needed rest.

Dartball tonight, then tomorrow, back with my Thursday partner for a JH Boys Basketball game...and I am guessing a more fan friendly atmosphere, than the last game we worked....can't be much worse that the post game extravaganza we had Thursday...can it?

Tonight, if we don't get snowed out, will be the final regular season Dartball games...the League Tournament and Playoffs begin next weekend, the All Star Game is March 8th, and we finish the season with the Banquet on March 15th...all of these events take place at our church.

On the basketball front, I have to admit, I'm glad the season is winding down, this week and next are it for me...unlike baseball, where I have tournament assignments and Summer games, basketball and football, once the regular season is complete, so are my seasons. And, especially with basketball, I am glad of it....Baseball, is and always will be, my favorite sport, whether playing, coaching, or umpiring, Football is 2nd and basketball comes in 3rd, although it is the best workout, physically, of the 3. I'm guessing 2, maybe 3, more seasons of Basketball before I hang up that whistle...Football and Baseball I will continue, as long as I'm healthy and fit enough to do them.

Speaking of fit enough, I am continuing to drop the weight at a slow and steady pace, down to 187 over the weekend, meaning just 7 pounds to go. My goal was to hit 180, from last Summer's high of 214, before this baseball season...it looks like I'm on target to get that accomplished. The Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar are staying near normal levels as well.

Vietnam Reunion is Set____

Our 2nd annual Dayton/Wright Patterson Vietnam Mini Reunion is less than 3 weeks away, and I and those guys helping me, Wayne and Bob, have pretty much got things in order for March 5th to 7th at the Air Force Museum....now we just need to get Mother Nature to cooperate...last year, we got together and froze on the last weekend of January, I pushed it back to the first weekend in March this time around, hopeful that we would get somewhat better weather in early March, I'm still hopeful. Hopeful that this mid winter deep freeze we are having, will give way to a nice little warmup with some sunshine come March 6th, the day long Museum get-together. Time is on our side....keeping the fingers crossed.

Patricia has not had school in a week...last Monday they got classes in, then were snowed out Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday....President's day weekend, took care of Friday and today...back to school tomorrow, unless the snow is more than predicted.....?

Regardless, the long winter continues, and to tell the truth, I am pretty damn bored{as my recent blog entries no doubt attest}...Spring and Baseball will be welcome, despite the ups and downs of April and May weather in the Buckeye State.

back later>>>>

Photos-Thanks to Rick Adams, we finally have a complete list of those in last years Mini Reunion Photo...a good tool when we match it up with this year's group.(last year we had about a half dozen that attended that were not in the photo, hopefully we will get all in the group shot this time around). Dartball winds down, and I am looking forward to baseball season, sick of winter, and frankly, tired of basketball season.

The Groundhog's Shadow/My New Bong

It appears that Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow, meaning in folk lore that we will see 6 more weeks of winter:




http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/28987/view/28987/

Of course Groundhogs do differ, even on this Groundhog's Day...I suspect that Buckeye Chuck may have not seen his....as we awoke, at least here in Western Ohio, to a light, but steady, snow...making the roads and walks rather slippery...at least that's what Patricia told me, calling on her way to St. Henry. An inch is expected, just a minor nuisance, unless you are traveling the untreated roadways....St. Henry is also where I'll be late this afternoon as I resume basketball, this time with a girls Junior High doubleheader...post Bronchitis.

Despite the battle with Bronchitis, I managed to make the 5 mile trip north of Celina to Mount Tabor Church last night for Dartball....I might as well stayed home. Playing the team with the worst record in the league, we managed a meager 2 runs the entire night, losing 2-1 in 15 innings, 1-0, and 2-1, as they scored with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th. In the first game we actually took a 1-0 in the 13th, as I lead off with a single(one of my measly 2 hits on the night), and was driven home by JD's triple. Tabor tied it with 2 outs and then beat us in the 15th. We have lost 9 in a row...as for me, leading the league with a .443 batting average going into last night, I went 2 for 11 with no RBIs, seeing my average drop to .419, with 2 weeks to go in the regular season.

