Hyphenated Names

I read in the Wall Street Journal that hyphenated names are falling out of favor. This was a disappointment to me because I had looked forward to some interesting permutations.

For example, when the offspring of a hyphen grew up and married, and adopted a hyphen in their name, the government would have to start redesigning all their forms to accommodate the larger surnames. And the names themselves could get interesting, especially after several generations. Doe-Smith-Kosolavsky-Ivanovich-etcetera

Then think about the bride that wanted to make a statement, looking for a mate that had a surname that helped her express her feelings. Maybe her last name is "Im-Lotta" and she wanted to add "crap." No telling where that would end. (Anybody know someone whose name is "Inna"?

Revealed

A little known side of George Washington.

Can our Sons Peel a Banana?

I was sitting in my office at the computer and Hazel called out do you want a banana? I replied yes and she brought me one, partly peeled. She laughed and said once a mother, always a mother.

That raises deep concern about our grown sons. They are men now but I have to wonder if they learned how to peel their own bananas? Are mothers the reason men are viewed by women as often inept in their personal lives?

Aki and Pam, do you have to peel bananas for your husbands? Laura, is Chris similarly afflicted?

New Orleans Again...and Again

I'm back from New Orleans and trying to compile my impressions and information into some type of reasonably coherent and accurate portrayal of the city today. It is impossible to fully communicate something like this but on the other hand, I hope I haven't done a disservice.

I believe this time I have seen the city as it is likely to be for many years to come. Last April, stores had banners proclaiming their return to business - "Now Open," "Back in Business,"...but not all. Now, the signs are gone, it is business as usual. Those that were going to reopen have, and still there are empty storefronts. Some services such as dry cleaners are scarce or non-existent in areas.

This seems to reflect the state of the city over all. Figures vary but somewhere around 25-35% of residents have not returned, and are not likely to. The gap of their departure will no doubt be slowly filled over the years but it will take time. This means there will be occupied homes in blocks next to large groups of abandoned homes. The city has made gestures toward leveling abandoned homes but I have to wonder if they will follow through on the scale needed other then to allow developers to take over targeted neighborhoods.

The political corruption, special interest, and sheer ineptness seriously impede return to normalcy. There have been 186,000 applications for Road Home Funds. These funds are designed to assist homeowners in rebuilding, relocating - or still trying to decide. Only 20,000 have received assistance. Many were rejected to do paperwork filing problems - yes, assistance was available but people didn't know that they didn't know how to complete the applications. Maybe the new governor of Lousiana can improve things - many are hopeful.

Recent demographics, based on school enrollment, show that the largest number of residents to leave the city are those in the mid 30's to mid 40's. Older residents have returned and New Orleans is becoming an "in" place for young adults. Perhaps they will provide the necessary impetus to transform the city but there are serious blocks to purchasing a home there. First is the general state of the home buying industry and second is the very high insurance rates. This in the face of significant infra structure problems.

The problems are enormous, even without the corruption and self-interest. Crime is serious. Even though we stayed in a "good" neighborhood, we were cautioned not to walk alone. Often, gas stations close at 6 PM due to risk of robbery. Homes being newly built are scavenged for tools and copper. Air conditioning units are not being installed until the owner is occupying the home because thieves steal the motors for the copper wire - seriously damaging the system in the process. Never the less, we didn't really feel at risk.

So why did I go to rebuild and why do I plan to go again? Some reasons are difficult to express here. It is easy to say why build when there is the risk of another hurricane destroying the city? I think the best answer I can give is because it is their home. New Orleans has a very rich historical heritage that provides its citizens a unusual sense of community, a unique culture and savoir faire. Some residents trace back their New Orleans roots for generations and centuries.

I mentioned that many of the remaining citizens are older. Those were the folks we were helping during our trip. They had lived their entire lives in New Orleans. If they left, they would never be able to afford a home. With the help of Road Home Funds and the generosity of The New Orleans Episcopal Diocese, they could rebuild what they have, often I suspect a little better then before the hurricane.

We were rushing to complete one home so the couple could move out of their FEMA trailer before he died from stage four cancer, his wife would at least have a home. The other home belonged to a retired school teacher struggling with depression. She had lost a home 26 years ago due to flooding, this home was sitting on higher ground but still had a foot of water inside. Enough to require demolition and rebuild. New Orleans has been and still is there home.

The Episcopal program under which we worked is not associated with any government programs. The folks I described above received money from the church for the electrical/plumbing work on the understanding they would repay those funds once they received Road Home money. Last spring, when the diocese prepared their budget, they didn't anticipate having to pay for the electrical and plumbing (at least temporarily) and only allocated money toward the work volunteers do such as, drywall, flooring, hanging doors, windows, painting, etc. This budget was $6000 per house. Thus the funds were depleted faster then planned and fewer homes are being rebuilt right now. Some people have received their Road Home money and have repaid the Diocese, one owner felt so grateful that he wanted to pay much more then had been spent and had to be dissuaded (these are NOT wealthy people.)

One fear the Diocese has is that they will not get volunteers because people think they do not have the skills needed to rebuild. We met some very fine young adults (interns) - recently graduated from college that have volunteered months of time out of their careers. They came not knowing how to tile or any of the other skills, but quickly learned and can quickly train others. I saw a volunteer working that used a cane to get around and a woman in her 80's keeping the job site clean and organized. The volunteers were able to use them and I was surprised at how much they could contribute.

So why did I go and why will I return? Because these are simply people in need and I can help. It really has nothing to do with politics, New Orleans, or anything else.

New Orleans Again

We arrived earlier this afternoon for another work week in New Orleans. Early impression is that the city continues to return to normal...sort of. So far I haven't seen the multitude of "We Are Open" signs as seen in April. That's a good sign, business has progressed from announcing they are back in operation to the routine assumption that people now know they are back.

We met briefly with the rector here at Carrolton House. She told us that crime is serious, even in this "better" part of town, we need to avoid walking alone and should avoid leaving our cell phones, laptops, etc., in plain view in our rooms. Even though we are in a church facility, there is no guarantee of security. That is as I expected.

The other rather shocking news is that the churches are meeting this coming week to discuss the homeless problem. Rents have tripled and, most residents rented their accommodations. That has resulted in a large contingent of working homeless that simply cannot afford a place to live. Further, only recently did a homeless shelter open downtown, men only. There is no place for women or children.

To end on a good note, the weather is gorgeous, lows at night in the upper 50's or low 60's, highs in the mid to upper 70's in the daytime. A good time to come.

