Terry's Notes

It Is Still Winter!

2012-03-17T19:39:00.001-04:00

I was out and about today without a coat.
The sun was shining and the temperature was in the 70s (21C).
People are walking all over with summer clothes on.

There are 2 St. Patrick's Day parades that draw big crowds. Today's in South Buffalo had huge crowds. Tomorrow the parade in downtown should be tremendous. People in other years would turn out in snowy cold weather. Not this year. And the crowds are showing it.

I could get to like this weather.

Did It Again

2012-02-20T13:23:00.003-05:00

I am getting pretty good at this

I was upstairs when I noticed an unusual odor. What could it be?

I looked around where I was and finally went downstairs. The aroma of cooking plastic.

I hate it when I put a pot of water on the stove and completely forget it. This pot has survived this treatment several times now and for some unknown reason still does not leak. It is hard to believe it was once shiny and new but that was back in the good old days.

I wonder if I could be poisoning myself reusing this pot after the adventures it has been through? I guess I am just too frugal (cheap) to look at another.

Good Question

2012-01-02T11:15:00.000-05:00

A little boy was standing in the church looking at plaques with names on them.

The priest came along and asked him what he was looking at.

The boy said he was wondering who all these names were.

The priest said that they were all people who had died in the service.

The boy was concerned and asked whether it was the 10:30 or noon service.

--- idea from Randy Travis

First of the Season

2011-12-09T08:23:00.001-05:00

Not an awful lot of it but the color is right.

Daylight Savings Info

2011-11-02T12:56:00.001-04:00

This is a good explanation. Make sure you watch it all:

Had 2 Bags But Needed Much More

2011-10-31T19:04:00.000-04:00

As an afterthought on my way home I bought two packages of miniature Snickers bars. I thought that would take care of the few stray Trick-or-Treaters who might come along.

Boy, was I wrong!

The crowd was just building when I ran out.

I actually turned the lights out and went into Scrooge mode.

The number of kids goes up and down from year to year and this was really an up year.

It is really fun.

Science in Action

2011-10-29T16:49:00.001-04:00

This was too good to pass up. Hope you enjoy it.

Frustration

2011-10-09T11:02:00.000-04:00

I do some surveys online because I find some of them to be thought provoking or just generally interesting.

There is very little money involved but the little bit I do get is nice too.

Today and yesterday are examples of the feeling of rejection involved at times though. I have been saving the count of survey email invitations and completions.

For yesterday and today the count so far is 38 received and the count that I have qualified for and completed is 2. Yes, just two. Not exactly a great income producer.

Oh well. It is Sunday morning so there is plenty of time for improvement.

Holiday Weekend

2011-10-07T23:23:00.000-04:00

Columbus Day (Monday) will come at just a good time for me. I think having a day off is just the thing for me.

I have not noticed any criticisms of Columbus this year. It seems to bring all the rights pushers out of the woodwork when tributes to Columbus are planned but they are not as obvious so far.

So the Vikings were here before him and maybe even some Chinese from way, way back. It was with Columbus and the other explorers of his era who are responsible for the settlement of this hemisphere.

Trash Day

2011-10-07T00:04:00.000-04:00

With my high usage of items and disposal of the refuse I usually only take the trash to the curb once a month or so. Tonight was a nice night so I decided to take things out a little sooner than required.

I have a huge tote the village gave me a couple of years ago and did manage to get it half full. I also have a good sized plastic container for things like newspapers and plastic bottles that can be recycled. If I say so myself, I am pretty conscientious about this stuff.

There is a clear sky with about 2/3 of the moon shining down. I even took a little extra time to prune a couple of low hanging branches from the tree in front of the house. I did restrain myself from getting too enthusiastic because I was concerned about what the neighbors would think about this strange person doing gardening at night.

All-in-all though a very successful garbage night.

Neat Hearing Aid Things

2011-10-05T23:54:00.001-04:00

I have a pretty up-to-date digital hearing aid. One of the interesting things is it has a built in capability to warn you when the battery is just about to run out.

About ten or fifteen minutes before the battery is going to die you get a special tone, like a chime. This is meant to give you enough time to change the battery. It doesn't always work that way because sometimes it goes off when you are driving or otherwise occupied. You do know as sure as anything though that you are soon to be much more deficient in the hearing department.

Thinking about it though, it is quite a capability to be able to go for a week or so and then be capable of measuring the output of the battery so you know within a few minutes when it will stop being capable of operating the hearing aid. This is my idea of one of the wonders of modern technology. It really is repeatable.

Pedometer RIP

2011-10-04T13:05:00.000-04:00

I have finally quit using the pedometer for counting my steps.

I have a very good one that saves the data for a couple of weeks if you want. Then you can, at your convenience, download the data to the computer. Great system because you do not have to type in anything or do anything else that may be difficult or time consuming.

Unfortunately though the weakness in the system has finally gotten me down - the batteries. Wanting to download about two weeks data I was greeted by a blank screen. The battery ran out and all the data was lost. Plus, if you install new batteries in this condition you have to enter the entire setup routine.

