tis the season ,,,,,,

 MERRY CHRISTMAS

Dan & Ashleigh as Joseph & Mary.
It's about the Birth of Jesus

           

Name one thing only that can simply make your day ,,,,

I saw that somewhere the other day and it was followed by some very nice and interesting posts from others. I tried but couldn't come up with just one. So, knowing me as i do I will mention two ,,,,, well maybe three ,,,,,,,, ok, ok, ok, maybe a couple more. LOL

Considering the time of year let me first say to all my friends and those that I love and all those "others",
MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!! and let us remember that this time of year we are celebrating a birth and NO it is not Santa Claus. Though he has become the commercial icon of this time the day December 25th is to celebrate the birth of Christ thus the name.

Thinking of Christmas I am always reminded of a guy I knew when I lived at the Grand Canyon. His name was Spyder Hartley. He passed out Christmas cards one year that were simply handwritten on lined paper and said " Money's tight, times are hard, here's your F*in Christmas card".

The greatest memory of Spyder was during deer season one year. For a week or two prior to opening day all he did was brag about having a salt lick out and he would be in before work with the largest buck in the area. Now Spyder drove an old beater truck with a homemade plywood camper shell on it. So opening day came and we are sitting in the shop when in comes Spyder with a huge smile on his face. We all followed him out to his truck where he proudly showed us a really NICE and BIG buck with quite an impressive rack. That rack spread all the way across the camper and the deer filled the bed of the truck. We all congratulated him on quite a buck and of course he had to mention the time and the fact that he had made it before work. A couple hours later we were all in the shop again for morning break around 9'ish. just sitting around shooting the breeze when we heard quite a racket of something being torn apart and destroyed outside. We all ran to the door and busted up laughing as we watched one big buck trotting down the parking lot with a 2x4 and piece of plywood hanging from an antler. Seems Spyder merely knocked him out. LOL

I digress, back to what makes my day stuff. Well when I get up at 11pm to get ready for work the first thing I see when I walk into the kitchen is this cabinet door. The bottom sign was made by my Grandaughter Samantha. She made it when they were moving to Montana and hung it right there so I would rememebr her. It is signed Sam P. She was 7 at the time. The other is from Ashleigh, she is a handmade crafts person and made this for me last year for Pops Day. It reminds me of a favorite card I have somewhere made for me years ago while still living at the Canyon by the girls Mom. It was a birthday card also handmade. She cut out each candle and flame and each letter. it had white candles and yellow/orange flames on blue stock. It's a card I cherish for some reason. I dont need to have it out to see because I can visualize it, even the third candle from the left where the flame was lifting off the page. 8) Eevn the signature in blue ink with Love Judy and that flower she draws.

At 5: 15 every morning I either call or am called by these two and thier Mom Amanda. I enjoy hearing Hi/Bye from Taylor (thats the complete conversation with her) and the continous 'Guess what' 's from Sammie. Every sentence or thought begins this way it's fun to listen to.

After work at 8 am I always look forward to stopping and getting a Tropical Green Tea from my yougest (and 8 months pregnant daughter Ashleigh) This picture was taken this morning, not real sure what she was looking at but looks like she liked it. LOL I'm not sure how the tea is made and whats in it she makes it (the funny part is I can go to any Heretidge Coffee stand in town and they know just what I want and how to do it. They also know the payment arrangements LOL) I get my $1.12 tea for free because I'm cute, well because I'm Ashleighs Dad. Of course it costs me a $5 tip so ,,,, 8) But giving her, her mail, (I pay for the box and her, Dan, Jessica, and even Amanda gets all the mail. I do have one friend that writes me every month though no matter what. But like so many friendships it is always a request for money I dont want to embarrass him by mentioning his name here but his intials are AEL&P)  getting the tea and saying good morning is something I look forward to.

Other things that can make my day;

The song Misty, but only played by Boots Randolph on the Tenor Sax.

The song Last Date by Floyd Cramer on the piano.

These two songs can mellow me out regardless of my mood, they are easily my number 1 and 2 favorite songs in the order as listed.

I like Root Beer but especially THIS Root Beer. I dont drink it near enough because my daughters say I shouldn't but Ashleigh's husband Dan likes it so I try to keep some in the fridge at all times in case he comes to visit. 8)  Sometimes it gets old (two days or maybe one) and needs to be gotten rid of and replaced So ,,,,,,,,,,

I enjoy getting on Facebook and being updated by Tammy, Carri, and Judy on what is going on in thier lives.

I like the song Shiloh by Neal Diamond, when that song is played i can actually taste the salt in the air, feel the briskness of the morning, and see the fog on the windshield as I drive my '57 T-bird from Santa Fe Springs California south to Camp Pendleton early in the morning to make first formation at 7. Funny how memories are attached to "things' so strongly that at times you can visualize, taste, feel, even smell the memory.