Season's First Cardinal____

This morning as I headed out to feed the birds and squirrels, I looked in the trees and noticed the first male Cardinal that I had seen in the back yard this winter....after I dropped today's ration of seeds, he made his way down to the feeder, afraid that it was short lived however, as the pack of sparrows who rule the back yard made their way, along with the half dozen squirrels who live in the various trees lining the back yard, to do battle....not sure if Mr Cardinal got his fill before the rest of the scavengers took control of ground and feeders. I'm sure as we approach spring, the Cardinals, Robins, and the rest will make themselves more visible....a sure sign that spring is approaching...and it cannot come soon enough.

My New Bong!

For those growing up in the 60s and 70s I'm pretty sure what comes to mind when you say "A BONG"....one of those things they filled with water, added some "smoke" to the bowl, lit it, and went off into hippy dippy munchy land....

Well I had not seen a Bong in quite some time....until Sunday. After the visit to the ER in Coldwater, where I discovered that I had come down with Bronchitis for the first time in my life(at least that it was ever diagnosed), we headed to Wally World and it's Pharmacy. Our regular place was closed, it being a Sunday. In addition to the Antibiotics and Inhaler, a little contraption called a Valved Holding Chamber/AeroChamber Plus, was in the bag, extra cost included of course. Holding Chamber? Nope, just a damn expensive Bong! Albeit a small one, used to disperse the "goods" from the inhaler...Hey, I'm 60 years old, I know a damn Bong when I see one.

I used it 3 times on Sunday, and once again last night before heading to dartball....but despite the lingering effects from the Bronchitis, I don't feel the need to use it or the inhaler at this time, my oxygen intake is pretty well back to normal....Maybe I'll "Have another Hit" before heading to the games tonight, just to make sure my weakened lungs can handle the up and down the court...but that will be about it for me and Mr Bong.

back later>>>>

Photos-Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow in western Pennsylvania, the groundhogs in western Ohio did not...a small snow event was passing through as daylight broke...regardless, you can pretty much bet that we will have 6 more weeks and more of winter. A long range photo of our first backyard Cardinal of the season....and am I having a flashback to 1970? I believe that's a bong on my bookshelf!!

The Weekend That Was

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

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

Obama's poll numbers continue to tank____

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

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

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

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

Sports____

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

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

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

The Weekend Past_____

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

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

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

The "Short" Week ahead___and the empty nest

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

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

back later>>>>

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

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.
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The week ahead___

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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.

The Weekend Outlook/Skoshi Tigers and other thoughts

Another 6 hours on the ladder yesterday and all but completed the west side of the house...a little more scrapping today, and some trim work will finish that up. Meanwhile Patricia is into her final push to do her summer house cleaning, canning, and will also do some more window trimming later today. Just 3 more weeks and she will be back at school. This week we are going to a Fort Wayne "Tin Caps" game in that Indiana city...The Tin Caps, formerly known as the "Wizards" are the San Diego Class A farm team, who moved into their brand new stadium downtown early this season. Later in August, we will go with Anissa and a group of the men{handicapped adults} from Mercer Residential Services to see the slumping Cincinnati Reds.

Tonight and this weekend Sam and I will be doing our final baseball games of the season...Celina is hosting The Dale Harter Memorial Little League Tournament. Now I admit I don't do LL games, have not done this age group(12 and 13) since 2001. It's a change from High School and American Legion baseball to say the least. 7 or 8 games over the next 3 days should be interesting...hopefully my legs and back will hold out. Football scrimmage season begins 2 weeks from tomorrow...not a big break, but will keep me focused, and busy.

Vietnam-Those that came before us____

As I go through my 40th Anniversary from my days in Vietnam, I try to give my experiences...let me be perfectly clear. I was a Air Force Cop, nothing more, nothing less, no War Hero, no Purple Heart, no Broze Star, just one of the players in that ill conceived conflict. Although Security Police in Vietnam had one of the more dangerous jobs in that conflict. I never felt in any real danger, except one time during a lightning storm while I was at Tan Son Nhut. Lightning bolts were hitting the perimeter wire, while I was sitting in a 25 foot metal tower, with just a lighting rod...a story for later, but I felt in danger, not from the VC or NVA, but from Mother Nature.