If this was the only time this happened I would just pass it off as a bad experience. Unfortunately though it has happened several times in the past.

My hearing aid has a distinctive tone that it sounds off with about 15 minutes before going dead but the pedometer does not have any battery warning indication. Maybe some day I will get something like this built into another pedometer but for now the frustration is a little too great.

Quiet Night

2011-10-03T22:40:00.001-04:00

I actually have all my work caught up and have a quiet period. No tv, no reading, no phone calls.

I am actually feeling pretty good right at the moment although from things I have gone through I still have sympathy for those in discomfort. May everyone's problems vanish for even a little while.

October is an interesting month in that it often is a mixture of the whole year's weather: very wet, very dry, very hot, very cold and a burst of growth from the lawn and hedges before the snows of November.

We are currently saturated from all the rain and the lawn needs mowing due to the growth spurt. So what's to do. Right hand for the mower and the left hand for the umbrella? As long as we do not have to shovel off the white stuff to mow the grass underneath. It is October and anything is possible weatherwise.

The heat is on again. The Halloween decorations are up or going up all over.

Food tastes great in the cooler weather and the sleeping is at its best.

Computer Problems

2011-09-14T22:43:00.003-04:00

Last Sunday with just a little warning my computer decided it was time to go on vacation.

It has on infrequent occasions taken up shutting itself off. I did the normal thing and tried to ignore it. After all, it always started up right away afterwards.

Sunday was different - no pretty lighted button lighting. All was darkness.

I do have an older computer also but they are not synchronized. I could still work on my surveys and stuff. But I could not access my Verizon email accounts.

Turns out it was the power supply. Got it in Monday late. Got it back today (Wednesday). Also asked them to check the machine out completely and they found some viruses - malware and ad ware. Very frustrating because I am almost religious in my zeal to keep up to date antivirus software running.

All-in-all it was a not so good start to the week.

Go Figure - Hearing Test

2011-08-30T14:49:00.003-04:00

I have been getting aggravated recently by the difficulty understanding conversations so I decided that after over 3 years it might be useful to get things checked out with the audiologist.

I have a digital hearing aid. She checked it out pretty well, got all the wax out and changed a little filter I often forget to check. She also adjusted it using the computer to change the audio filtering to blank out more of the background noise and amplify the foreground a little.

This really did seem to help somewhat but it was decided that due to the length of time since the last one that I should get my hearing test updated. This requires a prescription from a doctor and so we scheduled another appointment.

Today I went in for the test. She did have to remove some wax from my ear. I then repeated all the words I could hear and pressed the button when I heard the various tones in the earphones. After this was all finished, she smiled and told me my high frequency hearing actually tested better than the last time.

I did not know you could actually improve. I thought you were sort of doomed to reduced capability as time goes by. My problems that I was concerned about were probably wax related in the ear and the hearing aid. Maybe the tuneup helped or maybe I really am better than before.

Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

2011-08-12T08:44:00.002-04:00

One of my favorites over the years.

"Solitude," by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850 - 1919).

Laugh, and the world laughs with you:

Weep, and you weep alone;

For the sad old earth

Must borrow its mirth,

It has trouble enough of its own.

Sing, and the hills will answer;

Sigh, it is lost on the air;

The echoes bound

To a joyful sound,

But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;

Grieve, and they turn and go;

They want full measure

Of all your pleasure,

But they do not want your woe.

Be glad, and your friends are many;

Be sad, and you lose them all;

There are none to decline

Your nectared wine,

But alone you must drink life's gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;

Fast, and the world goes by;

Succeed and give,

And it helps you live,

But it cannot help you die.

There is room in the halls of pleasure

For a long and lordly train;

But one by one

We must all file on

Through the narrow aisles of pain.

Street Photography

2011-08-10T12:54:00.003-04:00

I thought this may be too long but as I watched it I grew more fascinated.

I got this from the Observer VeryShortList.

What Were You Doing in 1965?

2011-08-06T20:18:00.005-04:00

USS General J. C. Breckinridge (AP-176)

I was taking a boat ride!

In June to August of 1965 LBJ decided to put 50,000 troops into Vietnam and I was available. After all this time I am a little fuzzy on details but we might have arrived in June.

Just happened across this picture a little while ago of my 'cruise ship' for my trip from Oakland to Pearl Harbor and Yokohama and finally Cam Ranh Bay.

Nice Video of Buffalo NY

2011-07-18T19:05:00.004-04:00

This is a nice video of Buffalo, NY from TheAtlantic.

Nice Thoughts about Complaining.

2011-07-14T13:00:00.002-04:00

This really caught my eye:

Nice Saturday Night

2011-07-09T22:18:00.002-04:00

Just a nice Saturday night. Temperature is dropping a little to help the sleeping. I really do not want to overdo it too much but weather like this could actually get me liking the summer a little.

Quick Cellphone Photos of the Niagara

2011-07-07T20:08:00.005-04:00

It was not sunny but it was very warm so I took a quick ride to the foot of Ferry St. on the west side of Buffalo. The breezes off the lake are just the medicine I needed for heat-funk.