A song like Shiloh can bring back such strong impressions from a time I enjoyed and a car I really liked, the song "The wonder of you" by Elvis Presley can bring back all the positive memories of Skip (Tammy and Carri's Mom). We were married at and while i was stationed at camp Pendleton in the Marines. Tammy was born there and Carri was born after i got out in Douglas Arizona. I use to drive up to "The Springs" (Santa Fe Springs where she lived) and stay late then drive back along the coast to get to base for formation. I had an 8-track tape player (ok, you youngsters look it up LOL) and my favorite tape of the day was Neil Diamond and his song Shiloh which i played on that drive, nice and loud since the top was always off the car. I remember one time driving up there and blowing the head gasket about halfway. I nursed it to her house and spent all day Saturday under the tree in front of her house parked by the curb with the hood up. I pulled that engine completely down and replaced the gaskets right there. Those were the days, I remember Skip would stand there talking to me and getting me cold drinks, thats when I knew she was to be mine. Not sure what convinced her but i know my side of that story.

Even though it was after Judy and I was together there was a funny car mechanical story with her. I had a van I loved and of course she hated. It was a '64 chevy flatnosed one that was lifted about 6 inches. It looked good and mean and had a cool graphic on the side that she DID NOT like. Which, of course, meant I did LOL One summer while in Mesa (summers in Mesa Arizona are HOT) I was wroking on the van. Nice thing about it being so high is you could get quite comfortable working under it. Jessica was 4 or 5 and loved to help me (just like Sammy much later) and could walk under the van getting grease in the top of her hair which of course Judy hated and of course I thought was pretty cool. LOL One day Jessica and i were working on the van and it was hot, and under the van it was shady and cool. So we fell asleep laying flat on our backs under the van. Well for some reason preggo (with Amanda) Judy got concerned because she hadnt seen us and hadnt had Jessica running in for her constant drink/bathroom/hey mom guess what/hungry issues so she came outside, saw us lying under the van and thought we were ,,,,,,,,, anyway she got very unhappy and concerned and etc. and when we jerked awake in repsonse to that she was less happy and more angry with us. Jessica and I thought it was funny but she was worried/scared/ etc so she didnt see the humor in it til these days.

One more car story this one involves Sammy a few years ago when she was the same age as Jessica (4 or 5'ish) I had my 1971 Duster which I had found in the woods the year before and worked on often. This one summer day I had the left front wheel off and the car jacked up rewiring the started circuit. Sammy leaned into the fender well and over the brake drum saying what cha doin Grandpa. I replied that I was running new wires for the starter and she asked pointing this red one? I said yes, then she got up and crawled up my body getting up to my chest (under the car) then turned over where she was laying on my chest on her back and pointing said this one? I, while trying not to laugh because it was a really tight fit both of us under that car and the way she had crawled in, to point at the wire, said yep Samster that one. She then turned her head looking at me and said you need to move Grandpa there's no room under here. LOL

Well seems i once again wondered off my subject. So, to make it short there are alot of things that make my day every minute throughout it. Family, food, music, family, cars, friends, family, basically just life.

So, during this time of year from September where we think of the working man who made this country what it is , through the veteran who sacrificed to allow us to be able to live as we do with the freedoms that we have to Thankgiving when we simply say THANKS for all we have and sometimes even for what we dont have. To Christmas when we celebate the birth of Jesus Christ who through his sacrifice provided us a way to seek forgivenss and then New Year where we start all over again.

I will be celebratng my 61st New Year and remember more pluses than negatives. In fact many of the negatives are actually pluses now that I am older and look back on how trivial they were in the grand scheme of things. Even that 48 hr marriage to Rowena Lynn Hush in 1975 was a plus though I have to think really, really hard to remember why. LOL

Merry Christmas (Feliz Navidad, Mele Kalikimaka, Sigóowu Kíswas)

Hale Family Tree - Philip Bolton Hale 1844 - 1905

I think I have always wanted to do a fmaily tree. I've started many times but never got very far, partly because of lack of information and the difficulty of obtaining it.
Well, I finally bit the bullet so to speak last week and signed into Ancestry.com in order to begin one. Why'd I pay the money to do this? I was going to create my own and link it from my webpage (slegnawons.com) but creating it, designing it, and researching all added up to look a bit intimidating so ,,,,,,, $150 a year later I am on Ancestry.com. If you went there you could search for "Hale Family Tree" or maybe under my user name "brucehale1949" to see it.
In fact i would appreciate it if you did. That way any inaccuracies, addtions, guidance etc. that you had could be given me to add, subtract, correct, or research. Just think last week I knew my Grandparents, I had to ask Jessica who her mothers grandparents were, and still need to ask Skip about her parents. yet tonight I know some of those answers plus who my Great Grandfathers (Philip Bolton Hale) parents were in the late 1700's. Thats pretty cool I think.
I also have information and pictures of other relatives from the past. Imagine this, I found 17 (thats seventeen) family tress linked to or from my Great Grandfather. They connect via his Brothers such as Dell or Adolphus etc. but it's interesting and sort of exciting to find this stuff out.
This is me when I was 1 month old. (back then even boys wore dresses, according to my Mom it was to make changing diapers easier, and they used cloth diapers with pins to hold them). I'm kinda cute huh LOL 