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By the time I arrived in Nha Trang in the Summer of 69, most SPs had barracks, at least 2 hot meals a day, a laundry, women(mamasans) that cleaned our clothes, bed sheets, and the barracks...compared to the ground pounders and grunts, we had it made. The Security Police that got it all started in 1964 though 1966 didn't have such "Luxury". For the most part their jobs were more dangerous, the slept in tents, had outhouses and out showers, we had hot running water, and hot showers.

My blogging buddy Mushy was one of the early Security Police at Da Nang:

http://mushysmoochings.blogspot.com/

So was Joe Pizzimenti and his flight the "Skoshi Tigers".

The Tigers were assigned to the 4503 TFS, and ran security escorts out of Bein Hoa and Da Nang back in 65 and 66. 23 Air Force Security Cops, trained by Army Infantry, who did the grunt like work of the early Security Police, long before we came into country, in much better circumstances. Although about 200 Sky Cops were lost in Vietnam, some in combat, and others not, the Skoshi Tigers did not lose a single man, despite being engaged with the VC, killing several and capturing more.

My salute to these early Security Police of the Vietnam War.

The Weekend____

A large batch of rain passed just south and east of us last night, another batch north...we remained dry, and the weekend looks to be warming up as it goes along, with little chance of rain. To nobodies surprise, this month was the coolest July in west central Ohio, since 1984...Global Warming indeed!

Photos-On the top we have Joe Pizzimenti's Skoshi Tiger patch from his days (1965-66) in Vietnam...below we have a before and after photos of the front of the house, with messed up Ivy, and then after Patricia completed the Red Trim....and another Sunflower pops out. The small ones(Evening Shade and Citrus) are slowly coming out, my mammoth Sunflower Stalks have reached as high as 14 feet, and the large Sunflowers are just starting to form, I expect head sized and bigger flowers in the next 10 days, and photos will follow.

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back later>>>>

Saturday Morning Sunflower Check

Woke up just before 7 this morning, needless to say the A/C has been turned off. "Thank you Fake Global Warming"...the clouds are blocking out any blue sky and the temperature is but 59. Fall like it is, and the high is slated for just 69 today, July 18th....the warmest day on average in this part of the world is July 21st, and here we sit, probably not seeing 70 degrees for a high...not bad at all. And it appears that the Air Conditioner can stay off for a few more days.

I got up fixed the coffee, let Reagan, the aging Airedale out, and let Patricia stay in bed for another hour or so....Anissa was already up, being the early riser she is. Sam is in Michigan for softball, and will return tomorrow. Speaking of which, we picked up a couple more American Legion games at Lima this coming week. The Lima Legion won the district defeating Van Wert, and need to play a couple of warm up games before heading to the Regional at Athens...my old college stomping grounds. So Monday and Wednesday I'll be umpiring, Sam will join me Monday, but on Wednesday he will be putting on the uniform of the OSU Lima summer team for the final time...they are short on players and will be playing the Legion team...Should be interesting, me behind the plate, maybe I can ring the oldest son out for one final time...no conflict, the game is basically "practice" and we are talking practice...and I have no problem with that, or calling Sam "out" if I'm behind the plate.

I actually put the blue jeans back on this morning...usually in July and August you won't see me out of my Khaki shorts, but it's cool enough for jeans. I walked out and snapped the above photo of me next to a few of my Mammoth Sunflower plants...these are about 7 foot, what you can't see are the ones on the other side of the fence...in total about 30 that will/should produce large sunflowers to bag up with enough seeds for next year and plenty for storing in the food supply area of the basement. Some on the other side are 8 and 9 feet tall, the other side of the yard has the smaller, more colorful, Summer Shade and Citrus varieties.

Friday, looking back____

Decided not to paint yesterday{or today with the chance of rain} but will probably get back at it tomorrow...seems I have a muscle acting up in my shoulders, not a surprise since the painting, mostly from the leaning ladder, is taking it's toll on my 60 year old body. So I jumped in the topless Jeep and headed south to Montezuma, and met up with Nick. Nick's pontoon is acting up, and he has been testing and getting the engine worked on before our annual "Bar Stool Open" on Grand Lake...this year's event is August 8th. We will have 2 teams on the boat, and Hal will join me and Nick, and one of Hal's roommates, Woost on one team, and the Mister Shop crew will join us....will probably have a couple of alternates as well, making 10 of us on the 22 foot flat boat.