This is a look down river using my cheapest model low resolution cell phone camera. The water is moving sort of fast around here.

This is a look straight across the river toward Ft.Erie Ontario. The ferryboat back in the good old days of long ago used to run from here to the buildings you see on the other side of the river.

This is the Peace Bridge upriver. Behind it is Lake Erie, the source of the cooling breezes I was enjoying.

June 6, 1944 - D-Day Invasion of Europe.

2011-06-06T10:31:00.005-04:00

This is a video on the US Army D-Day site.

June 6, 1944 a hundred thousand troops began the invasion of Europe.

Who is This?

2011-05-29T12:31:00.005-04:00

Sandor Petofi was known as the poet of Hungary. He was a very popular poet around the revolutionary times 1848. This statue is located in Riverside Park in Buffalo, NY.

The Britannica article above shows he probably lived much longer than was believed.

Lean Year for Lilacs

2011-05-24T13:01:00.004-04:00

It has been sort of a wet spring. Everything is growing like crazy. I have even mowed the lawn twice already.

For some reason my lilacs seemed to come out early this year and are not as numerous as I remember them in the past.

Laundry Adventures

2011-05-15T18:37:00.003-04:00

Today is one of those days when given the choice it is best to not go through the door. It is chilly, rainy, and dreary.

I am quite wise in the ways of these things so am taking advantage of my isolation by doing all sorts of things I should have done long ago.

I have had setbacks though. One involves the laundry and my use of the nifty new washer and dryer.

Since my heart surgery back in 2000 I have been carrying nitroglycerin pills in case of angina. Fine, never used the things but carry them faithfully. Paramedic said to take one in December for a pain in my chest just as a precaution but that turned out to be pneumonia.

I threw a load of laundry in this morning and proceeded to do other things. Some time or other I reached for my keys and noticed the pill container was missing. Sure enough it was in the pocket of the pants that had gone through the washer.

This medication does concern me somewhat because it really is THAT nitroglycerin that makes explosives. I suppose it is so diluted down that it is relatively harmless but I still could picture a small bomb going off in the dryer.

That washer really gets into everything. Even though the cover was on tight the pills were ruined. Swelled right up to fill the bottle. Oh well. The pharmacy has fast delivery.

Isn't it interesting the things that can happen to brighten a dreary day?

Little Jimmy Brown

2011-04-22T14:38:00.007-04:00

This song - originally from the French was named 'The Three Bells'. It has been sung from the 1940s by many including Edith Piaf both in French and English.

The Brown's version has generally been called 'Little Jimmy Brown' and was No 1 for a while.

I think it is a beautiful story of life. I particularly like this plain version by the Browns.

Ball Juggling

2011-04-20T12:18:00.004-04:00

Quadricopter ball juggling from Zurich.

I did not want to lose this one so here it is. Enjoy:

Thoughts at Night

2011-04-06T01:15:00.003-04:00

I am a very sound sleeper --- usually.

Every once in a while though I forget myself and have a little bit too much to eat before I go to bed. Cereal is my downfall of choice - with lots of milk. Throw in a few cookies that I did not want to see get stale along with even more milk and you may see a possibility of a couple trips in the middle of the night.

To say I will never do it again somehow does not ring true. To say I like being up at 1am does not ring true either.

Maybe I can save someone else from my fate by giving them a firm warning about the dangers of late night eating. Do as I say, not as I do!

Good night.

Dodged the Bullet Again

2011-02-04T12:37:00.005-05:00

This has been an interesting winter weatherwise. There have been predictions of storms. Stories of the east coast getting inundated. South Buffalo and the south towns have been getting snow measured in feet.

Not here though.

Just this week - Tuesday night - we (north Buffalo and the Tonawandas) were supposed to get 8 to 14 inches. Everybody else did. Not us though. Just some freezing rain and about 5 inches of snow. Same for the other storms.

Probably will not last much longer though. We usually do get more than our share.

A Visitor at Lunchtime

2011-01-06T20:11:00.003-05:00

When I opened the front door today at lunchtime I heard sort of flopping sound coming from the kitchen.

I live alone so my first thought was that this may present a problem. I couldn't imagine what happened. Could it be something fell off of a shelf just as I walked in?

So I gathered up my courage and I walked in and as I approached the kitchen something went flying past me into the living room. Whoops! This is not right! It was a pretty good sized bird.

I went back in the living room and the bird went back in the kitchen. Again I went into the kitchen and bird went into to the dining room this time. I took a few seconds to think this over and decided to open the side door so the bird could get out. No luck, the bird would not go downstairs. There was a snow shovel by the side door that I grabbed thinking maybe I could scare the bird out the door. Poor thing was so panic stricken by this jerk running into his living room with a snow shovel that it would not listen to reason.

I did open the front door and locked the storm door open. I then headed into the kitchen again with my trusty shovel.

The bird headed back into the living room and spotted the open front door. It never slowed down as it flew in a straight line away from the house.

It looked sort of like a starling or even a small crow but it could have been a soot covered anything.