Today's Fire Call

I am a member of the local fire department as a volunteer fire police. Most times we assist emergency vehicles in reaching the scene - sometimes the ambulance personnel or outside fire responders, for example, do not know there way around St. James. The devlopment is confusing, so we post ourselves strategically to accelerate their reaching the scene. We also exercise traffic control around the scene.

I had a call today and sped in my car, red light flashing, to the scene and set up for traffic control. A contractor was hurt, probable back injury, on the second story of a house under construction. Since I was first on scene I had set up at the intersection to the short cul-de-sac where the house was located. The call was not a routine EMS emergency. The fire department was also called because they needed to get the person off the second story, no stairs had been built yet.

Soft ground and other issues ment the first two trucks, including our ladder truck, couldn't reach far enough for safe removal. A nearby town was called for their specialized equipment - whatever it was - and they couldn't do it. Another town responded but didn't have what was needed so we ended up calling a nearby facility that had an even bigger ladder rig. That did the job.

Now we had about 10 or more emergency vehicles spread around so a fire captain called me over to assist in moving one of the BRT's (that's fire department officialese for a fire truck and it means "big red truck"). He directed me to jump in the cab and to my surprise the siren started to wail. Now you have to understand that we seldom use sirens in the development as they can confuse and disrupt as much as help (check out insurance company stats). So I had to wonder where our BRT was headed that needed a siren. Turns out it was me! you know what? They have these buttons on the floor of the truck and all you have to do is step on one to sound the siren. Whoops.

Well we got the truck moved without further incident (the routine is to always have someone outside directing the driver when they back up). That was my particular job in the BRT.

The call took over two hours (usually around 25 minutes for medical) and no further problems, in fact I guess the way I handled the rest of the traffic was good because the fire captain sought me out after the call and complimented me. He probably did it though because it gave them a chance to laugh about the siren. Another day in the life of a fire policeman.

My blog

I haven't posted much lately and have wondered whether it is because I have grown tired of blogging or some other reason. Perhaps it is because I have drifted from its purpose. I started writing because it has become sort of a personal journal and like those I've written before, I am the audience and the contents are written for me.

I became stalled when I felt I needed to blog about Tyler and Maya's visit last month. Not that I mind writing about them but the process is a bit more onerous then simply throwing some words onto the screen. A blog about grand children should always contain pictures. My pictures, however, require substantial editing because I shoot in raw format. Blogspot gags if I attempt to load a 40 MB file so it has to be reduced in Photoshop, re sized, etc. The process takes time and then, of course I want to post the better photos. So I procrastinate and also postpone any other blogs until I get the pictures finished.

I know how much I enjoy seeing Maya's and Tyler's pictures so feel I need to do the same...but don't.

So I get blog constipation. Nothing comes out. I guess that is better then diarrhea of the mouth. Still.

I think I have to remember that I write this for my pleasure, if you like to read it, fine. If not, fine too. And most likely somewhere along the way I'll get those pictures posted. I hope the kids won't mind my posting their baby pictures when they are 13 or 14 years old.

Our Servicemen

Here is a moving video which I hope you will watch.

Recently US Marine Colonel Simcock foolishly asked for 6000 emails to share with his troops in Iraq. See this for details.

I say he is foolish because I believe he will be inundated with emails far far beyond the 6000. As word spreads across the Internet I suspect he may have to do something to turn off the tap on an over burdened Internet - and due to the "timeless" nature of the Internet, they will continue for years to come. Never the less, I'll feel better by sending an email.

And there is this web site that also provides a means of support.

I also want to extend my thanks to Stephanie Coyote. Without patriotic Americans like her we would have no reality checks. It is easy to get complacent until we are reminded that there are people in this country that not only oppose our being in Iraq but literally hate our servicemen. Stephanie is a fringe element thank God. As such she does us a service. Lets keep her fringe.

This is an interesting interview with the San Francisco Capt. Greg Corrales. Many people tend to condemn the entire city for attitudes such as the Coyotes.. I think Capt. Corrales says it well in his interview I've provided above. It will be interesting to see if Gavin Newsom reappoints her to the film commission. It is also amusing to see her cowardice when asked why she banned Marines from a Marine commercial.

Shorten the Campaigns

I think presidential campaigns - particularly for the party nomination have become far too long. They no longer provide a fair vetting process but merely a test of how politically cunning each candidate can be.

Financing a campaign of such longevity requires enormous amounts of money which means fund raising. And, in that process, the potential for corruption (okay, serious corruption) grows. Does the ability to secure massive campaign funds necessarily equate to leadership ability or something else?

I think the idea of "democratically" elected office holders should be changed to those elected that know someone and/or are will ling to compromise their ethics.

Now we find ourselves looking (hoping?) for a candidate to somehow self-destruct, savoring their downfall and welcoming another decision made for us lest we have to continue to think and evaluate. It also makes for great news and raw meat for the braying media hounds to render into pieces of destroyed hope and perhaps career.

Maya Returns

Miss Maya is coming today. She was here to visit us toward the end of August and despite a nagging conscience, I didn't get around to posting any photos from that visit. I guess I could blame Maya for my failure to post more on my blog. After all I shoot my photos in camera raw which are huge 30-40 MB files. Raw images give me a lot control over the finished result but also require me to get them to manageable file sizes to post on blogspot. Therefore I put it off and it is Maya's fault.

Oh you don't buy that. You say that's a cop out and really reprehensible blaming a beautiful, lovable, sweet child like Maya? Okay, I'll concede you are right.

And now that I have started on this I have to admit I enjoy looking at the pictures. Well, since she is coming today, and tomorrow, her friend Tyler will arrive, I expect to have even more pictures so will put off posting more right now. Another cop out.

Tyler coming? Yup and he is bringing his parents Pam and Josh.

Politicians and Military

Democratic Senator Jim Webb has introduced a proposal that would require troops to spend as much time at home as their most recent deployment. The idea is to force a reduction of troop levels in Iraq.

When I started my business career I was given sage advice by the VP of operations in the company I worked. He said "don't cover up a problem, fix it!" It was clear he lived by that standard and was one of the best managers I worked with during my career.

Webb's proposal is a problem cover up and may have serious unintended consequences. I dislike politicians getting that involved with the military operations and more importantly, it is inspired by an immediate situation as a way to achieve an objective without regard to long run consequences. A problem cover up.

Perhaps politician are used to obtaining their goals through such manipulation so think little of it. After all, they routinely achieve ends through compromise and working the system. Never the less, it is wrong. Both from the immediate perspective of being required to force troop withdrawals through such means and wrong from the aspect of an administration that is so adamant that the back door approach must be used. Sure would be nice if the politicians truly worked together for the best interest of the country.

Politics as usual.