Anyway, Nick and I headed to St Marys so he could co-sign for a car for his 23 year old daughter Megan, then back to the back acres of his place. We downed a couple and fired up a couple of cigars...headed for the Shingle Shack, where we met up with some old friends, and discussed our time in Vietnam and traded war stories for a couple hours...downed way too many, finally working our way back to Nick's place where we fixed Chicken Fingers, a couple of 7 bean salads, and fired up a couple more smokes. Knowing I was in no condition to drive the Jeep, I called Patricia, and her and Anissa drove the 5 miles and taxied my butt home...I will pick up the Jeep sometime today, after we "test" mattresses at the American Shoppe in Celina.

Anyhow, that is the plan...tomorrow, probably back to painting, if it stays dry.

back later>>>>

Wrapping up the Weekend...40 Years Ago Today

Spent the weekend, mostly at Convoy Crestview, umpiring with Sam, the Sectional Junior ACME Tournament{akin to High School Junior Varsity Baseball}. The heat and humidity Saturday was oppressive to say the least, our double header started at 11am and it was already hot by that time...Saturday night a front went through, we got no rain, but did pick up a strong west wind that stayed with us through out the games on Sunday, making the conditions much more bearable.

Now, check the forecast out on the top of this post....June 30th..69 degrees with Showers, July 1st 67 with a possible shower...when was the last time July was ushered in with a high in the 60s in Western Ohio?....I can't remember one, it will be a refreshing change, albeit a short one, from the past week of heat and humidity.

JackO and the Media____Especially Fox News

As one of my readers mentioned in her comments on Friday's Blog....What the Hell was Fox News doing covering Michael Freaking Jackson 24/7 after he assumed room temperature? The House of Representatives were passing{with 8 Republicans help} a massive Cap and Trade Bill, that if OKed by the Senate and His Majesty Obama, will send our Utility and Tax rates through the roofs...not that they are not already high beyond belief. Meanwhile the folks in Iran were being slaughtered by their Government while our Asshole-in-Chief Obama, was having a freaking Tiki Pork Roast at the White House, and Fox was covering Michael Freaking Jackson's death.....

Nice going Fox...NOT! I'm a Fox News fan, I can tell you though, with the country going to Hell in a hand basket, why are they covering wall-to wall Michael Freaking Jackson? I have no ideal what CNN, MSNBC, and the rest of the Liberal Obama lap dogs were covering, because frankly, they are so biased, they are not worth viewing....But Fox, the channel of most thinking Americans, drops the ball and covers Jackson's death the entire weekend.

40 years ago___

June 29, 1969, I was our drinking a few beers with Bob and Jerry Jones, and some other friends of mine...one last Hell raising night before my Vietnam send off....my memory may be a little cloudy, because the 29th was a Sunday, but I do know that last weekend saw plenty of suds downed. I knew what was coming(a Summer Trip to Vietnam), I just didn't know what was coming...I know that's pretty redundant, at least in reverse...but in short, I knew I was heading for Vietnam, but I really wasn't sure what to expect or exactly what I would be doing there.

So June 29th, 40 years ago was my last day before heading across the "pond"....June 30, 1969, was my sendoff day....tomorrow on this blog I will be posting my thoughts on that year as they happened. At least once or twice a week I will take a look at what I was doing 40 years ago. I didn't keep a Diary, but I did take a few photos{many of which I lost} and did plenty of reel-to-reel tapes....I will unlock what I can remember, starting tomorrow, and look back on that year, for the next year, on this blog.

Common Sense by Glenn Beck____

I purchased the audio version of the book last week at Wally World...I went back on Friday to get Patricia the written version of it, both audio and written, were completely sold out. Beck has another best seller on his hand. I spent my baseball runs to Lima and Convoy on Friday and the weekend listening to the book....Beck gets it right about 80% IMO. I guess my failure to give him a higher percentage of agreement is minor. Beck says a new Revolution in America in necessary, but that it must be done without violence, it has to be done by winning hearts and minds. I don't believe that it can be done....the American Media, and Education System is so far embedded with Socialists, Marxists, and Progressives, that we will never be able to change enough minds or take back our children and grandchildren from those that are ruining this once great Republic. It will take a real 1775 Revolution to take the country back...am I calling for one? Hell, I'm not that dumb...the Obamanation wants folks like me, and probably you, to call for an overthrow of them so they have a reason to come after us....I'm not going to call for that.