Anyway this isnt about me, tonight it's about my Great Grandfather Philip Boton Hale who was  born in Sevier County AR, April 17, 1843, came to TX with mom and siblings in 1852/3 to Fayette County TX. He first enlisted as a private with Terry's Texas Rangers in late 1861 in lieu of his brother, who was unable to do so, but was discharged in November after only two months of service because of the measles. He then enlisted in Travis County with CO "I" on Apr 3, 1862 as a private. His name appears on a list of men paroled at Columbus TX in June or July 1865. (I like his pistola)

 He then went back to the life of a cowoy and farmer. In 1868 he married Mary Higgins of AL. (1845 - 1927)
They had 10 children, of which my Grandfather was number 5, and lived in Fayette, Falls, McClennan, and finally Waxahachie, Ellis county Texas where
<< thier wedding Picture

 Philip Bolton Hale passed away on March 30, 1905 and is thought to be buried in the city cemetery there.

He was survived by his wife Mary Elizabeth who passed away in Waco Texas in 1927. He was preceeded in death by his Father John M. Hale born 1795 and Mother Mary Archer born 1803. As well as 10 children of which Samuel Houston Hale, was child # 5. Born in 1886 in Texas, serving in WW1 and dieing in 1965 after marrying Golden Jewel Lundsford (1906 - 1994) born in the Indian Territories of Oklahoma.

They had a son whom they named Sam Houston Hale Jr. in 1926,

he went by tha name "Jay". He served in the U.S. Army during WWII.  He married Evelyn Lorene Redfearn and thier oldest son was ,,,,,,, me. You know that little 1 month old cutie up there ^^.

This is my Mom. She lives im Texas aand is a happy 80 years old. Other than my Brother (Randolph J. Middleton) who had his name changed when adopted as a child by our Step-father (William Clarence Middleton) she is the only living survivor of The Hale Family Tree

Well, other than that cutie from above who here is now 4 months old (no dress if you'll notice). As you can see reading above my Grandfather was named after a famous Texas hero (Sam Houston) and my father carried the same middle name to further recognize thier Texas pride. Following that family tradition of giving the oldest son a middle name of a hero they named me Bruce Wayne Hale, and I am the last of my family lineage. This branch of the Hales ends with me as I have only daughters and no sons to carry it on. I did tell them they had to have thier husbands change thier last names for that reason but it didnt seem to catch on. LOL

Well, thats Philip Bolton Hale my Great Grandfather. To see more, or better yet aid in my search for information visit Ancestry.com and look for Hale Family Tree or the username BruceHale1949.

Oh yeah, and please leave a comment it's the only way I know anyone actually looks at this stuff. besides i like reading them.

Happy Birthday to me and other peripheral B.S. 8)

Yes, today is my birthday, and no no-one improtant forgot it. I merely used Happy Birthday to me as a title not a selfish plea for attention 8)

Last Sunday while the local girls were at my place for the weekly dinner and watch Dexter fest the aforementioned subject was brought up.
"So Dad" asked Ashleigh "what do you want to do for your borthday next Saturday?" I said I would like something simple like forgetting it and she said not happening. LOL
So the discussion was on should we eat at the hanger, mexican food, asian food, etc. Jessica mentioned McDonalds and Dan jumped on that one as they both know I like that place. Ashleigh avoided it because, like two weeks ago she called and asked what I was doing. I said sitting here reading a book and eating Fritos. Well the lecture began, those are bad for you Dad. I said something about dipping them in cheesesauce but that didnt slow her down. Finally I said I am eating them to get rid of them so the temptation isnt there. She said i should just get rid of them NOW and so I said ok, I would eat them faster. She was not amused, though I was. (I thought it was a pretty cool comeback afterall LOL)
Then one of them (I think Dan) mentioned they should have one of those McDonalds birthday parties, they could set the number on the birthday chair to six and add a homemade one to it. Even Ashleigh got into that one. I saw her yesterday and mentioned that we could do something simple like at the regular dinner/dexter thing but she smiled secretively and said we'll see so I am worried. 8) If I was you and lived in Juneau I would avoid McDonalds today, just in case.

A co-worker's (Andy) Mom always sends homemade Banana Pudding for my birthday which she did Thursday night since that is Andy's friday. So tonight I came out to go to work and the headlight switch on my truck went out. Now normally this would not be a big deal except it is winter and dark more than light these days and I go to work at 11pm which is dark plus 1.5. So I called jessica to borrow her car and drove there with parking lights only in the truck. She came out with a homemade Pumpkin Pie and whipped cream (real cream she pointed out and it says on the can not that oily stuff like the commercial says LOL) Now it's a tossup which I like best Banana Pudding or Pumpkin Pie. A hard choice to make for sure. Which to eat first. Oh yeah and Jessica you were first saying Happy Birthday 8)

it's not a choice of which to eat, thats a no-brainer, I am sitting here at 0130 with banana pudding AND pumpkin pie and dinner as well. Ashleigh you cant read this part. Dinner is history, I am taking it back home. Wont have room for it after desert. Both of my choices are bad for me, but were birthday gifts so there is no choice about eating them (yeah right, not eating them is not even in the equation. as-if LOL) The only choice is should I get the tempatation out of the way and eat it all tonight (YUMMMMMMM) or be sensible and have some for tomorrow night (save money on dinner because I wouldnt need any again) ok, tomorrow night part sonds good and delicious x2 right? Ok, so which one tonight and which one tomorrow night. Pumpkin Pie has been a family traditional birthday thing since the kids mom was around and she taught it to the kids. But banana pudding has been a tradition from Andys Mom since I started this job.

