Ormond Beach

My blogging buddy Cookie:

http://thecookshack.blogspot.com/

asked in my previous post's comment section, why I had not posted any "snow" photos from my days stationed and living in the Mohawk Valley(Griffiss AFB and Rome, New York), up in his neck of the woods? Simple answer...didn't take many photos, too busy raising Hell in my off time, and when I moved back in 1973, I left some behind....I did send him a couple of snow bound 1970-71 winter shots of the barracks at "The Griff", and my Charger buried...he posted them on his blog. Thanks for the plug Cookie, hopefully I returned the favor. Cookie does a lot of good work for returning war veterans in the Syracuse area, drop by and give him a look...a humorous and insightful blog.

I also sent him one along, of my type of favorite winter weather....a photo taken off the balcony of my mom's Ormond Beach, Florida, condo, back in the 1990s...he posted that as well. I've posted it too...it's a full moon night shot looking east out over the Atlantic, with the lights of the Ormond-by-the-Sea condos making a great shot...and least Mushy thought so:

http://mushysmoochings.blogspot.com/

And a fellow Air Force Sky Cop wouldn't lie....now would he?

My ties to Ormond Beach are strictly the fact that mom wintered there from 1990 thru 2005...she had started going there with our cousin Marty, and continued up until a couple of years ago(she now winters with youngest sister in sunny Naples). Mom's childhood friend Jean and her husband Jim lived there full time, and mom made many a good friend during that time, many she still has contact with....Marty, Jean and Jimmy have passed away. Mom and others that winter there are still going strong.

I would visit at least a couple times a year, driving her down, flying back to Ohio, and reverse that order come spring, also in the later years I would drop by when delivering a RV to the east coast of Florida....Sam went to umpire school in the area in 2001, and had a taste as well. My horse training buddy, Tom, lives there in the winter, training trotters and pacers, we would hook up on occasion and have a night bar hopping in Daytona. All-in-all it was a good place to spend a few days away from Ohio winters.

The condo structure mom stayed at is located right on the Atlantic, the last condos north of Daytona to be so situated...everything north of Ormond towards Flagler Beach and northward, are set back off highway A1A.

I always tried to get some sunrise photos(Gulf side sunsets, Atlantic sunrises)...some are shown here, but the "moon shot" off the balcony is a good as I've done.

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photos-The sun rising on January 1, 2001/Full Moon evening in April 1994/another sunrise, this one in April 2005...not always sunny in Ormond or Florida as the last two photos taken on a gray January day in 2003 show....rough seas for the Atlantic swimmers, and nobody was sitting pool side on this cloudy cold winter day, and few beach walkers either.

Me, through the Decades

Approaching 60(next March), I sometimes tend to slice my life up in sections, what I was doing, and when...sometimes you can mark it down to certain decades, other times no way that can happen, things and situations change, even many times during a short decade.

I was born in Van Wert, Ohio toward the end of the 1940s, March 16, 1949, to be exact, a few hours short of St Patrick's Day....Being of Irish decent on mom's side(and to a lesser extent on dad's), even those 5 hours being short of St. Paddy, I was named Patrick...guess it went well with my brother Mike...thus mom and dad's two oldest would be named Pat and Mike, kind of like the old Irish movie, starring Spencer Tracy and Kate Hepburn, although that didn't come out until 1952, and Hepburn was a female "Pat", damn my luck!

Anyway, you can look at your life in decades all you want, if you had a father like me, one with the wanderlust, you cannot pin point a decade in itself, without many changes in that short 10 year period....just take a look at the songs on my music playlist.....different types, even from the same decades.