I had my chimney repaired a couple of years ago but forgot to get a screen to cover it. The bird may have become dizzy and fallen into the chimney and gotten into the heat ducts somehow. There was a loose register grating it could have gone through to get into the house. I am just guessing but this seems to make sense.

Sentiments for January 1

2011-01-01T10:57:00.002-05:00

It's raining, it's pouring;
The old man is snoring.
Bumped his head
And he went to bed
And he couldn't get up in the morning.

Rain, rain, go away;
Come again another day;
Little Johnny wants to play.

Old, probably English nursery rhymes of uncertain authorship. Really seem to fit the weather today.

This Really is Vladimir Putin

2010-12-12T21:51:00.002-05:00

If this is how Vladimir Putin helps out charity could Obama be far behind?

Pearl Harbor Day

2010-12-07T12:22:00.001-05:00

November

2010-11-25T23:03:00.003-05:00

No birds,
No bees,
No flowers,
No trees,
No wonder . . .
November.

At my Aunt Jeanette's after Thanksgiving dinner. Probably from one of her kids or grandchildren.

My New Favorite Song

2010-11-14T22:52:00.003-05:00

I just came across this one. I didn't know I was famous.

1964 was the year I got drafted so I probably was a little distracted and missed this.

Twinkle "Terry"

Sorry it is not a happily ever after type song.

Computer Problem - It Broke

2010-10-22T22:43:00.003-04:00

I really wondered about the reasonableness of running cat 5 cable through the walls to network to an old XP machine I had acquired and had placed downstairs.

Also when I got a new printer I decided for some reason to attach it directly to the network rather than putting it on my Vista computer as a regular printer.

Boy am I coming out smelling like roses though. My Vista machine has suddenly decided to not turn on. This probably will mean some shop time and a definite problem, at least in the short run, of getting things done.

But Blogger works on my downstairs computer and so do my email programs. It is a little inconvenient because I can not access the files on the hard disk but I am not shut down completely. Life is definitely not grim at the moment.

It has also made me seriously consider ways of avoiding the problems I am having - none of which are critical but really are inconvenient. If there was a need, my backups are on the internet and everything important is available.

Richard Bong - WW2 Ace

2010-10-15T22:35:00.002-04:00

Richard Bong shot down 40 Japanese planes flying a P38. He was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Christopher Columbus Background Information

2010-10-11T09:45:00.003-04:00

This is a very interesting site on Christopher Columbus.

He was a fascinating character. There is dispute about where he was born and even who he really was. It makes very interesting reading on a very interesting life. His impact on history is tremendous.

I did not know before that the Santa Maria was abandoned in Cuba.

Beach Question

2010-10-10T18:23:00.002-04:00

What do you call a witch at a beach?

This is just too easy:

A sandwi(t)ch.

It is a beautiful day here. I hope everyone is enjoying early Fall weather like I am.

IE Startup

2010-09-24T21:18:00.002-04:00

I have IE8 and when it starts up Verizon-Yahoo is the home page.

This is by no means promoting Yahoo because when you use things for a while you also learn the warts but . . .

Yahoo has some of the most interesting stories from the news and elsewhere that I am getting into trouble because I enjoy reading a lot of it.

I suppose I could ask them to tone down the interest level so I can get to my emails and blogs sooner but I dunno.

Anniversarys

2010-09-06T17:16:00.003-04:00

I am probably the last person around to remember it but Sept. 6 is a rather significant day in my life. Subtract it out and I get the number 41 years since 1969.

An awful lot of water has flowed under the bridge since that day. In terms of highs and lows there have been some very high mountains and also some very deep canyons. I guess you just have to live it all.

There really is a lot to look forward to, things not done, places not seen. I am working on my third million right now (having given up on the first two). I am in contact with all the immediate family and even more incredible, we are all speaking. How many families can say that? There are a few little inconveniences involved but we deal with that.

I am not a Polyanna by any means but actually am anything but unhappy.

100 Mile Per Hour Crash

2010-09-01T12:02:00.013-04:00

A police cruiser had video on just as this happened.

Scajaquada Bike Path to the Riverwalk

2010-08-22T15:32:00.007-04:00

The Scajaquada Bike Path comes from Delaware Park in Buffalo. At Niagara Street it runs into the Riverwalk which runs from downtown Buffalo along the Niagara River to the Tonawandas. Joining the two was quite an engineering project involving looping under the expressway bridges and crossing Scajaquada Creek. It also goes under the International Bridge, a railroad bridge to Fort Erie Canada.

I decided to actually walk the contorted pathway to see what it really looked like. These pictures start at Niagara street and continue to the actual intersection of the two paths. There are railway bridges, expressway bridges and the International Bridge.

A view from Niagara Street of the path on the west side of Niagara running alongside Scajaquada Creek.
This shows how the path approaches the east side of Niagara Street as it comes from Delaware Park.

The old navy yard location on Niagara Street.

Railroad bridge that crosses Niagara Street.

This shows the path bridge across Scajaquada Creek ahead.

The back side of some old Niagara street buildings.