Hybrid

Hazel and I have discussed getting a hybrid. We have considered the various qualities and characteristics we would prefer. We do not plan to do anything soon as we do not want to be tied down to the attendant obligations. And, there is a bewildering assortment out there. Labradoodles, labrahounds, dorgi, dorkie (have met a few of them), eskifon, bagle hound, be-apso, wauzer, puggles, whoodles, and more. Its tempting to get one for its name alone. Check out dogbreedinfo. There are some purebred dogs which I dislike and really put off by the idea of a mix of two such as the jack-rat-terrier. Just not my type.

What totally confuses us is this thing called mileage. What does mpg have to do with dogs? Isn't an Escape a cross between an American Eskimo and Chesapeake Bay Retriever?

Anniversary

On August 20th Hazel and I celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary by going to Charleston for a couple days, touring the city and eating well.






The bridge shown in these photos spans the north fork of the Charleston harbor to the pennisula holding downtown Charleston, something like San Francisco.

I believe the bridge is similar to the one being built to replace the eastern end of the San Francisco bay bridge. It is beautiful and a pleasure to drive.

Charleston has done a wonderful job of preserving and restoring its many historic buildings and this has done much, along with many fine restaurants, to insure a thriving tourist business. We took a carriage tour of the downtown and only as I write this do I realize that the last time we took a horse drawn carriage tour was on our honeymoon in Nassau, Bahamas. Seems especially appropriate and the trip, although short, was like a second honeymoon. It was hot, just like it was in the Bahamas but the heat didn't really dampen our pleasure.

I have wondered many times about the good fortune we had in meeting and making our life together. Of course there were difficult times but at no time did we seriously struggle to keep our marriage together, it has always been a central core of our lives. God has blessed us.

St. James Has no streets

I realized this morning that St. James has no streets. Kinda reminiscent of the days of yore when villages had little more then a cart path with hogs lying in the mud. Makes me nostalgic.

St. James does, however, have lanes, ways, drives, courts, circles and even boulevards. I guess streets are too pedestrian. Actually there aren't many walks so that makes sense too.

I think I'll check with the POA and see if I can raise some hogs.

Power of 10

Last night, on the TV show Power of 10, the contestant was asked "What percentage of Americans believe Andrew Lloyd Weber wrote Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM?"

The answer: 28%

Lets hear it for public education! Yeaaaaaa

2008 Roll Royce

Hazel and I are thinking about buying a new car because our newest one (1999) has rather high mileage and although fine for local travel, it is getting a little problematic on longer distances. Thus I have been reading Consumer Reports, JD Powers, Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds to mention a few. As usual too much information so it will take awhile to process it all, make a decision, look at our bank account and start over.

Yesterday I checked out the 2008 Rolls Royce Phantom and was impressed by the engine. It has a 6.75 liter, 450 hp, 12 cylinder engine to move the 20 ft. 3000 lb land yacht. I was also impressed by the retractable hood ornament. On the negative side, there doesn't seem to be a place to plug in my Ipod. Still, at $374,000 I think I'll keep it on the short list to worry the competition.

NC DOT

Now that I live in North Carolina I tend to shake my head at the seeming ineptitude and snails progress of the NC DOT. However, I was amused to read this in today's San Jose Mercury News. It is a newspaper article written by Gary Richards under the pseudonym Mr. Roadshow. Dealing with bay area traffic issues, this particular article was written along the lines of trivia questions.

Q In 1985, Caltrans predicted that Highway 85 could be built in how many years?

A 18 or 19

Q How many years did it take to complete Highway 85, once local officials took control of the 18 1/2-mile freeway project from Caltrans?

A 10

Carolina Winter

I've lived through very cold winters in western New York and in Chicago and current conditions here in Southport remind of those times. Temperatures run in the mid 90's with the humidity in the high 80's which means a heat index of about 110 degrees. So, I dash from the house to the car, limit my activities outdoors to the essential, and the windows fog up with condensation. Sure seems to be much the same although gasoline doesn't turn to mush and pumps faster then in Chicago.

Still, give me a choice and I'll take Carolina winter. It is much shorter, comes in the summer, and I don't have to bundle up in heavy coat, hat and gloves.

Golfing Rant

I think I've mentioned that I get the Wall Street Journal. I don't get it for the financial information. I scan the financial headlines and if the news is bleak I quickly move on to other articles and wait a day for better news.

What I enjoy is such things as the article on belly dancing. Seems expectant mothers are taking up belly dancing to help them in child birth. Belly dancing was not always a night club act. Actually it was developed to help in the child labor process (no, not making them work, that would be the article on whips and chains).

The last Saturday-Sunday issue had an article in the sports section about "The Worst People to Play With." There was of course the non-stop talker, the coach and others. What really resonated was John Paul Newport's (the author) number 1 most annoying golfer. The guy who never seems to be quite ready. He hasn't prepared for his shot or is busy talking. Mr. Newport goes on to compare this guy to the little old lady at the grocery store. This is what resonated with me! I'll call her Nellie.

Nellie waits until the groceries are checked and bagged and only then does she start to fish in her pocketbook for her checkbook and pen. She is the person that also likes to chat with the clerk and pause in her check writing to dwell on a point of conversation. And, it is then that she remembers she has a coupon for $0.10 off the can of cat food she bought. The thing that gets me is the checker remains pleasant and cheerful through all this...this is the south folks.

Nellie really doesn't have to be old or, gasp, female. There is the Nellie at the ATM that waits to...yadda yadda...or sits at the stop light and seems to want the stop light to nicely say "you may go" before she inches forward. Or, Nellie is standing in line in McDonalds and...well you can imagine.

My god! This world would be so much better off if everyone was a yankee type A person like me!

Republican Debate

Mitt Rommey thinks answering questions posed by UTube snowmen undignified although he claims he hadn't watched it. I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't watch the Democratic debate to assess the type to questions and answers given by potential contenders. He has said has a scheduling conflict and cannot attend the September 17th debate. Rudy Giuliani seems to have a scheduling conflict too. CNN says it may reschedule.

The UTube type questions scare the candidates. I admit there were a couple in the democratic debate which I considered inappropriate. For example, asking them to criticise something about the person to their left. Never the less, I like to see politicians put on the spot and liked the flavor of the debate.

I found the Democratic debate earlier this year interesting, the Republican boring and closed. I was surprised by the difference in tenor There is little doubt that a Democrat will be elected - the Republicans can't get it together. Will it be Hillary? I think she gained major ground in the last debate.