In the 50s, the family lived in Ohio, Delaware, and Florida...the 60s, we lived in Florida, Ohio, and I headed off to the Air Force, and was in Delaware and Vietnam for more that a cup of tea in time. The 1970s, even after leaving the AF, I still moved around...living in upstate New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Kansas. Finally in 1980(leaving Dodge City that summer), Patricia, and I settled down, this time back in Ohio....I still had the urge to move on at times, but I guess either too much sense or not enough money, stopped or saved me, from making any dramatic moves, and thus, Celina, Ohio, has been my home for the past 28 years...The moving was interesting, if not always fun. We may end up making another one, before we are pushing up daises, you never know, and never say never.

I have included a few photos, one of the first year of each new decade I have been on this earth....many are blurry photos, not quality ones, because that's the way you look back at life, sometimes it can indeed be a fast moving blur.

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My Condolences to Denver, Colorado.....the stench coming from your mile high city will be awful for the next 5 days...the collection of anti-American trash gathering in that city for the Democratic National Convention is something I wouldn't wish on anybody this side of Paris.....good luck with the cleanup.

Pee-yew!

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Photos-one of me, beginning each new decade of my life.

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Top to Bottom:

2000 family mug shot, 1960 sitting on the family Chrysler Wagon in our Venice, Florida driveway, 1950 in Scott, Ohio, shading my eyes from the sun. 1990, standing on the Atlantic Beach at Ormond-by-the-sea, Florida in front of the now gone Ormond Beach Pier. April 1970 on my R&R from Vietnam, standing in the water at Waikiki Beach....and finally Christmas of 1980, sitting in mom's living room, holding one of Anissa's Christmas dolls, "Annie", and drinking a glass of wine or some other crap. I must have been half in the bag, otherwise I wouldn't have held the doll or drank the nose bubble stuff.

Politics and Religion

Politics and Religion

are 2 things we are always advised to stay away from when in conversation. I mention the former on occasion on this blog, the latter seldom. Least there be any doubt, I'm a pretty far to the right/independent person of the Christian, but not the "turn the other cheek" religion. So on the few times I bring up religion or the few more I bring up politics, let their be no doubt where I stand....I make no apology for either...If I piss someone off because of one or both, whether friend or foe, that's just the way it is. Just so there is no doubt....I stopped backing down in this life many years ago, and I sure the Hell won't go back to those days again.

Enough of that clearing of the air.

The boat races, The Governors Cup Regatta, continues on Grand Lake, despite the hot and very humid late August weather....we had a brief 25 minute hard shower Friday afternoon, but not a drop since. The games both Friday night and yesterday morning were hot, and humid affairs. The Celina luck against Lima Senior, all bad, continued for the 4th straight year...Lima wins 14-10 thanks to a 86 yard punt return and Celina running out of gas, failing to score from the LS 8 yard line, with a first and goal and under a minute to play....I officiated the Freshman game between the same 2 teams on Saturday morning, Lima jumped out to a 20-0 lead and hold on despite 2 late Celina touchdowns for a 20-16 win. Tomorrow I'm at Crestview for a Freshman game, Sam is at Spencerville for the same level..

We attended the wedding of 2 of Hal's friends yesterday, he was one of the usher's and after they closed down the reception, and the downtown bars, we awoke to find Hal and 4 of his friends, sleeping on the hardwood floors downstairs this morning. They finally got up around noon....they had rolled in about 3AM....Hal sans his car, apartment, and house keys(stolen from his unlocked car at the church parking lot), returns to Fairborn tonight....leaving your keys in the console of a unlocked car these days, even in a town like Celina....not something you want to do. I'm amazed the car wasn't stolen and taken for a joy ride....he has another set of car keys, but will need to make major replacements, of the rest.....live and learn!

Patricia and I made a short stay at the reception, but left early, and let the younger set have their fun.....getting old sucks, don't let anybody tell you different.

That's the weekend in a nutshell.....

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Final Summer Fling on Grand Lake

Some 30,000 boat race enthusiasts are heading for Celina this weekend(at least according to the local rag) for the final summer fling on Grand Lake. The Governors Cup Regatta is slated to start this afternoon on our West Bank area. This has been going on for many years, it used to around Lake Festival time, but in recent years has been pushed back to the end of summer. The photos posted here are ones I got last year, soon after I started this blog. Not sure how much of the crowds I want to fight this time around.....30,000? My question is, where the Hell are they going to stay? I know we don't have that kind of motel space in this area...so I'm guessing plenty of RVs will be around.