Coming up to the International Bridge.

The actual intersection with the Riverwalk is ahead. This is the end of the Scajaquada Pathway.

Rush Super-Fast Delivery

2010-08-21T16:33:00.003-04:00

I had been waiting for a delivery. It was a frozen meal to try out.

Nothing on the day I expected it. I went home for lunch Friday (the next day) and the man next door told me there was a package left for me behind the house. There it was in the back yard in the blazing sun. It was on the grass hidden by the house so I never saw it when I pulled in with the car.

I believe it did come when I expected it but got stashed out of sight behind the house. It had rained pretty hard the night before and then the sun dried it out like an oven. Probably steamed the vegetables.

Over 4 lbs of dry ice was gone when I opened it and there was no way I was going to take a chance on trying to eat the meal.

I reported the mess to the company that sent it out and they just said to write it off.

There was no note that I found telling me there was a package. I have had many packages left on my front porch which is shady, sheltered, safe and mainly visible. Security is always a problem but to leave it out of sight and exposed to the elements?

I guess I have to write it off as one of those things that make life so interesting.

More on Plantar Fasciitis

2010-08-20T20:48:00.005-04:00

Whoever, back in history, came up with plantar fasciitis as an ailment to give to people like me should have been shot. This thing is really perverse.

Originally I thought it would take care of itself in a month or two. No such luck.

It has been a year and a half now and I have to admit that my left foot really does feel almost normal. The only time it aggravates me is first thing in the morning when I get up. There is only one problem. Feet generally come in pairs and I think the right one felt it needed some attention.

Asked the doctor and he confirmed it. Good fitting shoes all the time except IN the shower. No slippers. Do the exercises, especially pulling the towel just before getting out of bed. This one really does work wonders for me.

He even suggested that a good insole or just heel support might help. Try what works for me.

This is very discouraging but at least I know that if I do take reasonable care that I will get rid of it eventually. Why did it have to happen in the best walking weather in the year?

Morning in Riverside Park

2010-08-18T20:29:00.004-04:00

I was early for work and stopped by Riverside Park in Buffalo and took a few pictures. It was a beautiful morning.

Feels good to be outside on a day like this.

NFTA Metro Eliminates Fare Zones

2010-08-16T20:30:00.003-04:00

The NFTA is really making a major change in bus fares starting September 1. It should be interesting comparing it to other metro areas.

You can ride from one end of a route to the other for $1.75. There will be no zone charges adding up as you go from one end to the other like from Buffalo to the Tonawandas and Niagara Falls.

They did eliminate transfers too so if you take a second bus you will have to pay $1.75 again. If your trip involves changing buses they recommend buying an all day pass for $4. A monthly pass is only $64 and is your best bet if you ride transit much.

They still offer reduced fares for kids, elderly and disabled as well as free transfers to and from Metro Rail.

When I first started riding the bus to Grand Island I got on in the city in zone 1. I got off in zone 8. Niagara Falls was zone 10. Confused fare collection was the rule on the 40 bus. It was a major inducement to get an All Zones pass. Needing exact change really tipped the balance. Later they simplified it to the current 4 zones. Grand Island was only zone 3 then.

This is really a brave new world for Metro. I hope they can maintain the fare structure. I always hated having to pay a city fare when I got on the bus and then a zone fare when I got off because I forgot to get off at the city line. I hope use of the suburban routes goes up a lot more so they can add more runs.

Taking the bus was usually a good experience for me, even in Winter. I really have to drive right now so it really is not an option. Things have a habit of changing though so it is good seeing what I consider good ideas being tried out.

Upgrading Computer Memory

2010-08-11T22:28:00.003-04:00

I have a second computer that I acquired a while ago. It is an Acer running Windows XP and had 1gig of memory installed when it was originally purchased. It worked ok although the fan would get noisy every now and then sort of like a smokers breathing can get. I do have it networked to my HP through the FIOS router so I get fast internet and access to my new printer which is also networked. XP and Vista can be made to work together quite well.

I have been getting memory errors so I kept the idea of adding some memory in mind - just not too seriously because there seemed to be a problem due to the noisy fan.

I did check Amazon and found I could get another gig of memory and pay for it with gift cards I get for doing surveys. Free sounded like a good price so I ordered it. Took less than a week to be delivered with free (over $25) delivery.

Googled installation instructions that actually were pretty good. Very easy to follow too. Computer is very easy to open up and the instructions were very clear. Memory went right in.

Glanced at fan on processor and it looked sort of dusty. Decided to try the vacuum cleaner crevace tool. No luck. My vacuum is not a super strong type.

It is just one of those little muffin fans screwed to the top of the heat sink so I figured "Why not?" and took the screws out. Just like the good old days back at work.

All I could think was it was a couple years of cat hair that was plugging the fan. The dirt was just like a thick, woven piece of cloth. The poor little fan just was not up to blowing anything through that.

I put everything together and figured out how to connect all the wires to the outside and the thing actually worked. Recognized the memory automatically.