OF COURSE I KNOW that family comes first, but it's BANANA PUDDING. Ok, here's the plan a spoon of pumpkin pie followed by ,,,,,,,, you got it like wine tasting. You sniff it for the aroma, swirl it around for the flavor, swallow it for the pleasure (notice it's the three S's) and then a cracker to clear the pallette before the next one. I dont have any crackers and wouldn't use them anyway in this case. So it's decided one of this one and then one of that one and then ,,,,, you get the hint. And because i love my Ashleigh (and all her sisters) and for thier concern about my health I will remove the temptation as fast as I can. I brought a big spoon, and will eat faster. Happy Birthday to ME!!!!!!!

In closing I remeber a couple birthdays ago we ate at the Hanger. Ashleigh brought along a really cute cake shaped like a dinosaur with the appropriate number of candles on it. When lit they were brighter than the lights in the resturant. LOL We had the brightest corner in the place.

The kids like to attract attention especially when it's moi in the spotlight. 8)

Today, was a nice day 8)

Since I work midnight to eight I get messed up on my days ,,,,,,, a lot. LOL  So, when I say that today, Saturday, was a nice day. While I'm fairly sure it was Saturday I am quite sure it was a nice day. Sunny with a very few clouds, a brisk 19'ish on the drive home, and enough sunshine to hurt the eyes. LOL

Now, some people I know (like the kids Mom Judy would be saying something like 19 degrees thats not a nice day!!) But it was dry, sunny, and ,,,,,,, nice.


A while back Dan, Myself, and a mutual friend Jeremy pulled the engine out of Dan's '87 Toyota pickup because it had thrown a rod. (you can read about it in a previous post on this bloggy thing as well as on Ashleigh's (Ewing) blog. After pulling it we dis-assembled it to rebuild it. I spent some time cleaning the engine and parts with diesel to remove the grease etc. so they were all nice and shiney.

After determining the cost of a crank kit, gaskets, a rod, a piston, etc. it was determined that a new engine wasnt that much more so a new engine was ordered from Oregon. The price wasn't so bad even with shipping and core charge. Shipping took 1 day (they e-mailed me wednesday night and it was here thursday afternoon, pretty cool) The core charge was $350 but to ship it back was $250 so that wasnt worth it thus no claim for the core charge.

My daughter Jessica and I went to get the thing on Thursday and I sent an e-mail out about the need to get together to install it soon. So, today on the way home I figured I needed to move and rearrange some stuff in order to accomadate Dan's pickup, and an assembly area for the new engine etc. But the Harley got thrown into the mix as well as other stuff.

Where before the weather was warm and the garage mostly empty now things were different. The vette was put away for the winter and was thus in the adjoining stall, and the Harley had been sold to a guy in Skagway who was coming to get it next week.

So, I needed the bike accessible to load onto his truck, the tractor was parked where the truck would need to go and the truck where the tractor normally sits etc. so you see the issue. Plus the engine was still sitting on the pallet on the floor behind the tractor.

(That's a younger Sammie helping plow her Moms drive. I had wrapped her plastic wheels with rubber bicycle tires and screwed them to the plastic wheels with large headed screws so she had traction and was studded. Now it would actually get stuck not just spin on the surface. LOL)

Basically I was puttering around. Got the engine up on the stand and was getting it ready to put the oil pan, water pump, manifolds etc. in preparation to re-install into Dan's truck when Jessica showed up. How convienant was that, and she was so happy that I put her to work helping move the tractor, pull the Harley out, tow the truck around and put it inside etc..

Then I called Dan & Ashleigh informing them that we were all going to lunch and since Ashleigh is preggo and REALLY PICKY these days LOL I let her choose where. She chose the hanger and so Jessica, I, and Dan & Ash went for lunch at the hanger. Now generally I am not a hanger fan and it has nothing to do with the quality of food. In fact today i had an amazing chili and fries covered with cheese. (Was going to dump them together and make chili fries but they were so darn good separately I just enjoyed them that way). And a new draft rootbeer that was also good. Dan had some orange noodely looking stuff he said was good, Ash had something wrapped inside a red tortilla she liked and Jess had a slab of orangey something between two buns. I had some amazing chili.

But, as I said my problem with the hanger isnt the quality nor quantity of food. My problem is ,,,,,,

well, lets just say that after I insisted on paying Ashleigh said ok, dont even look at the ticket just sign it. In fact I'll sign it so you dont have to see it. Think you have my issue figured out? I dont think so.