Drambuie's Fuel

Diesel fuel when left to sit over the winter can collect water and algae. It is the bane of boaters and one of the most common causes of engine failure. In 2005 we experienced the problem offshore on an overnight run from Beaufort, SC to Wilmington, NC. We encountered large swells and wave heights of 8 to 12 feet. This tends to stir things up a bit and cause the clumps of algae to clog the pick-up tube, filters and sometimes engine injectors. We got past that crises on our own although is was nerve wracking.

Since then I've mounted additional filters and a magic device called Algae-X on the fuel lines. Added algaecide and kept the tank full to minimize condensation. We had a problem free year (fuel wise anyway) in 2006. This spring our luck ran out and we have had the engine shut downs every time we ventured out, sometimes at rather inopportune times.

More algaecide was added to the fuel, filters replaced and the fuel pump disassembled and cleaned. Today, Jason and I too the boat out for an hour run down the waterway and everything behaved perfectly. Might just push our luck and take it sailing and see if the wash tub action of ocean waves creates more trouble. At least I now feel I've isolated the problem so can take quick action.

Exactly

My day has come! This is what you have to look forward to when you are over the hill. I found it on one of the blogs I like to read now and then.

"Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. -
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.
This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway,
I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.

As I start toward the garage,
I notice mail on the porch table that
I brought up from the mail box earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table,
put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table,
and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back
on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think,
since I'm going to be near the mailbox
when I take out the garbage anyway,
I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my cheque book off the table,
and see that there is only one cheque left.
My extra cheques are in my desk in the study,
so I go inside the house to my desk where

I find the can of Coke I'd been drinking.

I'm going to look for my cheques,
but first I need to push the Coke aside
so that I don't accidentally knock it over.

The Coke is getting warm,
and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke,
a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye - they need water.

I put the Coke on the counter and
discover my reading glasses that
I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk,
but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter,
fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV,
I'll be looking for the remote,
but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table,
so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs,
but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers,
but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.
So, I set the remote back on the table,
get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to
remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

the car isn't washed
the bills aren't paid
there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter
the flowers don't have enough water,
there is still only 1 cheque in my cheque book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today,
I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day,
and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem,
and I'll try to get some help for it,
but first I'll check my e-mail...

Do me a favor.
Forward this message to everyone you know,
because I don't remember who I've sent it to.
Don't laugh - if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!!"

Amazon Unbox

TIVO announced a new video service in conjunction with Amazon. I can now rent movies from Amazon and download them to my TIVO box or computer for viewing. To encourage my participation Amazon had a special deal where I could rent a movie from a short list of about a dozen for only $.99. Seemed like a good deal and convenient way to rent flicks so I gave it a try. I give it 3 stars out of 5.

The download went smoothly and I had directed the movie be loaded to the TIVO which happened. The hitch comes with the requirements that you must watch the movie within 30 days and once started, you have 24 hours to watch the whole thing or as many times in that 24 hours as you wish but then it is gone. Why just 24 hours?

I have on a few occasions started to watch something, felt tired and elected to finish another day. Sometimes other events intervene and I don't get back to the movie for several days. I can re-download the video from my Media Library at Amazon but that will require the hour or more time required for the download in addition to the extra work in obtaining it again.

Further, the normal rental rate is $3.99 which I think is expensive nor does Amazon have as large a selection as Netflix. I do not copy movies, but assuming I could copy the Amazon rentals - defeating the DRM, it might then be a better deal.

With Netflix the average rental rate for me is $3.00, I can watch the movie as many times as I want and can keep it more then 30 days if so inclined. The quality of the DVD is superior to the "best quality" recording available from TIVO/Amazon. I'm not impressed. Netflix came up with a unique system that has always worked flawlessly. I admire companies that innovate as they have (also Apple and Amazon past).

I would have rated Amazon lower but I can see how the convenience and immediacy of selecting a movie to fit your mood and inclination can appeal to folks. Thus I give it 3 stars.

Drambuie Christianed

Finally! Drambuie is not only legally but spiritually christianed Drambuie. The ceremony was held July 6th at St. James Marina. The Reverend Meta Ellington officiating.

Drambuie Christianing

(You can quietly click on this image to see more)

We timed the ceremony to coincide with Travis and Aki's visit; and fortunately, Chris, Laura and Maya were able to attend as well. We invited several of our neighbors and, in addition family, Meta, Bill, Kay and Jason. We wish Josh, Pam and Tyler could have been with us.

Since we didn't have a virgin's pee we used copious amounts Champagne to liberally splash Drambuie's bow and our innards. It being the usual hot humid summer weather we moved the celebration back to our home and shared low country boil (aka Frogmore soup).

Koko was happy to have her cousin Ferdinand visit.

Travis and Aki Visit

Travis and Aki Visit - July 2007

Travis and Aki arrived from San Francisco for a week (almost) long visit. They took a red eye flight, arriving in Raleigh around 9 am on July 4th and we drove to Southern Pines so they could visit Grandma Lil. After the visit we drove on to St. James, stopping briefly at a roadside stand so Aki could check out the produce.

During the visit we went to the great city of Wilmington but didn't see any movie stars. We also visited Myrtle Beach, Bald Head Island and Lowes Hardware to mention a few of the major destinations. Travis and Aki were a little traumatized at leaving Jax but I understand he had a great time visiting friends while they were gone.

Hopefully they'll return around Christmas.

Maya Moves to North Carolina

Its been a busy month so I have gotten behind on my blogs. Technically this should have been posted in June because Maya arrived in her new home in North Carolina on June 28th. I think her parents came with her but Hazel and I were too captivated by this lady.


(You can click on any image you like to see a larger, static image)

Maya thoroughly enjoyed the experience and even found time to catch up on some reading.

One of the cool things about her new home is that it has stairs. Stairs were a new experience and she wanted to quickly perfect her climbing skills by repeating the process over and over. I heard some crabby person comment that Maya was tiring her out. One small glitch, Maya didn't figure out how to descend the stairs.

The house closing had a "small" (understatement) problem but it was ultimately resolved to every one's relief and satisfaction (sort of).

A week after the move, Chris and Laura brought Maya to St. James and we hung out at the beach. Travis and Aki and arrived for their visit so it was great having everyone here. More about Travis and Aki in a later post.

Americas Cup

The Americas Cup race is held every four years and is considered by most to be the top sailing event. This years race was the best, most competitive in its 156 year history. Unfortunately the media took little interest. Maybe its the area we live in but I didn't see much coverage in the national press either.

Even though the American team was eliminated early in the event, I wish we could have gotten past our egocentrism and at least given attention to the final race. The Swiss entry, Alinghi defeated the New Zealanders by one second in a fantastic daring duel.

I realize that watching a sailboat race is akin to observing the life drama of Bermuda grass...sometimes. Part of the problem is that sailing as do all sports has nuances that are not apparent to the casual viewer. Its better if you know which boat has the right away and which is playing chicken. That is where a good sportscaster can make a huge difference.