You would not believe how much quieter it runs now that the fan can do its job the right way. The computer is also radically faster now that it has sufficient memory. I could kick myself for not doing this a while ago.

Quick Note on a Big Day

2010-08-09T18:07:00.002-04:00

I was at the bank today making out a deposit slip when I realized what I had just written:

8/9/10 - How often do we get silly little things like that that catch our attention?

When I go to bed and see that it is 11:11 on the clock it is ok. When I see 12:34 I know there will be a problem getting up. 1:23 and 3:21 are total disasters that fortunately I have not seen in a very long time.

There are other things like this though that have symbolic value. The best I can think of off hand is Veterans day: the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month that ended World War I in 1918.

Picture of a Visitor

2010-07-26T08:35:00.004-04:00

Just a quick picture of someone who came calling and stayed for a while. Not much of a conversationalist but was good company.

Progress Report - None

2010-07-11T16:13:00.002-04:00

I am looking at the temperature outside and find it is 89 in my back yard.

Most people want to impress you with their accomplishments but not me today.

This is a day to look at the grass, not cut it. I am enjoying the flowers and bushy hedges, not trimming or pruning them.

This is the type of day we are supposed to be doing all those wonderful accomplishments for so I intend to enjoy it.

Enjoy yourself - take a break.

Government work

2010-06-27T18:23:00.001-04:00

This is worth remembering.

Birthday Card

2010-06-07T21:33:00.002-04:00

Got a really nice pencil sketch from my son as part of a home made birthday card. I think a friend of his is really talented and they had a lot of fun putting it together.

I was wondering how to break the news to him that I may have to send it back because I decided that I am going to skip my birthday this year. I feel I have had enough of these things and am willing to donate mine to anyone who wants another one. Just think, you could have a second birthday party if you want. Maybe it is worth a try on Ebay.

They're Back (The Roses That Is)

2010-05-30T10:07:00.005-04:00

These plants are older than my kids. They really seem to do good every year.

This is the one the rabbit decided tasted so good last year. Shows a lot of new growth around the bottom too.

This is the one that attacks me whenever I park my car near it. With all the flowers it produces it is hard to stay mad at it very long.

I have tried putting in some others over the years without a lot of luck. The three of these though just keep growing every year pretty much on their own.

George Beverly Shea

2010-05-23T08:20:00.003-04:00

George Beverly Shea. You might have heard him through Billy Graham Crusades. He is over a hundred now and still has a great voice.

Polkas from Frank Yankovic

2010-05-03T21:36:00.003-04:00

Don't ask me how I got on this kick. Frank Yankovic and the "Tick Tock Polka" and the "I've Got a Wife at Home Polka". They really are a lot of fun.

Everything is Growing Like Crazy

2010-05-02T12:54:00.005-04:00

Everything in my yard is in maximum growth cycle. It looks kind of ragged but is full of life.
I have used the lawn mower and also done a little hedge trimming but at the rate everything is growing it is difficult to keep up.

Couldn't Stand the Suspense

2010-04-18T16:28:00.002-04:00

The sun is shining, the temperature is a little warm and the grass is showing early season growth spurts.

There is always the problem after winter is finally over of whether the summer things will work. I decided I could wait no longer and just had to try the lawnmower. I had some of the unused and unmixed gas from the snowblower and was wondering if it would work ok.

Never fear - it actually caught on the first pull and never slowed down until I put the machine away.

The grass wasn't too long but it is hard to resist the call of the back yard on a nice day.

A Spring Day

2010-04-02T20:35:00.002-04:00

Today was the type of day that makes spring one of my favorite times of year. The sun was out, the weather was warm, and especially, I had the day off. Good Friday a holiday? I will take whatever is given.

Did not really do much - it was a lazy day. I had some cosmos seeds and decided to give them a chance to see what they could do. I roughed up a little of the grass by the driveway to give them a chance and scattered the contents of the envelope. Not too much in the envelope but the price was right - free. They have their chance if they want to take it. Should be interesting.

It is good to have a chance to get out and about again without having to bundle up.

Google Adwords Problems

2010-03-29T22:57:00.003-04:00

I just had a surreal experience with Google. I have Analytics and through them was sent a $100 coupon to try Google Adwords. Fine, I have a site on the web so why not try it out and see if I can get some clicks. It's free. This could be the start of something good.

I started through the process and as soon as I entered my account info everything was in German. How do I get out of this? Try setting up a separate account using a different email. I waded through the German again and actually set up the account hoping I could change the language afterwards. The confirming email came through in German.

I can't even use the help function because that is all in German.

This is totally dumb. There is not even a way to contact anyone that I can find. There is noone from Google to write to, only forums of users. What type category is this for a forum topic?

To say this is a bad experience would be an understatement. I suppose tomorrow when I have had some time to think about this I will try the forums, if I can find them again.

Coffee in Coffee?

2010-03-24T08:37:00.004-04:00

Is it my imagination or is it true that instant coffee is weaker now days than it was in the past?

I am definitely not a judge of fine coffees and am quite happy with brewed coffee of any strength, even if it has sat in a pot overnight. Instant coffee though, my usual thing in the morning, should be a little bit consistent out of the jar.