When the receipt thing came she covered the bottom and said how much tip you want to leave. Then she said we have all told you that those amounts on the bottom are suggested amounts for tips not what your required to leave. The restuarant is not telling you that you have to leave a certain amount. Blah blah blah LOL


You see my issue is that I resent them telling me what to leave as a tip based on my balance. I actually exceed what they "suggest" but resent being told what to leave.

Anyway, I digress, after a great lunch we all headed back home. I had to go to work at midnight so sleep was beckoning. We still need to set a day to start on engine and I need to order pizza and wings for that day (tomorrow sounds good to me) remembering last time when I ordered two orders of wings and Ashleigh ate them ALL. She will claim to have eaten only 3/4 of them but she ate them ALL. I think she let me have one when I got back with the rootbeer so in all honesty she only ate 15/16ths of them not ALL. LOL  This time i'm ordering 4 orders and will be there when delivered not out getting rootbeer.

<<<<< see there she is eating WINGS,,,,,,,, oops there she is drinking water after she ate 15/16ths of the WINGS. LOL

So, the end of another gorgeously brisk and sunny day. Now it's 3 a.m. and all I can think of is

Want some more ????

I didn't think so,,,,,, 8(

Have a great veterans Day, and to any other Marines out there Happy 235th Birthday today (oops clock changed so make that yesterday).

Holidays and celebrations have become so commercialized they have lost thier meaning and if we dont remind the younger folks those meanings will be lost forever.

Like my title "Want some more?" that has become the mantra of National Pig Out Day. Sorry, that would be Thanksgiving. Do you find it interesting that a day of giving thanks for all we have is celebrated by wasting and indulging ourselves even more. We should be thankful not only on the fact that we create more edible waste and garbage than any other country in the world but that we have the freedom to do so, the freedom to say it, and the freedom to worship, or not, by our own choice. How about the fact that the Friday after Thanksgiving is given more prominence than the actual holiday. Are we going to get Friday off for a 4-day weekend, the first official shopping day for Christmas, etc.

We live in the greatest country on Earth with the highest standard of living. We have so much to be thankful for, not just the competiton of who can eat, devour, waste, indulge, the most, but the fact that we live in a country, a society, a time,where we can.

Veterans Day is a day where we recognize the sacrifices made by those that served our country. But anymore it's seen as another day off, another day to watch the game and drink the afternoon away, another excuse to party. But have you ever even attended a veterans Day parade, or do you just get  upset because it inconvienanced your drive to the package store. How often do you stand for the flag in a parade, place your hand over you heart during the National Anthem, or even know the pledge of alligence?

No honey, Christmas is not all about Santa Claus? But the stores, you know the ones, that have thier Santa decorations out before Thanksgiving and lately before Halloween even. While Santa is an important sideline to Christmas (Thats CHRISTmas not X-mas) he is there mainly for the commercilization and money making aspect of the celebration.

While Thankgiving is a time of thanks, and Veterans Day is a time of recognition, Christmas is a time of celebration, If your a christian then it's a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. If your not a Christian it's still the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, you just choose to twist it, commercialize it, rename it, and insert your own diety to worship such as the dollar, Santa, the game, getting high, or a number of things that take away from the real meaning of the celebration.

But then isnt that what we do to all the holidays? The only ones not seen as a day off, a time to party, is the ones important to you as an individual.

Like me I am a veteran so vaterans Day means allot to me, 11/10 is a Happy Birthday since I am a Marine, I am a Christian so Christmas means a lot however I do indulge Santa and spend more than I should on those that I love, those that I like, and even those I do not know, but not at the loss of the real meaning.

New Years is a time of hope, or dread. A time of resolutions, if you dont know what a resolution is then try this. A resolution, especially as related to New Years, is a promise, usually to self, to accomplish something that usually is never accomplished or even attempted. LOL

So, hug a Veteran and say thanks, eat your heart out until your stuffed and then watch the game and try to stay awake, and spend, spend, spend, for Santa. (ever notice that the kids seem to enjoy the box and wrapping paper more than the girft. Often thought of wrapping an empty box and letting them have fun) but dont forget what this all means and where it all came from.

The veteran will appreciate the effort, the rats at the landfill will appreciate the wasted food, the stores will appreciate all the money you spent, and Jesus will still love you.

So, all the Happy's and Merry's for the next year from me to you.  As for me, every day is amazing but it has been a rough year. LOL

Driving a Dad's vette the first time.