Oh well. Maybe Larry Ellison will do better in 2011 and an American boat will be in the finals.

Advertising Revenue

While waiting in the store to be waited on, I accidentally happened to notice the young woman standing nearby. Her back was to me and as I glanced over I noticed that she was wearing shorts that had "Oak Island," in bold letters, across her butt. I studied the message with care as it prompted the idea for this blog.

Now I haven't ever had a message printed on my butt (with or without shorts). The idea, however, may have merit. My tee shirts, emblazoned with witty comments, do not seem to attract much attention. Maybe butt messages (BMs for short) would work better.

Since I have an aversion to providing free advertising to anyone or anything - even an island - my brainstorming led me to a concept that could earn money. As I perused the young woman's message (I'm a slow reader), I thought about potential advertisers. Some soon came to mind and then I had an even more brilliant idea - shape the message to the medium or more accurately its size and shape.

Think about the derriere that would sport the words "Food Lion." And their competition, "Lowes Foods." Products such as "Plumber's Friend" could certainly find an outlet here. The potential is huge.

As for me, how about "Clap ON, Clap Off" or, "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up."
And my wife might suggest "Where's the beef?"

Surely you can suggest some clever ideas. I have to go, the young lady is now glaring at me.

Blondes Rule

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive, double-pane energy-efficient kind. Yesterday, I got a call from the contractor who installed them. He was complaining that the windows had been installed a whole year ago and I had not paid for them yet.

Hellloooo? Now just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So I told him just exactly what his fast-talking sales guy had told ME last year... namely, that in just ONE YEAR these windows would pay for themselves!

"Helllooooo"? (I told him). "It's been a year"!

There was only silence at the other end of the line, so I finally just hung up.... He hasn't called back, probably too embarrassed about forgetting the guarantee they made me.

Bet he won't underestimate a blonde anymore.

Fight Hate Crimes

Please go to this site and view the video.

Hillary Metaphor

Neal Bortz received an email from a listener saying that she was a single mom and that Hillary inspired the same fear in her as does her baby's green poo at 3:00 O'clock in the morning.

Interesting metaphor.

Remembering The Fallen

Got this in an email. It speaks for itself.

Inuit throat-singing

When I am having trouble sleeping I sometimes go on the computer and browse blogs. I always find it interesting to see what people have to share. Often one link leads to another taking me on a cultural adventure.

Tonight I followed a blogger's link to The Smithsonian's version of iTunes, Smithsonian Global Sound. Browsing that site led to an Inuit throat-singing demonstration by two young women. Sorry I cannot link you directly to their demonstration but if you scroll down the site to the American Indian section you will find them.

I liked the way they enjoyed demonstrating a part of their culture and their costumes. That prompted me to Google "Inuit throat singing" which revealed a Mongolian connection. And, this blog contains a variety of interesting vocal excerpts of throat singing.

Toys from China

The June 18th New York Times has an article about toys from China. It starts out: "China manufactured every one of the 24 kinds of toys recalled for safety reasons in the United States so far this year, including the enormously popular Thomas & Friends wooden train sets, a record that is causing alarm among consumer advocates, parents and regulators."

That suggests to me that if I were buying a toy, any designated as coming from China would automatically be eliminated. I've got to watch out for my safety.

Pattern Blogging

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING BLOG HAS LITTLE OF INTEREST OR SUBSTANTIVE CONTENT. DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU WASTE YOUR TIME READING IT.

Pattern blogging is something like male pattern baldness. Blogs that occur in somewhat predictable patterns with occasional bald spots.

I've noted that I suffer from this syndrome as do many others. I suppose it occurs when we get busy with important things in life like walking the dog and taking the trash to the curb. I try to avoid too large a bald spot in my writings thus this useless blog.

Also, one of the reasons for the latest drought is that I am working on a blog that may have some real content. Of course it relates to politics and ranting about incompetence,etc. It has created a condition rather like constipation but I'll keep grunting and soon deluge my readers with fantastic drivel (hows that for a mental image).

Had a phone call the other evening. It was a young lady doing a survey (stress not selling anything), ok, I'm retired and decided to cooperate. Event though there were some questions about what I though of the local grocery, some politics, etc., it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it was sponsord by Blue Cross/Blue Shield. One question that puzzled me was: "If you had a choice of any insurance company, what would it be?" I admit that is not something I lay awake wondering about. I gave a mental shrug but deciding not to confess my ignorance told her "Scott Adams."

A few mintues after completing the survey I had a call back by the supervisor of the young lady doing the survey. He wanted to just verify a couple questions. One was related to my age group, the other was the insurance company I most wanted - I repeated my answer, "Scott Adams." He thanked me and hung up. Now doesn't Scott Adams sound like an insurance company rather then the Dilbert Cartoonist?

I'm watching the US Open while writing this. Just saw a pro (Cabrera) hit a drive that went more then twice the distance I can drive a ball, 397 yards, that is huge.

I gave you a warning.

Sun is Good for you!

Hey, see the latest medical thingy on the news. Now some researchers say we need to get some sunshine because it helps prevent cancer. They say everyone should get at least 15 minutes of sun each day.

What is funny is the skin doctors are upset about this. Just as they get people to cover up and stay out of the sun...these guys come along and screw it all up.

Scott Adams has it right in this post.

Not All Fun and Games

Its been a rather trying past few days. People think we retirees have it easy but we really have to work at this. Thursday I played golf with a firend of mine here in St. James, and on Friday Hazel, Jason, Linda (a neighbor) and I took Drambuie out of a sail.

The sailing was superbly pleasant. Sunny and warm with winds ranging from 11 to 15 knots. That is a nice comfrotable sailing condition when out for a leisurely sail. I did put a reef in the main to keep the boat flatter and relaxed but it wasn't really needed. In the picture, we are headed back home on a downwind course - thus no heel - with Bald Head Island off to the right. Bald Head is a rather exclusive place that can only be reached via boat (regular ferry service from Southport). Haven't been there yet but plan to change that soon.

I was tired Saturday so just relaxed and didn't try to get anything done. So, today, being somewhat refreshed, Hazel and I went to the beach. It's a 20 minute drive from the house and we finally got there a little after 9 am. The tide was out and plenty of room.

We left the beach around 1:30 pm and there were a lot more people there. I used a zoom on the camera and it looks much more crowded then it is. I was trying to show it more crowded but succeeded better then I intended. There was still plenty of beach room and in the ocean. The water is warm now and we could swim for a half hour or more without getting cold.




Might have to relax tomorrow to recover from today.