Beck gets most of it right, and the book, selling like Hot Cakes, is worth buying, sharing, and most of all, reading.

Tomorrow my look at my year in Vietnam begins....

Back Later>>>>

Photos-End of June, start of July, in the 60s??? I'll believe that when it happens. (2) Bob Jones and me, on the night of June 24, 1968...the night before I left for Amarillo Air Force Base in Texas for Basic Training...one year later both Bob and I would be in or getting ready to head for Vietnam, him on a boat in the South China Sea, me playing Air Force Cop at Nha Trang on the South China Sea. Note my skinny 130 pound self and the great outfit of the era, geeze, was I ever that little and able to fit into those size 30 waist, tight assed pants?....(3) My Audio copy of Glenn Beck's "Common Sense"...the books is selling 8 times it's nearest competitor in the first week.

The Long Weekend

Starting Friday afternoon at Delphos I began what would be 7 games umpired in less that 72 hours...Saturday was the busiest, 4 games. I left Celina at 8am for a American Legion Tournament double header at Columbus Grove, the south site of the Annual Ottawa Run American Legion get together which began at 10 in the morning...finishing up there about 3pm, I headed back home, where Sam and I would do the final 2 games of the Celina ACME Invitational at Montgomery Field,...I would finish up at 10 that evening, making for a long 14+ hour day from the time I hit the road, until I cracked open a beer as I headed to the basement shower. That would be the longest stretch of the weekend, which ended yesterday with a Semi-Final double header in the Consolation B Bracket. I pretty much vegetated after getting home, watched some College World Series action, and the remastered version of "Lonesome Dove" on AMC.

The rain danced around the area all weekend, but none or very little hit the ball diamonds, so no delays in the action. It was actually pretty pleasant and coolish for most of the weekend in the area. Back at it tonight at Delphos St. Johns...then will head to Dayton to meet up with Hal, Patricia, and Anissa. Hal will pick them up at the airport, then we will meet somewhere inbetween....since I will be late, this saves the women from sitting in the airport for a long stretch while I'm in limbo at the game.

Sunflowers and Mersman Debris_____

I chronicled the demise of the old Mersman Table Factory and buildings on this blog back in 2007-08. The 100+ year old structures has housed the Mersman Table works for many years, and sat across the street from our house...in 2007 the new owners, looking for something profitable to do with the land began the job of dismantling the buildings brick by brick. What was left last Spring(2008) was a pile of bricks, brick dust/dirt and concrete, across the street and east of our place...not a pretty site. The plans were to take the material and dump much of it into Grand Lake for rip-rap and wave breaks....that final process finally began a couple of weeks ago. Here are some photos of before, after, and the process of putting the debris in the lake.

The 100+ year old(built in 1905) Mersman Table Factory across the street from our place as it comes down....what was left after it was leveled, and the debris finally being laid as a wave break on the west end of Grand Lake this morning.

Sunflowers 2009_____

Last growing season we decided to add some colorful Sunflowers to our garden area...using the Evening Sun Mix we came up with a few nice flowers by summers end....this year I have decided to take the Sunflowers one step further...adding the Orange colored Citrus Sunflowers as well as the Mammoth Sunflowers to the mix. In the first couple of weeks several dozen plants have sprouted, and the large mammoth ones are going great guns near the fence and old kennel area. Hopefully by mid summer I will have a bunch of Flowers and with the large ones, plenty of seeds to bag.

Time to do a little pre-emptive house cleaning....them head to Delphos, and on towards Dayton this evening....

back later>>>>

Sunflower Photos__top, an evening shade Sunflower from our garden last year....then several of the 2 foot tall(at 3 weeks from planting date) Mammoth Sunflower plants...so far about 2 dozen of these and another 18-20 of the Evening Shade and Citrus Sunflower plants have broken the surface....hopefully the Mammoths will look something like the bottom photo by summers end.