I have daughters from two marriges. Tammy and Carri with Skip in # 1, and Jessica, Amanda, and Ashleigh with Judy from #2.
This is a story about Tammy and how she had just gotten her drivers license in Tucson Arizona. She had been after me for about a year to drive my car, a 1977 Corvette. I was hesitant but she eventually wore me down so I promised the following Saturday I would come up and go to her little brothers (Scott) soccer game and that I would let her drive me to the game in the vette. The younger girls would be visitng family so it would work out nicely.
I arrived early ( as i tend to do) and instead of waking everyone up in a dark house I chose to catch a few winks sitting in the car. Now while Corvettes may be cool, sporty, fast, and all that they are NOT comfortable to sleep in. I had cowboy boots one and can remember trying to get my feet to fit and the seat to recline and all that. It was a miserable couple of hours and when Ed (skips boyfriend who was/is the best guy she ever dated in my opinion) woke up and offerred me coffee I was most grateful.
Morning arrived in a blaze of color that you have to be in the southern desert to appreciate. It was going to be another beautiful, sunny day. A perfect day for a soccer game, and even better for a young lady to drive a cool car with the t-tops taken off.
Tammy tried to do the no brreakfast thing she was so excited to go drive the car but eventually gulped down what was required to satisfy her mom and Ed. Only then to be disappointed because she still couldnt leave until they did and there was no gulping on thier part. Scott was equally excited as he was gonna tear 'em up on the soccer field that day.
The time came, it was a sunny, warm, Saturday, and the kid was gonna drive a bright red, stingray. What could be better. She was excited and nervous at the same time.
We walked out to the car, I threw her the keys, and she stood at the door staring at me with a vacant look on her face sort of like I cant believe this is really gonna happen, and oh poop the time is here. 8)
We got in she started the car, and immediately asked if we could go by her friends house so they could see her driving the car. I relented and said sure. So to the friends house we go, she pulls up, runs to the door, knocks, and no one is home.. So, she asks to try another, we drive over there, do the alley this time, she runs to the back door, knocks, and no one is home. Friend after freind, NO ONE is home. This poor girl finally gets to drive the cool car and there is no one to show off for. We did have a long drive all over Tucson that day and did make Scotts soccer game before it ended. She had a great time and told her friends all about it on Monday.

A bunch of years later, while living in Haines Alaska Amanda got her chance to drive the 1975 Vette we had at that time. It was 40 miles from town to the house. I drove her car and she drove the vette. After 2 hours I was vacillating between worried and angry. She finally showed up and I asked (quite pointedly) where the heck have you been, what took so long. She said sorry Dad but I was so scared I would wreck the car I only drove 40 miles an hour. LOL

I had purchased an Auto/Tire repair shop as my retirement gig. I had operated with the owner for 6 months prior to his moving and my taking over to get to know how it all worked.
January 1, 2005 I retired from the Border Station in Haines Alaska which was a Saturday.
Monday I opened the shop on my own for the first time. Tuesday I had deliveries of new tires, new equipment, and two cords of wood brought in. On Wednesday morning, January 5, 2005 I looked out the office window to what I thought heavy snow blowing (it was snowing very heavily at the time) only to step out and see the shop was on fire. That June I put the car in the car show ( where it had shown every year from when I first got it wrecked, while sanded for body work etc) with the sign below leaned against it. You can see the before of the car, the fire, and the after.

Can you spell ,,,, H U N G R Y !!!!!!

Here it is 3a.m. I am at work and havent eaten since I went to bed at 3p.m. and cant eat before 9a.m. Why, because I have a fasting lad at 9 in the a.m. Having a fasting lab at 9a.m. for someone on my shift is like having one at 8p.m. for you normal folk. A 12 hour fast means I am

H U N G R Y !!!  LOL

My thoughts concentrate on food at this time and since I have been good and dropped almost 40 lbs since July my thoughts should be on other things like

But NOOOOOO it has to be on stuff like Denny's where I love to eat breakfast especially at 3 a.m.. Last time I had Denny's was in July while visiting Missoula. The kids Mom, I, and Sammie had gone there. The waitress was so very nice. Sammie cant have milk but wanted Hot Cocoa so bad the lady went out of her way to make her one using soy milk.

of course another thought is the ever popular Burger.

<< Though this one looks delicious I couldn't even take a bite so may settle for a shorter one. >>

But at 105 pounds it probrably isnt a good idea either.

Dont you hate it when you cant eat. Not an I'm not hungry situation but CANT EAT. Kind of like when the plumber comes in and says I am turning the water off in 10 min. You ask the kids anyone need a drink or to go potty they're turning the water off in 10 so now is the time. 11 min later the water is off and EVERY kid in the house is thirsty, needs to go potty, (I had all girls so the backyard wasnt an option) or suddenly needed a shower. LOL

Well, the burger idea isn't working because the thoughts are bigger than the tummy. So, my thoughts while still on food moved closer to home>>

What do you mean I want some. This is ALL mine. I'll make you some next time and any good B-B-Q must be followed by a proper desert later sitting around shooting the bull. What do you mean if I dont share I'll be shooting the bull alone and probrably still hungry? Ok, ok dont bust a gasket I'll share but this desert is ALL MINE.

You cannot get a good Banana Spilt in Juneau Alaska. I have tried, you get stuff called banana splits but they are in bowls, not boats, they dont have ALL the flavors of ice cream and or toppings. Bummer because I DO like them. The last time I remember having a good one was years and years ago while working at the Border Station in Nogales Arizona. I had a friend/neighbor named Donna. I called her Donna-do because she was so tiny but with a huge attitude she could do anything even at 4'11" and maybe 95 lbs. We would switch off on riding to work as it was 20 miles one way from Patagonia where I lived to Nogales. She worked at Taco Bell and as such we would meet next door at Dairy Queen since she got off 15 - 30 min. after me. Whoever rode bought and every day it was a banana spilt. Now Dairy Queen knew how to make a banana spilt, and a milk shake as well.