Borrowed Post

I go through cycles like most on here - post several blogs and then have to recuperate from all that effort, puff, puff, puff (maybe its an age thing?). Anyway, that being the case I have decided to borrow this post from "No, I Am Not Claire Martin."

Men Are Just Happier People. Amongst other reasons:

1. Your last name stays put.
2. The garage is all yours.
3. Wedding plans take care of themselves.
4. Chocolate is just another snack.
5. You can be Prime Minister.
6. You can never be pregnant.
7. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
8. You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
9. Car mechanics tell you the truth.
10. The world is your urinal.
11. You never have to drive to another petrol station toilet because this one is just too icky.
12. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
13. Same work, more pay.
14. Wrinkles add character.
15. Wedding dress~$5000, tux rental~$100.
16. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
17. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
18. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
19. One mood all the time.
20. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
21. You know stuff about tanks.
22. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
23. You can open all your own jars.
24. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
25. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
26. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
27. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
28. You almost never have strap problems in public.
29. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
30. Everything on your face stays its original colour.
31. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
32. You only have to shave your face and neck.
33. You can play with toys all your life.
34. Your belly usually hides your big hips.
35. One wallet and one pair of shoes one colour for all seasons.
36. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
37. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
38. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.
39. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

Clogger

Not talking about a hair ball.

This guy is good. As a kid, I fantasized and (sometimes as an adult) being able to publicly do something that surprised, amazed and wow'ed people. I think this fellow dose it.

Democratic Debate

Hazel and I watched the democratic debate last night. At two hours, I was ready for them to end but I did find them interesting and worthwhile to watch. The debate was spirited at times and provided some opportunity to see how the candidates differed.

This morning I went to a CNN site providing analysts scorecard of the debate. I think they are wrong. The analyst view the debates from an entirely different perspective then the average viewer. They have a "history" with the candidates and accordingly rate on the basis of this previous knowledge and on conjecture as to how the average viewer sees them. For example, to say that Clinton won the debate because she didn't put her foot in her mouth IS WRONG! If the question had been whether the debate changed their status, okay. But Clinton did not shine last night.

For me, it was the first time I saw some of these people represent their positions. I liked Richardson (at least he promoted his record in very favorable light) in the debate even though I reject his Iraq position. Mike Gravel? Well I hope he stays around to throw water on the other candidates. Sometimes he even said something worthwhile but as a serious presidential candidate - no way. It was like one of those group settings where one individual consistently says things out of sync, the others politely pause and then resume their discourse as though he had said nothing.

I think Edwards gained some points, Obama showed substantial grasp of issues, Clinton had a face lift, Biden surprised me and will get further scrutiny from me. He was a little too forceful at moments but had good comments, Dodd - not impressed, Kucinich - please no!

Course I'm a republican so might not vote for any of them. Frankly, I want to vote for the person that I think can best lead the country. It's unlikely Ill agree with all of their platform. I just want competence.

The big surprise? That the debates weren't canceled for a "Going to Jail" party for Paris Hilton. Don't we have our priorities here?

Fortune Cookie

Most fortune cookies do not tell your fortune e.g. you are going to be run over by a Hummer. Instead they contain some sort of boring statement. Thus when eating at a Chinese restaurant the other day I didn't want to even bother opening my fortune cookie. Hazel would not permit that and opened my cookie for me.

For once I felt it was right on. It said, "You have a potential urge and the ability for accomplishment."

Hazel...Hazel...yoohoo...Hazel, now where did she go?

Lobster Sale

And now its a week later, Saturday, June 2nd. This morning I went to Southport to help with a Lobster sale sponsored by our church, proceeds to benefit the church's Outreach program. While I was there we cooked about 700 lobsters and then my shift was over so don't know how many were cooked in total - the sale ended mid-afternoon. We were also selling live lobsters for those that wanted to prepare them at home.



Hazel and I decided it was time for us to experience the fun of cooking a live lobster at home so I brought two live ones home with me. I thought about giving them names but Hazel would be even more upset at killing them then she was already. She advised me not to look into their eyes when putting them in the pot. She also wanted me to feed them vodka and club them. I rejected all ideas and forced them into a steaming pot of boiling water. HeHeHeHeHeHe



Hey, when you're old and retired you gotta get your kicks however you can.

Ocean Fishing

Last Saturday I went ocean fishing with a friend of mine, John. A passionate and experienced fisherman, I was pretty sure that if fish were biting, John would find them.

Ken, another friend of Johns and an experienced fisherman joined us on John's 22 ft. Galcier Bay Catamaran. (Shown here, the fellow on the boat is Ken).
I tried to get a better picture of Ken but we were under way and it was difficult to hold the camera steady. With the ocean swells and wave action (residual from previous days of high wind) the ride was pretty bumpy but the boat handled it well.
John picked me up at my home at 6:30 am and by 7:00 am we were under way. This was shot as we left the marina.
We sped out into the ocean at 23 knots and arrived at the first fishing location, the "Horseshoe" at 8:15. I believe we were about 30 nm out from the harbor. I took this next shot so I could find the same location again. This is done through scientific study of the exact wave configurations, their frequency, period, height, and DNA.


And here is a picture of the coastline (right). Okay, we were too far out to see it but it was there - I think, or maybe in another direction.


The weather was perfect with light winds. The fish, however, were sleeping in and we didn't catch anything so after 45 mintues heading to a new location, the "Tower".
Our luck was better and within a matter of minutes we started catching King Mackerel and had caught four within 20-25 mintues. We also caught an Amberjack (no idea how big but maybe 20lbs). That necessitated bringing in the other lines while Ken wrestled with it and finally got it aboard. We had at least three more hits but those got off the hook before we could land them. Then it became quiet - no bite, nibbles, anything.

We continued to fish and listen to other fishermen nearby either catching nothing - like us - or catching Dolphin, Kings, Amberjack (someone called them Donkey Jacks). Most were having no better luck then we were.

Later, after lunch we anchored and started bottom fishing. The fishfinder showed good bottom with plenty of activity. The top left number is the ocean depth and the number below it 76.7 is the temperture of the water. The string of fish running across the upper part of the display was the outrigger weight holding one of our long lines. The fishfinder reads density and not actual objects so still proclaims a lump of lead to be a fish (not very good eating). Lower in the display more fish are shown and they are the real thing.



Our luck was better although I don't know how many fish we landed. These were smaller fish - some were to be used for bait, and some found there way to our dinner table. I caught 3 sea bass and 3 or 4 other kinds.

We then tried trolling for dolphin before heading home but had no further luck.

We returned to shore, stopped at Tatum's fish house and sold part of our catch.