I do not buy the finest blends. The cheapest stuff at Dollar General or Wilson Farms is good for me. I find that rather than a slightly rounded spoonful that it takes a heaping spoonful nowdays and it still does not taste strong enough sometimes.

Could it be part of a vast conspiracy to cut costs by a sneaky method? It can't be aging of the taste buds. The international conspiracy thing sounds best to me.

Jet Powered Merry-go-round

2010-03-06T19:39:00.003-05:00

I guess this is what smart people do when they have too much time on their hands - build things like jet propelled merry-go-rounds. This shows the first time with people on it.

Two by Rod Stewart

2010-03-02T23:03:00.004-05:00

Just rummaging around YouTube and kind of liked the two of these - "Forever Young" and "You're in My Heart". Both seem really nice to me.

Solid Potato Salad - The Ross Sisters in 1944

2010-01-24T10:30:00.003-05:00

You just have to see this. It is really good by a trio called the Ross Sisters in 1944. Watch "Solid Potato Salad" all the way through. It's really different and hard to believe in places.

Here is the Wikipedia entry on the Ross sisters.

The Old Lamp-Lighter

2010-01-15T21:35:00.003-05:00

I was driving home the other night and the street lights were starting to turn on. Half lit and half still dark.

For some reason I thought to myself that things were really different in the 'good old days' and I thought of this song from the 40s. It is just a nice, easygoing one - enjoy!

Dark Moon by Bonnie Guitar

2009-12-28T08:09:00.004-05:00

This is the original and I think, the best version of this song. It is from 1957 and has been recorded by many people like Gale Storm, Lynn Anderson and Elvis.

Mayo Clinic - Cute

2009-12-09T16:15:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share this:

Pearl Harbor

2009-12-07T09:58:00.002-05:00

An old video:

Interesting Movie Quotes

2009-11-26T13:08:00.002-05:00

Each clip has the name of the movie. See how many you remember.

Russian-Bar Acrobatics

2009-11-14T21:24:00.003-05:00

I got this from another blog, The Anchoress, and wanted to save it. Make sure you hang around for the end - it is really worth it.

Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T13:59:00.005-05:00

This seems right for the day.

from the NRCC.

Thoughts on the Season Coming

2009-10-27T22:38:00.003-04:00

Looking at pictures from last year has just reinforced my decision to take the plunge to actually get out and buy a snow blower this year.

I have done a little reading in Consumer Reports and some shopping at places like Home Depot and Valu Homecenters and have sort of narrowed things down. I have also talked it over with some maintenance people and others.

This thing should run me in the $500-$600 range if I guess right. I can't use a big one that would run over a thousand and small ones for less than $500 just would not be worth it.

A Lot of Work for TV

2009-10-04T22:41:00.003-04:00

I am not much of a TV watcher. There are days when I do not even turn the thing on.

That said, when I do watch it I do want it to work properly. Since the digital conversion I have had quite a few new stations with the converter box us off the air types had to get. I even spent some of my Amazon gift card money on a real high tech flat antenna.

With the old rabbit ears from the good old days I got a few mostly snowy stations and would have to turn the antenna to get good pictures on different stations. Very frustrating because getting near to or touching the antenna would change things so you would have to jigger it around a little and then move away to see if it really was any better.

The only problem was some of the digital stations would break up occasionally and I would get a message that the signal was weak and I should adjust the antenna. How? It was as high as I could get it.

Today I went to Home Depot and bought a 50 ft coax antenna cable. I drilled a hole in the livingroom floor to the basement and drilled a hole in the attic floor and fished the the wire up through the walls from the basement. I was on a mission...

After about ten trips up and down the stairs (the attic is the third floor) I hooked everything up, put all the tools away, cleaned things up and sat on the couch and did a channel scan.

Nothing - not one channel.

My analytical mind said that this is not what I wanted.

I got out my tools again and tightened all the connections. Still nothing. Very disturbing.

Got desperate. I had to use a female to female connector so I could connect the male ends of the antenna wire and the coax. They came in a package of two so I decided to try the other one.

As all good stories go, I am living happily ever after. 13 channels and no interference so far.

Might even watch a little TV some day if I can make up my mind what to watch.

Was it a defective connector? Did I missalign something? Bad kharma? Who cares - it works and I can give myself credit for accomplishing something. It was a successful Sunday - even if the Buffalo Bills lost.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night

2009-09-28T21:52:00.004-04:00

Who do you call when you have foot trouble?

The weather around here is absolutely terrible unless you are a mystery fan. We have had wind, downpours, hail, lightening and thunder - you name it. This has to be interesting stuff at the weather bureau.

No flooding in the streets, the sewers are doing great. No water in the basement, the house is doing great. And best of all - in this dreary, dismal, dank, and deplorable weather, my DSL for the computer has not slowed down at all.

I guess the Verizon repair service really did a good job eliminating problems in the lines. In the past I would have slowed down to nothing in some of these downpours.