A funny story re, Taco Bell. You must realize that we lived on the Mexican Border and to get Mexican food was pretty easy to say the least. Well the kids Mom LOVES Mexican food and this one year she decided to come visit the girls during spring break. So, lunch time is coming and she asks the girls hey you guys want to go have lunch with your Dad and surprise him. A chorus of yeah's followed and a 20 mile drive to the Border Station in town where they all picked me up and we went to her favorite mexican restaurant, Los Amigos. The kids liked it because it had a train that ran around the top of the walls blowing smoke and sounding the whistle. Judy and i liked it because it was good food at good prices.  We all had a good lunch and they went back home.

The following day Judy came to visit the girls again and again asked if they wanted to surprise Dad for lunch, they yelled Y E S !!!!! When the arrived at the border station and I came out and got in the car. Judy asked where I wanted to go (as if I had a choice, c'mon we had been married my choices ended the day before the wedding LOL) A small voice from the backseat asked can we have real mexican food this time. We turned to Ashleigh and said sure baby where would you like to go to get real mexican food and she said

Then and Now ,,,,,,,,

I am sitting here listening to some then and now music from freddy fender to some unknowns that are on the radio these days (unknown to me as Freddy Fender is probrably unknown to you LOL)

Listening to all this nostalgia of course puts me in a nostalgic mood so ,,,,,,,
Here are some then pics ,,,,,,,,

Try to figure out who these
"thens" are

compared to the "nows" pictured below.

Ok, pic # 1 is my Dad "Jay" around the time of WWII. He served in the Army in both the European and Pacific theater of operations. The "now" pic was taken shortly before his death a number of years ago sitting next to my Aunt. Pic # 2 is of Judy who is my last most special significant other 8). She is pictured with her twin sister Debby while they lived in South Carolina as Navy brats. Thier Dad was a submariner and mom was just that, thier mom. The "now" pic is of her sitting on the rim of the Grand Canyon where we had lived back in the early '80's in fact our youngest "Ashleigh" was born there.. and just for the record that young lady is entering her third tri-mester with her first. Pic # 3 is moi standing on the porch with my brother Randy and Dad Jay. The "now" pic is, well it is what it is, what more can I say it was a great day. The pic was taken by Ashleigh as her and her husband Dan and I were headed for an island to have lunch. It was a great day.

One more ,,,,,,,

Lets see if I can get the story straight. This picture was taken in 1844 of my Great x ? Grandfather. He had just came to Texas from the Northeast and met his 16 year old bride-to-be. I dont remember thier names right now but the pic. is cool and if not for them there would be no me, and as such no ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

oh, and if you look at the now pics of Judy and I you can see I was always right when I said I had better taste than her. LOL

All roads lead to ,,,,,,,,

well, not Juneau Alaska LOL
As the locals know there are no roads out of or into Juneau. You can drive 40 miles out to Berners Bay which is a really nice drive but then you turn around and come back. Reminds me of when I was stationed at KMCAS in Hawaii way back when. The most exciting thing when I returned to the mainland was being able to get in the car and going somewhere in a straight line forever. 8)
Sort of like last October when my daughter Amanda and her family was moving to Montana. They were selling all thier stuff for the move when I had an epiphany (if you dont know what that is dont worry I am guessing on both the meaning and the spelling LOL just had to use my big word for the day) I thought heck it would cost more for them to replace thier stuff than if I drove it down there and besides I could get out of here for a week or two and drive somewhere.
So, I rented a U-haul (this is called "product placement" which if in the movies would net me big bucks so if U-haul reads this you owe me) trailer, let them load all the stuff they had left into it, grabbed Sammie (7 years old then) and headed for Montana. It weas an amazingly fun trip. Sammie was old enough to stay awake, notice stuff, and talk non-stop for over 2,000 miles. At one point we were driving through the mountains just past Muncho Lake in a pretty decent snow storm. I was driving maybe 35 in 4 wheel drive on a narrow twisted mountain road when we were passed on a curve by a motorcycle loaded with backpacks and one warm looking person. I dont know which was more surprising the fact that a motorcycle passed this big 4x4 truck in a snowstorm or that a motorcycle passed this big 4x4 truck in a snowstorm on a narrow mountain road at midnight. But a great trip that Sammie remembers as much as I do.
Did I ever tell you about my trip down there last July? Amanda's mother was visiting and I showed up unexpectedly and surprised everyone. Well, we were all riding around doing what girls and their mothers seem to like doing more than me, SHOPPING. I dont care if they were spending thier own money, geez, how many stores can you shop in, in a day. So, anyway, I was whining about it and wanting to look at motor homes while down there so between stores Amanda pulled into a motorhome dealer and Sammie and I got out to look while they talked (and planned more ,,,,,,, shopping)
Sammie and I looked at a few and each had our favorites. On the way back to go ,,,,, shopping we stopped in the office to ask about the three we liked best. The two I liked were in the $120,000 range. I use to complain about the price of a nice truck saying it doesnt even have a bathroom, well these had bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms but wow $120k for something on wheels. ( and just think I live in a Mobile Home that sort of like a motor home minus the motor right?)
Sammie asked about her favorite one and I almost fell over at the $379,000 price tag. I turned and saw Sammie heading for the door and asked where she was going. She said "to get your checkbook grandpa and tell mommy I am riding home with you." 8)  Oh the beauty of youth.
Anyway, I digress (another big word), I am in the process of building a 16 x 8 storage shed along side my dumpy mobile. Today Jessica was helping me when she stopped and said what's that.