The kings and Amberjack are shown here (sold).


Cleaned the boat and remaining fish and were home by 6:30 that evening.

I was going to write a blog but its subject slips my mind. Oh well.

Attention Shoppers

The Home Shopping Network is working toward offering a remote that enables you to purchase items wihtout having to telephone. This is fantastic news since I believe that exhibiting the number of remotes you have is a way of gaining status. Now I can display remote controls for:

HSN
TV
Direct TV Receiver
Tivo
DVD Player
Stereo
Sirius Radio (Yeah I canceled the service but still have the remote)
Fireplace Starter (borrowed from our neighbor)
Garage Door
Gate Entry to the devlopment

The problem I now struggle with is my virtual life. I'm already here on Blogspot talking to invisible people, next I need to look into Second Life. By joining Second Life I will have a circle of virtual friends that never actually visit my home (who wants someone in their home that looks like a giraffe wearing striped shorts and a bra)?

I know, I can probably create a bunch of remotes in my Second Life to accompany my sex fantasies but somehow its not quite the same thing. Just creating a buzz here.

Brue 1994-2007

We brought Brue home yesterday and she was doing okay. However, as I wrote in my last post, Dr. Tony believed she would soon fail. Last night, within just a few hours her conditioned worsened so rapidly that we found ourselves rushing her to Animal Emergency in Wilmington to put her to sleep. The hour long trip was an eternity because she was yelping in pain with nearly every breath.

It surprised us and Dr. Tony too. We hadn't expected so abrupt a change.

Thinking about Brue a word that resonates with me is "gentle." She never, ever, showed any anger - growled - anything - towards any of us (except Koko who deserved it). Brue was easygoing but immensely loyal and faithful. Goodbye baby.

Brue's last days

Brue had a hard weekend but then has improved the last couple days. As scheduled, we took her to the vet this afternoon and he said her disease has progressed. Dr. Tony believes she will rapidly decline within the next two or three days. It is time for Hazel and I to make our plans.

G W Bush

I have disliked Bush almost from the first days of his presidency. I distrusted him, in hindsight appropriately, because I have observed in corporate life that you can tell a great deal about the man in charge by the people he places near his seat of power. I saw Cheney and Rumsfeld as arrogant bullies. I have seen their type in business and they are so sure of their opinions that they ignore efforts to advise or reason - they are poison. This pattern persisted with Bolton, Gonzales and Wolfowitz.

I concur with Bill who wrote in his blog, "The George W Bush Administration will not go down in history as a mediocre presidency. It will be remembered as thoroughly ineffective and one of the most grossly incompetent administrations in American history."

Don't confuse arrogance for strength.

Oprah's Leadership School

Last month I had a couple people remark to me about Oprah's leadership school for girls. Their remarks ran along the order of "Why isn't she spending that money here at home." I was a little puzzled because they never said anything about the many others that are providing some type of monetary help to Africa.

After thinking about it I don't think it has anything to do with Africa but the fact that she is spending it to develop women leaders. Could they feel threatened? And by black women too?

I applaud what she is doing because I think this may be a way of truly helping Africa.

Another thing Oprah has done to help all MANkind is here.

Global Warming - Perspective

In today's San Jose Mercury News:

"Former Air Force Gen. Charles Wald, who was deputy chief of staff for air and space operations, is participating in a symposium Friday at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on low-carbon emissions standards and the need for energy independence.

"We all came to this with a certain degree of skepticism," said Sullivan, who found the science of global warming convincing, even if it's not 100 percent certain.

"Speaking as a soldier, we never have 100 percent certainty. If you wait until you have 100 percent certainty, something bad is going to happen on the battlefield," he added."

My sentiments exactly.

Happy Birthday

The day after Maya left with her folks, Jason came over to the house and we had steaks. It was Jason's 38th birthday. Happy Birthday son.

Maya's Visit

Grandaughter Maya came to visit last weekend and she brought joy. She was endlessly cheerful and broadcast her cheer with endless chatter. That gal is a talker but she is entertaining so I didn't mind listening.

She came to Raleigh to look for a new home and a new job for her dad. It's looking like they may be moving from California to the Raleigh area in the not distant future. Hazel and I are looking forward to there coming.


She also brought her parents, Chris and Laura...
And grandparents John and Linda...

Chris showed what a wonderful father he is by setting a good example for Maya.

But I think Maya can handle it.



Maya has returned to California for the time being but left us a few reminders of her visit. Come back soon.

Brue Update

On May third I reported that Brue had a bad infection, possibly leukemia. Her white cell count was the highest our vet remembered seeing. She was put on antibiotics to see if the infection could be reduced. Last week another blood test was performed and the antibiotics (which Brue had difficulty keeping down) had not worked, her white cell count was even higher and that, plus other test indicators confirmed leukemia.

The treatment course now is to keep her as comfortable as possible. We had decided not to try "heroic" measures that might prolong her life but with considerable pain and discomfort. The antibiotics have been stopped and she now is on prednisone which has made her more comfortable. We don't think she is in pain but because her red blood cell count is so low, she pants in an effort to get more oxygen into her blood stream. Now we are wondering if or when we should have her euthanized.

Years ago we had our Lhasa Apso, Muffin, euthanized and it was one of the worse experiences I've had. Muffin went to sleep peacefully but I struggled over my right to take her life, and the experience of watching life go from her. She had arthritis so bad she couldn't climb the two steps between our family room and kitchen. She was in constant pain and I think we did the right thing but my conscience still berates me.

Brue is still eating, although we have to entice her with richer and better food - no more dog food. Today it was a cooked hamburger. Euthanasia may be a harder decision in that she may not have outright pain. The breathing, however, may be so uncomfortable we will decide it is time to put her asleep rather then force her to struggle more. Like Muffin she finds it difficult to navigate steps but this time due to shortness of breath. We had already stopped trying to take her on walks and now have stopped taking her into the yard on a lease. Her trips outside are prompted by nature's call and we will be carrying her up and down the steps.

The signs of her failing are more apparent on a daily basis. Partly I imagine because as we learn more about what is occurring we become more aware of how it affects her. On the other hand, there is no denying that Brue is nearing the end. A few days ago we were thinking she might have a couple months or at least weeks to live, now we wonder if it will be days.

Drug Pusher

Purdu Pharma, maker of the drug Oxycontin, lied about its "wonder" drug. The company claimed oxycontin was not addictive even though they knew otherwise.

The government fined the company $600,000,000 and fined the officers a total of $34,000,0000.

Why weren't they criminally prosecuted?

Spontaneity

Read in a book the other day and liked it..."there is a time and place for spontaneity."