Soon after I posted my little spot this morning, the Music Playlist came back up...I am going through the songs now, will edit the site a little and come up with 100 complete songs that, as I said yesterday, will hit about everybody except the rappers, with some quality old songs.

Back is stiff, I'm sure football is part, if not all, of it...but stiff and wrecked are totally different things, and so far, I can hold out....finished my scrimmage season yesterday at St. Henry...tomorrow morning the first regular season game, Celina hosting Lima Senior in a Freshman contest, the same two varsity squads go at it tonight here as well(the JV teams play tomorrow at Lima).

After the game, I come home, shower, have a beer, then Patricia and I will head over the IC Church for a 3PM wedding of friends of Hal's. He's a groomsman in the ceremony, then the reception will be at 5PM at the local Celina American Legion....will go for a while, but unlike my niece's wedding in June, we will not close this one down...a meal and a couple of hours will be plenty.

Will probably return to the blog on Sunday, have a great weekend.

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photos-2007 Governor's Cup Regatta photos at Grand Lake, Celina, Ohio.

Well That Didn't Take Long!

Wake up this morning and see the Music Playlist site is down.....lol! Must of not been able to handle the collection I added.

Not to fret, I'm sure it will be back up, if not, back to the drawing board.

Time for my morning walk...

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Something New.....

Got in a 4 mile walk this morning, met and old friend Neal who was walking the lakeshore as well, so we put in an about 90 minutes before he headed to pick up a vehicle, and I jumped in the Jeep and headed home. Checked into a few regular blogs, some new visitors, and scanned the brain(what's left of it) for something to write about.

Not much came up, but as I was looking at a new visitor's blog, I noticed they had a Music Playlist on their site....not a bad idea I sez to myself...so I set about placing about 85 songs(leaving space for 15 more that I know I will remember and want to add later), of various artists and decades. Something for all, unless you are into Rap or Headbanger stuff....'No Soup for You".

Click away if you choose, it's up top on the left hand side and can be navigated easily...best part, it be free, and only take's an hour or two, unless you want to listen to all your selections in full.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank David, The Aussie Photo Guy, for naming my post from earlier this week "The Reluctant Sky Cop" as one of his Co-Posts of the day....Dave has a great blog and something, including great photography for all:

Here is David's Blog Site:

http://david-mcmahon.blogspot.com/

Thanks Dave!

Final Scrimmage games this afternoon, I'm at the wife's school, St. Henry, with a 7th/8th grade double scrimmage....The Varsity Season begins Friday, I will be at Celina Stadium on Saturday morning, Celina vs Lima Senior in a JV contest...then on to a wedding at 3PM...Hal is a groomsman at a friend's wedding here in Celina....so, guess I better write a check and get a card for that one.

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>enjoy the music, remember to scroll down(click right side) to find a song you might like....otherwise "Desperado" always leads things off.

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photos-Some of the Music Makers on the My Music Space....Creedence, Skynyrd, and Seger.

Time Flies or so it seems

The start of the regular high school football season begins this Friday night. I have my final scrimmage to officiate at the Jr High level at St. Henry tomorrow, then begin with a Freshman game at Celina on Saturday morning, versus Lima Senior.

The old axiom is the older you get, the faster time flies. The beginning of this year's football season is proof that is the case. Back in the late summer of 1990, some 17 years after I had first began coaching little league baseball, the Celina Recreation Department boss, the late Jim Hoess, approached me about coaching Soccer. Soccer at that time was the up and coming sport...I knew nothing about it, but I agreed to help, if I could put the older son, Sam, and the younger, Hal, on the same team. Hal was a grade too young to play at this level, but he was bigger than most kids his age, so Jim agreed, and I had my first Soccer coaching assignment, The Bobcats.