I answered I wasnt sure so she uncovered it a bit more we uncovered even more and was becoming shocked, amazed, astounded what did we have here It looked like, oh my, it seemed loke (I am so excited I cant type) wow, a baby T-rex. A very well preserved baby T-rex. I told Jessica we had to call in the sceintists, those that work on such things whether they be Archeologists, Anthropologists, or whatever one of those *gists types followed by a PHD in their name. She said why and picked it up. She actually PICKED UP this well preserved baby T-rex. I looked for the well preserved baby T-rex but she had sat it on the fence where it had fallen into the neighbors yard and thier dog got it 8( So now all I have is this impression of a baby T-rex in my yard.

Tomorrow, no wait thats Sunday. Then Monday, no wait thats Alaska Day, well poop, one day soon I am calling those PHD types and telling them about this hysterical (did I spell that right LOL) find in my yard.

I have stopped work on the shed due to this now being an officially declared (by me) Archeological "dig" and historical site.

It's both exciting and a shame because now my garage still looks like this . Oh Hi Ashleigh. She has a nice story about us pulling the engine on Dans truck over on her blog. She forgets to mention that I had ordered pizza's and wings and then went to get Root Beer. When I got back there was Ashleigh standing beside the Meat lovers and Hawaian Pizza's and munching on the wings. Did I forget to mention she ate ALL the wings. LOL

Baby cribs or should I say crib.

Well, it seems that my youngest daughter posted photos of "Inspirational Baby Rooms" last week showing some pretty impressive professionally decorated baby rooms. I was impressed, but then I am impressed by a well built shed so my being impressed probrably doesnt mean as much as her and those that commented were impressed.

The first picture in the series was of a really nice room but what impressed me (and others) was the crib. I (as well as Ashleigh) like old stuff and this crib has an old look to it. She even said that she liked it so much that she would pee her pants to have it.

Well the challenge was made, the guantlet thrown down, I had no choice but to find this crib. I mean, I even asked her if she liked it so much she'd pee her pants in public and she said YEPPERS!!!!

So, I searched high and low, left and right, long and wide, I searched the internet using search engines I havent used in years, sources I had forgotten about, inventories of stores that were as small as one room in backwoods little towns across America. I even searched antique shops and those that shop yard sales throughout the mid-west where antiques are known to pop up. I even tried NASA to see if maybe just maybe, I thought I had hit paydirt by accessing a little known movie set supply house in Hollywood but all was naught. I did find that I wanted and all metal, Sun Bonnet Baby Crib from the 1920's. So all wasnt naught but not far from it.

Well you've heard that ol saying you can find anything on E-bay? Well, guess what, after all that, I was skimming e-bay motors as I do quite regularly and thought what the heck and entered Sun Bonnet Metal baby crib in the main search bar. And ,,,,,,,

What did I see? Well it wasn't 8 tiny reindeer but not far from it at least as far as my excitement meter was concerned.

A 1920 Sun Bonnet All Metal baby Crib sitting right the on E-bay. Not NASA, not Hollywood, not midwest antiques, not yard sales, not even cribs galore located in my mind back in the dusty corner of the last storage room down that last hall, last door on the left. but on E_BAY. Pretty cool if you ask me (was going to put Moi but couldn't speel it) Just pretty darn cool.

One 1920 (90 years old) metal baby crib made by Sun Bonnet sitting in a little antigue shop in Minn. Price wasnt much more than youd pay for a really good quality new one. Shipping? Now thats another story. Probrably could have driven there to get it. LOL Actually shipping was a bit more than expected but not bad afterall it is all metal. But 90 year old metal.

It will be shipped to Ashleigh's place next Tuesday and THIS TIME it is actually going to HER place so I dont have to deal with the box 8).

I had a blast looking for it, was so excited to find it partly because of all the effort doing so and partly because it,,,,,,,, is ,,,,,,,,,,, well ,,,,,,,,,,,, just plain ,,,,,,,,,COOL. And I know the kid will enjoy it just as much.

I told her there is one string attached to it. When she is done with it, it will be put away and kept in the family only. Afterall it's starting out as 90 years old with us so we may as well see it when it's 100 years old or Sammies, or Taylors, etc. child can use it when it is 110 years old. Kinda cool, dont cha think..

I AM SO STOKED !!!!!!!