Thoughts for a Monday

Not much rain over the weekend, despite what the Weather Channel folks said...60% chance today...so will see what shakes out. Game scheduled for tonight at Celina with Sam...if the storms miss us.

Monday___Monday___

Not really much to talk about this afternoon...so will post a few "Right Wing" images....guess you could say I resemble these remarks____

And then you have the Jack Booted Obama Nation at the bottom....a more diverse collection of scum and trash has never this nation seen.

back later>>>>

Random Weekend Ramblings

I finished up my Spring Baseball season with a Regional Game on Friday afternoon....Toledo Christian defeated Hopewell-Loudon 5-1, but then went on to lose the Finals to host Patrick Henry by a 8-4 count yesterday. I took the opportunity to stay at my old horse training buddy Tom's place in Deshler, Ohio, about 2 miles from the High School. We had a good meal, a few or more beers, and I had a chance to visit the horse farm/stables where a dozen or so Trotters and Paces live. A most relaxing place for sure. I headed the 75 miles south after that, got home while Patricia had already started the limb and branch clean-up of the yard. I helped out a little with that brush pile, then hauled out the Chain Saw and proceeded to do a George Washington on one of the Evergreen Trees, an 8 footer that had been affected by an Ice Storm last winter....with the dirty deed done, the result was the pile of limbs, trees, and vines, you see in the photo on the upper left....The City of Celina does brush pick-up on the first Monday of the month in our neighborhood, and hopefully they will get rid of that pile, so we can start on another one for July First.

Blogging Buttheads____

Like the rest of the real world, the world of Bloggers has it's fair share of a-holes and folks that leave you scratching your head....one guy, who I will leave nameless(except for a passing shot at him via first name) as not to give him anymore readers, I had put on my Right Wing-Best of Politics group. The guy was a little hard core, and seemed semi-racist(whatever the Hell that might be?), but I agreed with much of his postings on the political scene. Sure he was a southern fried separatist, but usually an interesting if not complex read. He is always looking for self gratification it seems...he would e-mail asking for comments on his blog(in fairness I have sent out notifications of certain postings of mine, but seldom seek comments, I let those happen if and when the readers wishes). He asks, "Don't e-mail a response, make a comment on the blog so we can comment and all can see".

Well yesterday he was ranting about a store clerk shooting at and eventually killing one of 2 robbers(a jewelry store in Oklahoma I think)...Seems the clerk after shooting one of the crooks, went back and got another gun and plugged the guy laying there 5 more times....the Blooger, albeit it a fan of Guns and the Second Amendment, called it murder, and said the guy should be prosecuted(which he is being for first degree murder)...I disagreed, while not condoning the store clerk's actions, I did not call what he did murder either....well this set off a firestorm on the Blooger site...he managed to erase all I had written(except my original post) thus giving him free rein to bash me and my opinion without leaving my thoughts on the matter on his site(except the original one)...he finally made the grand gesture of "Banning" me for life....so much for this guy's value of other's opinions. So Fred, here is one final "fickle middle finger of fate" award to you....I've got news for you. You are Nuts! You might want to see that shrink before you lose it all together...before long I expect you to be posting "Obama 2012 for Messiah" posts on your blog. That's how far gone you are. You are no Conservative, you are a pathetic excuse of a "Cyber Bully"...and that crap doesn't make it with folks like me.

As the old saying goes, "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but not all of us all of the time" . And Fred, the only fool appears to be you.

The Week Ahead_____

I actually have 2 days between spring and summer baseball...even with the State Tournament games ahead this week, locally Coldwater makes their 16th appearance in the State Tournament on Thursday, no rest for the weary. I am back at it Monday afternoon at Crestview for a double header....June is stocked full of games, between ACME and American Legion ball.....I won't be around much...this is the busy month, and I'm really not sure if I'm up to it...but will give it a go!

Back Later>>>>

Enjoy what's left of the weekend.

Post #500 and the Lost Weekend

I've just about reached the end of my rope with Google and Blogger. As luck would have it, my 500th post, this very post, ends up being a bitch session(or it could be) about the half assed/piss poor way Google and Blogger work, or better yet, don't work. But first things first.