The Bobcats as it turned out, were not a very good team, or at least I wasn't a very good coach. We had some good young athletes, and played some close games, tying 4 and finally breaking through in the tournament with a couple of wins, and finishing 3rd in the 8 team league. Over the next 5 years or so my teams got better, and we as coaches and teams traveled and won more than our share of tournament golds. That first year was special, despite our losing ways. The kids never gave up...Sam went on to play soccer for about 6 years, Hal for another 4, before he choose football, wrestling, and baseball. Sam played football for a year, then baseball in for 3 years in High School, Hal competed for a couple of years in football and did all 4 years in baseball....never stars, but they enjoyed the games....soccer however, a sport I knew nothing about, is where they began.

One of the kids on this team, and a couple of my baseball squads, was named Jared Rolfes...Jared was a pretty good player, his dad coached with me in soccer and baseball down the road. Jared ended up as a football player with Celina back in the late 90s and early 2000s, finishing as a wide receiver and had a good playing career. Last fall Celina's coach, Jerry Harris, after 3 years on his second stint at Celina, retired for good, and the Bulldogs were in need of a new head coach. One of those to apply was a young 24 year old with 1 year experience as an assistant coach at an Aurora, Illinois, high school....that young guy was Jared Rolfes.

It turns out after numerous interviews, Jared was chosen as the new head coach. Seems hard to believe, at 24(now 25), this young man who I coached 15 to 17 years ago, was chosen to lead the Celina program...as they say, it seems like only yesterday.

1990 to us older folks does seem like just a short time ago, I'm sure to those my sons and Jared's ages, it seems like a very long time ago indeed. I wish him luck, he will need that and patience. The Bulldog teams which were a power house in the late 60s, early 80s, and again in the mid 1990s, have fallen on hard times. Hopefully the powers in charge will give this young man the time he needs to turn the program back around. Division 2 in Ohio is the second largest division, and comprised mostly of teams from large cities or mid sized towns with one high school, like Celina. It's big time football, in a football crazy state and region, it will be interesting to see how the Bulldogs respond to a coach, not much older than they are.

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photos-The Bobcat's 1990 at the top, Me(left) and Stan Laux the coaches, Sam is 2nd from left on the top row of players, Jarod Rolfes, Celina's new varsity football coach is in the first(floor) row, 2nd from left, Hal is next to him, in the middle of row #1/ and a crop photo of Jared Rolfes, Head Coach Celina Bulldogs.

Scrimmage Musings

I have been involved for many years in youth sports. Well over 50 in baseball(softball) as a player, coach, broadcaster, and umpire, not so many in the others, although I have coached soccer and football, played the latter, and played intramural and playground basketball....I have also broadcast basketball and football, and of course now officiate the latter.

One thing I had known, but it set like quick drying concrete last night, was the fact, as good as I think I am as a baseball umpire, in football, I have a long, long, way to go.

Baseball, weather you do a 2, 3, or 4 man crew(have never done the latter), you work as a team, but in reality, you, for the most part are responsible for yourself...in football, not so much. Baseball, although you do have some freak rules that on occasion come into play, most things, strikes, plays at bases, catches, outs, safe, etc, are black and white. On the Gridiron, things are pretty different, and judgement is much more subjective.

Beginning my 4th year of football, even though in my late 50s(60 next March)...after last night's scrimmage at Spencerville, I realize, I need to study the rule and case book harder.....just the way I am, I don't want, even in my own eyes, to be a half-assed official. I won't stand for it on the baseball diamond, there is no reason I should on the football field.

The above was just a personal rant, directed at nobody, but myself.

Otherwise, how are things? Well Patricia started classes today, school is open for most area kids. Hal has begun his student teaching at Fairborn, part of his 9 months of Grad School at Wright State. If all goes well, he'll have his Masters in High School History Education come next June...hopefully he can, if he chooses, begin his High School teaching and possibly coaching career full time next fall.