Brue

Three weeks ago while I was in New Orleans, Brue had a seizure. Now that in itself doesn't signal imminent crises so we monitored her and last weekend she had another. Time to take her to the vet. Nothing obvious was noted so he drew blood for tests. Friday, the results were back signaling a very high infection, possibly liver related. She is on antibiotics now but the overall prognosis may not be good. She may have leukemia.

A return to the vet is planned for Wednesday to see if the antibiotics are working. As of this writing she seems to show slight improvement but nothing huge. On the other hand, she has always been a laid back couch potato and now that she is older (13 years old), seems to be more so. Thus it is difficult to be sure about the improvement part. We are hoping she will return to good health.

Golf's Glass Ceiling

I always marvel at Tiger Woods. This guy pulverized the racial glass ceiling of golf with incredible athleticism and grace. Check out the website for the Wachovia Championship.

By the way, Steve Isley, the head professional at the Reserve course here at St. James is playing in the championship too. Hope he makes the cut, be fun to watch.

A New Pet Peeve

Hallelujah! Got another pet peeve to bitch about and stay in my grumpy old man character. Seems that online vendors are bashful about tellling you the cost for their product. Just looked at details on a touring seminar and as usual I had to start the "purchase" cycle to find out the cost.

The philosophy on good site design is to make it easy for the user to find information and at a minimum of mouse clicks. So why can't they simply say for the "Special One Time Introductory fee of $299" and get it over with. I won't waste my time on that hair grower and just move on.

Oh, now that I've started, can't say how often I've wanted to know where a retailer or workshop was located and I had to search all over their site. Was reading about a workshop on Aztec body painting the other day and it was like pulling teeth to find the location - St. Paul, Minnesota (had a special intro by Garrison Keeler).

Yankee Trapped in a Southern Town

I went to the bank to deposit a check this morning (Tuesday). Pulled into the ATM drive through as I usually do and there were three cars ahead of me. Waited as each went throught heir transactions, the first car was a little long at the ATM but the others went through surprisingly fast. I found out while as I attempted to go through the deposit sequence. When asked if my deposit amount was correct, I pressed "yes" and it flipped back a screen asking me to enter the amount. Did that two more times and concluded something was wrong with the atm.

Okay, so drove around to the front of the bank and went inside. I told the young teller that the atm wasn't working right.

She said in her sweet southern drawl: "oh yes, its been that way since this weekend."

Me: "why don't you put a sign out warning customers?"

Teller: "We did but someone ran over it yesterday."

Thoughts raced through my mind forcing me to ask with some asperity: "Why not put another sign up?"

Teller didn't exactly reply with an intelligible comment, rather mumbled such that I knew she viewed me as some type of unreasonable grumpy yankee. (Geez...someone will run over another sign).

Cars continued to pull into the atm and one came to the drive-up teller window...

Teller: "oh yes, its been that way since this weekend."

The atm service is supposed to come on Mondays but for some reason had not yet come as of mid-morning Tuesday. The bank had clearly done what they could and now they had this grumpy yankee fussing. We sure have to put up with a lot around here with those dman yankees!

Now Open - New Orleans

How do you write about New Orleans and convey the full sense of the city, its condition and what we experienced? I can show only a tiny part of that elephant so please draw no certain conclusions from my words.

And, the same can be said about how the media represents post-Katrina New Orleans. Last night there were scenes on ABC News showing the progress or lack thereof. They showed some of the worst sections of the city for maximum impact. It is about the only way they can begin to convey the devastation. I saw many similar conditions but I also saw parts of the city that had minimal hurricane damage and are nearly complete in their recovery.

Those in our party that had been to New Orleans last September seem to have the same impressions as I. First, it is a city in recovery that is finally pulling itself together. Infrastructure is becoming evident. Trash that lined the curbs is gone – waste disposal trucks now routinely pick-up garbage. School busses are back on the streets. Some trolley lines are running and others being repaired. And, one of my companions noted; on the last trip they only saw one squad car during their entire visit, this time many were very seen. Squad cars are staged at many supermarkets and restaurants.

Having said that, there are still large swaths of devastation. FEMA trailers are sprinkled through the city with homeowners endeavoring to rebuild their homes. I saw several housing developments closed and permanently shuttered.

It is routine to see homes with discolored lines around their exterior – “high water” marks. I learned that the high water marks on the homes actually showed the level to which flooding initially receded and not the actual flood height that was generally 2 feet higher yet.

In addition to the physical destruction there are multiple issues related to rebuilding and restoration. ABC News said that of the 110,000 applications for Road Home Finds, only 10,000 have been granted. That is another side of the story. For many reasons the delays are endless – some legitimate and others self-serving if not outright reprehensible. The front page of the Times-Picayune is still dominated by reports of committee meetings, decisions and postponements.

The Land Acquisition and Disposition Committee reported back to the blue ribbon Redevelopment Authority that they had no updates for the meeting – again, no action and further delay. Efforts are virtually moribund in a mix of issues reflecting such things as the complexity of the problems, lassitude, posturing, political maneuvering and of course economic interests. Should certain areas be opened to redevelopment? What type of redevelopment will be permitted? Who will do it? What are the zoning requirements?

I think, however, one of the most favorable signals of recovery is the many “Now Open” signs I saw hanging outside businesses. Businesses are reopening and that means jobs, products and services becoming available.

Even though the images may be somewhat distorted, I’m glad that the media is not ignoring New Orleans. The city is entering dangerous times. On many levels it is coming together and it gets easier to forget and move on. Unfortunately there is a large population of people that are not in their homes yet and face a huge amount of work and sacrifice to return. Think how you would feel a full year and a half after losing your home and still living in a trailer and with no immediate prospects that you will be in a home for another year, or two, or even longer. How do you continue to Hope?

If our work provided some of that hope then it is very well worth the expense, time and effort. This is aside from the physical contributions we made toward restoring their homes.

Three Hated Words

This morning was very pleasant as I sat on our newly screened porch, drinking a cup of coffee and reading a golf magazine. I was scanning an article about tournament play and was reminded of the three words I've grown to hate..."IN THE HOLEEEEEEE!"

Presumably the fans at the Masters Tournament were asked not to shout "In the Holeeee" but there were still a few persistent fans. It doesn't matter that the pro is teeing off on a par 5 600-yard hole that even Tiger Woods could never reach, the shout still goes up.

Maybe the phrase was clever when someone first shouted it but if I were a pro player I think I would reach a point where I would coin my own three words, matching action with words as I swung my golf club..."AROUND YOUR HEADDDDD!"

Why have I written about this? Misery loves company and now that I've made this point you might agree and be as annoyed as I am. See you on the course. hahahahaha