The Lost Weekend_______

Nick decided to go with me to the Regional Final at Elida on Saturday, we would meet up with Clint, and after the Coldwater vs Marion Local Championship game we would head north to Mesick, Michigan, to meet up with Rick and Sons for our annual Mushroom Hunt for Morels. After Coldwater defeated it's county and league rivals 9-0 to secure the Division 3 District crown...I got dressed met up with Nick, looked around for Clint, no Clint...so checked my phone calls...Rick had called and let us know that the National Forest south of Mesick(where they have camped for years) was totally infested with "inch" worms...if you have ever seen this mess, you know you can't camp, walk, or do anything without being covered with poop, slime, and paste from these things...they had cancelled and were moving north about an hour towards Boyne City and Boyne Falls in hopes of finding a better spot. Phone coverage was spotty and I left him a message.

Rick had apparently gotten with Clint and Clint decided not to take the trip because of the problems with worms and the extra miles....I was beat from the game, and the extra hour(making a after Midnight arrival a probable happening) we decided to kill the trip ourselves and headed home to Celina....a major disappointment considering we plan this thing out a year in advance. But home it was...Hal had arrived with his girlfriend Lisa just before I headed to the game, and they were still there when we returned....got a chance for a little talk, a meal, and I parked my butt outside when they left. The rest of the night was Miller Lite, a couple of Cigars, and lamenting if I made the right decision not to go.

Talked with Rick on Sunday, they had found a good spot, and had collected over 100 Morels....so it seems next year, a new spot might have been found...if my mind and body hold out, I will give it a go....depending on baseball tournaments and weather factors. This year was a disappointment to say the least.

Spring Baseball Winding Down_____

With the Coldwater victory over their league rivals, The Flyers from Marion Local...I am down to one very big baseball game for the spring. That one will take place this Thursday(weather permitting, Friday rain date), when our crew that did the District at Elida, move on to Patrick Henry High School and do the opening game of the Division 4 Regional between Hopewell Loudon and Toledo Christian...don't know a lot about the Toledo school, but did do the Sectional at H-L with Sam, although the host school was not in the games we did there. Hopewell stands at 23-3 on the year. The game begins at 2pm, while up there I will hook up with my old buddy Tom, who now trains horses in the Deshler area(just down the road from PH High School)...and will probably have a beer or two after the game with him...may end up crashing at his place, and coming home in the morning. Will see how I feel and what plans Patricia may have. She is now done with classes at school, but does have some in service things to do before her and Anissa fly to Wisconsin around the 10th of June.

Summer baseball, American Legion and ACME, begin June 1st for area teams...that will keep me and Sam busy through June and July before taking another break before Football season begins.....In the meantime..........

Housing "Projects"____

Patricia noticed some edges on our main roof were looking a little ragged....so today the Amish Builders who fixed our porch roof a couple of years ago, came over to check it out....we could patch or we could take out the decades old slate shingles on the main roof and replace them....will wait for the estimates, but I gotta believe a few thousand dollars are going to be required to make these repairs. One good set of shingles should take care of the entire main section for the rest of my life I'm guessing...although I hate to see the slate shingles go...they, while not pretty, last forever. It's not the slate, it the 86 year old wood beneath them.

Meanwhile I've got the ladders out, the paint cans ready, and will begin painting the sides, edges, and trims, over the next month....I have about 4 gallons of the basic green I use on the house, will get mixed and buy another 5 gallon can. A gallon or 2 beige for the trim, and another gallon of red for the small trim should do the trick. I also have some Ivy to take out, and a couple of evergreen trees to take down....between that and baseball, my summer until August vacation is pretty well spoken for.

So that is it for Post #500...This blog began in late July 2007...how long it will go, and how often I post will depend on a couple factors.

(1) What the Hell is up with Blogger and Google, I do not have the patience or time to waste waiting on them.

(2) How tired, sore, or bored I am working on the housing projects, and from 90 degree baseball games and double headers.

(3) If I feel what I am posting is worthwhile.

Tomorrow, I will add some photos of the work needed done at the homestead.

Back Later>>>>

photos-The Flowers are going great guns around the fenced back yard....Ol' wait...Blogger is working halfassed as of 8:15am Wednesday....so the flower photos go up. By "halfassed" I mean it allowed the 3 photos shown to update, but not the rest I had planned....go figure?