Sam has another month before classes begin at Ohio State-Lima, and is still trying to make RV runs, however, those runs are getting few and far between, as the RV Business continues to slump....he is in the process of getting his football officiating license, and basketball as well. Between the 3 major sports, you can earn a good part time living.

Enough for Today!

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The Reluctant Sky Cop

40 years ago this week, I finished up Air Force Basic Training at Amarillo AFB, Texas. In the weeks leading up to "graduation", we recruits were all given "Dream Sheets", a list of what career field we would like to pursue while serving our country. I can't remember what I picked, but it wasn't the Air Force Security Police(nee Air Police) field....

I can still remember to this day a letter I had received from older brother Mike. He was stationed in Thailand nearing the end of this Air Force days as a Fire Protection Specialist. I had written him, telling him that I had decided not to join the Navy with several of my buddies, and Ed Bonifus and I had instead taken the AF route. Although I don't have the letter, I can still remember what it said.

"I wouldn't give a dime for any of the goddamn military service(he had joined the Air Force at 17 right out of High School), but if you must go in(no number system back then, you went or dodged), the Air Force is the way to go. However, stay the Hell out of the General Field, you'll end up a Cook, Cop, Grass Cutter, or some other of a number of assorted Dip Shits"

Ah yes, Mike was always and still is, right to the point. I had scored well in 3 of the 4 tested categories, Mechanical was the exception, the very one brother had done well in. Fire Protection was part of the Mechanical field. For me, it came down to Math or General, the problem was, all the mathematical stuff required you to attend a long school session(say radar or Control and Warning), usually about a year in length....well Hell, if I had wanted to go to school, I would have headed off to college, the old man(a WW2 Army Air Force guy himself) had offered to help fund my way...but college was not in my plans, at least not for a few more years, either was being a draft dodger....So here I was, looking down the barrel of the General Field.

The orders came a few days before Basic ended....they put us in a room and handed out our assignments, I grabbed my papers and read:

Houseworth, Patrick R.

81110 Security Police Sentry

6 Weeks Training

Lackland AFB, Texas

Here I was, one of the other "assorted dip shits" as Mike had called the career choices. Well I guess it was better than being a Cook, Grass Cutter, or worse yet, stuck in Supply. SSgt Joe Prokop, my main TI and a SP when not a Technical Instructor, looked at me and says, "Houseworth, welcome to the Air Police, or I guess we call it Security Police these days, chances are you will be walking a dog around the perimeter of Tan Son Nhut in about a year, you may see me there" Now what are the odds? I would indeed make it to TSN outside of Saigon, about 18 months later, transferring down from Nha Trang, and in fact did get to see Joe Prokop, who was working B Flight Security....I went to C Flight(overnights), but did not choose to be a dog handler.

I had no desire then, before, or after my Air Force days to be a cop. I did pass my Civil Service test when I got out and was offered jobs, two times, in Dayton and Cincinnati, to be a Postal Security Officer, working at the post office locations in those cities. The benefits and money were pretty good, but, no way was I interested. I served my 4 years, and some how managed to get out with an honorable discharge, with the stipulation that I not re-enlist(that's another story). I sure the Hell wasn't going to be spit and polish in my civilian life.

Most of my 4 years were spent on the Security side of being an SP, the only exception was my 6 months at Nha Trang, where I pulled day shift Law Enforcement duty. Those 6 months were my favorite, and probably why I remember those guys I served with even though it was for just a short time. Bevan, Thompson, Claflin, Sloan, Payan, Nieomoka, my NCOIC Phil Lange, and a dozen or so more I can remember these 40 years later, like it was yesterday.