UPDATE[All-in-All Blogger is still really a mess, at least from this feed, others not having problems, but many are...I also see quite a few Blogs have been deleted by Blogger, back up plans are ready and waiting]

A Look at the Weekend past and the Coming Week Ahead

Yesterday I took the opportunity to post a rare Sunday writing about our Pro Late Term Abortion/Anti Torture Prez and his visit to Notre Dame. Only a far left assclown would support murder at the moment of birth, but be against waterboarding sonsabitches, who worship a pedophile.

But I deleted it...not because of what it said, but how I said it...As much as I have little use for Notre Dame and most liberal universities, whether private or public...my slam probably clouded the lines between true Catholics and the likes of the "fake" Catholics and Christians that follow/worship "the one".

Anyway, Obama got his speech in, 40 patriots, fighting for the rights of the unborn, were arrested, and the world moved on. You need to take a look no further than the "mug shot"{above top left} of our illegal Kenyan born President than to know what a swami assed punk he really is. Looking all the while like he thinks.."Here I am America, I am your savior, more popular than Jesus Christ, I am". What an arrogant asshole this Chicago street trash is. But arrogance doesn't make one cool or smart, and this guy is neither.

The Weekend_____

Friday night I worked a 4 man umpire crew at Elida...first time in my career. They work 4 man crews at the state tournament level, but seldom any other time. Saturday I headed to Spencerville and did a late season NWC game...as we finished the bottom of the 7th, in a Columbus Grove 9-0 win over the host team, the skies opened up and another round of rain hit us hard. But we got the game in, and the weekend continued dry after the 1 hour downpour. Sunday I basically sat around the back yard, planted some Mammoth Sunflower Seeds, and didn't do a Hell of a lot else. I guess I could call it "resting up" for the busy week ahead.

The Week Ahead____

The final week of regular season games(most make-ups) is this week, as well as the District Tournaments around the state.

Tonight I'm at Antwerp for a double header of the JV variety. Don't do many weekday double headers, but this one is designed to give the younger players some final innings before summer ball begins. Antwerp is about 50 miles north, tomorrow I go 5 miles north of there for a final GMC match up with host Hicksville and Fairview, one of the powers out of the Green Meadows...I think a Fairview win clinches outright first place(although they may have already clinched it)....promises to be a intense game. Sam and I will be doing this one together...last season there were some "issues" in a late game at Fairview High School as they readied for the District Tournament. Hopefully this one will go smoother, but sometimes egos and views about interpretations vary, so you never know. Fairview is poised to make another run in the D3 Tournament, but they won't have to meet Coldwater(who knocked them out last year) this season until the Regional, if both teams survive.

My(and Sam's) final regular season game is south at Houston(pronounced How-ston) against Shelby County foe Fort Loramie. That will be Wednesday at 4:30.

The District 3 Elida Tournament begins Thursday with the semi finals beginning at 2PM...off Friday, then the Championship game is Saturday at 2 O'clock. As soon as that one is over, Nick, Clint, and I jump in the car and head north to Mesick, Michigan, to hook up with Rick and the boys for our annual Mesick Mushroom hunt....at this point the weather is looking pretty good. They are calling for highs in the 60s with not a lot of rain...time of course will tell. We will finish up sometime Monday and head home.

My high school season will end Thursday the 28th with a Regional Semi Final at Patrick Henry..then the summer ACME and American Legion season beckons the first of June...no rest for the weary.


The Weather____

It appears that things will stay dry until late in the weekend here in West Ohio....and warm up a bit(80s for midweek). The truth be known, it could stay dry for a month and a half, and we would still be wet for the year....we can only hope it dries out for awhile.

I'm off to drop Anissa off at her day time habitat....back later


















Today's Photos--Top Left-Our Own Kenyan Born Illegal Prez smirking like the arrogant ass he is, while getting "honored" by Notre Damn lackies. (2) Rick, Clint, and me, from last years Mesick Morel Mushroom Hunt (3) This years Mesick "logo"(4), (5), (6)...there will be at least 2 of the 3 consumed in large quanities, this coming weekend in Mesick. Good Cigars, Morel Mushrooms, and Beer, I'm betting on the first and last.