As I have explained before, I did not like the Air Force, didn't like many of the supervisors I served under, however, time moves on, I have hooked up with some of those I was stationed with in Vietnam, and enjoy renewing old times with many of those guys. I have also met some new friends along the way in our association, The Vietnam Security Police Association:

http://vspa.com/

Many of those guys went on to become cops in the civilian world, and I respect them for that....however, It was not my choice. The disciplined 'yes sir' world of the Military was not for me, neither then or now. That does not mean I don't have the highest regard for those I served with, and those that volunteer to serve today. However, I have the utmost dislike of those that chose to dodge the draft, or those like John 'Hanoi' Kerry, Chuck Hagle, Jim Webb, or John Murtha, that spit on the very ones they served with. They are in my mind, the lowest of the lowlife. The only "salute" I would give one of them, is that infamous "middle finger" kind.

Football scrimmage at Spencerville this afternoon, feels like summer out again after a few early fall-like days.

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photo-September 1968/Cop School Mug Shot taken in downtown San Antonio

Sunflower Sunday

Not much to write about this Sunday morning...watched Phelps win his 8th Gold last night, in-between I checked in on Fox to watch the so-called debate between Juan McCain and Half Breed Harry....Obama clinched not getting my vote, not that he had a snow balls chance in Hell of getting it anyway...But his pathetic responses to the "Evil" and "Abortion" questions clinched it....what a gutless punk he is. Meanwhile McCain played to the audience....not very impressive, but at least he was humorous.

That's it for now....our "Evening Sun" Sunflowers are starting to peek out....the different color schemes are starting to come out...enjoy!

back later

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Leather, Football, Sun Flowers, and Phone Calls

Patricia and I headed down to Fairborn(home of Wright-Patterson AFB, Wright State University, and Hal's home for another year, while doing his graduate work and student teaching at Fairborn High School). We took Hal out to lunch at the local Chili's, and got a look at his new apartment and the "tip" he got from Dallas Star's NHL Hockey player SZ(initials only used for obvious reasons). The player, a 13 year veteran is planning on playing at least one more year in the NHL, but the Russian has a house in New York and was moving much of his stuff back there. Hal got the job of moving his stuff from Dallas to NY....it turns out SZ, had some items he chose not to move into his New York house and instead of a cash tip, he gave Hal and his co-driver some furniture as a "tip" instead of cash. They were given a china cabinet, a marble topped table, some bed room furniture, desk, chest of drawers, and a custom made leather couch and twin chairs to match...Hal and Garrett spit the goods and decided to sell some other stuff....but with moving into his new apartment, Hal chose to keep the custom made leather living room stuff.....and it is indeed nice....now that's a tip!

We got home at 2:30, after leaving the Dayton area, and as I walked in the door, my cell phone rang, and none other than blog and another Air Force/Vietnam Sky Cop, and blog buddy "Mushy" was calling:

http://mushysmoochings.blogspot.com/

Had a nice conversation with him and Jeff, the FHB:

http://fathairybastard.blogspot.com/

Jeff and Denise had stopped by Ohio last week, then finished up their vacation with a couple of days with Mushy and his Mrs....Mushy has the details on his blog, and I'm sure Jeff will have more when he gets home next week.

Patricia and I had purchased some Sun Flower seeds earlier this spring, and she planted them in the back yard....we got the multi-colored Evening Sun variety, which are quite different than the Giant Sun Flowers or your regular Yellow Sun Flowers....these come in multiple colors. We have not had a lot of luck, the ones that did bloom, the tree rats(aka Squirrels) hung over the fence and picked clean....this morning the first one that was far enough from the wood fence bloomed....and as you can see, is quite different from your everyday Sun Flower.

Last night I started off my late summer/fall football campaign officiating a double header with 7th and 8th graders...tonight I did the Freshman scrimmage and so far(knock wood), my back is holding out....the legs and ankles are getting used to it though....off this weekend, but back at it at Spencerville on Monday.

Have a great weekend....

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Photos-The Evening Sun style Sun Flower, and Hal's leather digs from his moving of the Dallas Star hockey player.