I have to admit though, I love this time of year for sleeping. No heat on and no fans or cooling. Just good unmessed around with sleep as it was intended to be.

Oh... Who do you call for foot trouble? Easy. A tow(toe) truck, what else?

Best Prayer I Have Seen in a While

2009-09-20T09:15:00.003-04:00

I don't know where this came from, I get a lot of emails. I wanted to save it for myself and the best way seemed to be to put it here. It is worth at least thinking about.

Heavenly Father,

Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last Christmas that they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear.

Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity.

Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

Working for God on earth doesn't pay much......but His retirement plan is out of this world.

Still Limping a Bit

2009-09-19T20:55:00.005-04:00

The bum hand (fracture) has come and gone and I must admit, I do not miss it at all. Still not perfect but nothing out of line.

I still have the messed up left foot though. It really seems to be somewhat better but it is not hurrying to improve. I thought plantar fasciitis was supposed to go away in a month or two but my latest reading says more like a YEAR or two is not unusual.

Gee - someone really knows how to make life interesting! All these neat things to read about.

I still waddle a little bit when I first get up in the morning but it is nowhere near as bad as it was at first, in February and March. It isn't even really noticeable for quite a bit of the day. At least I have a hint of light at the end of the tunnel.

The Two Scariest Movies I Have Seen

2009-09-06T18:08:00.003-04:00

These are old ones but they really made an impression at the time. No yuk stuff like now days, just keep you awake at night scary.

"The Thing" and "Them" were black and whites from the fifties and each really kept you frozen in your seats. These are real entertainment.

Tow Path Park

2009-09-05T18:48:00.005-04:00

Tow Path Park is located at the foot of Hertel Avenue between the Niagara Thruway and the river. The city took a small piece of land between the Rich Marina and Marina Vista apartments and built a small park (more a parklet).

On mornings when I have the time, it is one of my favorite stops for a short walk. The scenery is quite nice. The river with Fort Erie Canada on the other side. A view of the end of the Black Rock Canal where it exits the lock. The International Railway Bridge. A view down river of Grand Island and little Strawberry Island and all the pleasure boats.

It is not much of a park but it has a very nice location.

Verizon to the Rescue

2009-08-29T19:46:00.002-04:00

About a year ago I wrote a blog about what seems to be a relationship between DSL and weather conditions. It was never something that really bothered me enough to really try to do something about. I did call once but never followed up.

It happened again this Thursday and I really had enough. I called Verizon and spent the time to actually talk to a technician. He really was thorough. I went through reboots and line monitoring tests. Checking lights on the modem was very interesting. I am an 'expert' now. He decided that it needed a service call and we set it up for Saturday after I finished work.

I can't get over how thorough the technician was today. He understood the problem and even though the sun was out and my DSL was working well checked outside the house and by the computer. He said everything measured well but wanted to do some work outside by the box down the street.

He changed circuits in case there was a line problem and also adjusted the line from the house to the pole.

This was no quick in and out service call. He even mentioned that I should call right away if there was any problem.

I really do tend to be a little cynical about things at times but this experience with Verizon really has put me in a very good mood. I did check my line speeds and there is an improvement. All I need is a little rain to see if all is well.

Julie & Julia

2009-08-24T07:21:00.003-04:00

The movie Julie & Julia turned out to be one of those little gems you come across every now and then that can make going to the movies a real pleasure.

Anybody who knows anything about fine cooking is probably familiar with Julia Child. Even I used to watch her show on PBS every now and then. She was a genuinely gifted character who could be a pleasure to watch.

A woman, Julie Powell, with a high pressure government job, decides to write about attempting to cook all Julia Child's recipes and documenting it on a blog. The result is a nice and sometimes funny story of Julia Child's life and the trials and tribulations of writing a blog in the real world.

Fort Tompkins (Fort Adams)

2009-08-07T16:23:00.005-04:00

Just thought this was something interesting to see on a wall at 1010 Niagara St. in Buffalo, NY.

This overlooks the Niagara River near the location of the Peace Bridge. Fort Tompkins was a good sized fortification opposite Fort Erie.

I enjoy walking through this area because there are quite a few historical sites that can just pop up on you like this plaque.

The International Railway Company (IRC) preceeded the current Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Metro. I still remember the IRC streetcars running in front of our house on East Ferry Street in the 1940s. Like everything you got used to the noise and even missed it when it was gone.

Now It's a Splint

2009-08-02T11:02:00.004-04:00

Oh well - the cast is gone. Now I have another month with this splint.

At least I can take it off for showers and when I go to bed. The doctor says the alignment and everything is good. Just a couple more xrays when I go back.

Sure does take a long time.

Things to Miss When They are Gone

2009-07-26T11:51:00.004-04:00

You can get these things in just about any color you want now. I really did not think that candyapple red or bright yellow would fit my personality.

Sorry if the pictures are just a bit blurred - doing self-portraits using my left hand is not the easiest thing to do.

I really have to admit as pretty as the color of this cast is, I do not think I will miss it at all when it is gone - hopefully at the end of this week (only 4 weeks for a hand).

ps: I did get the box opened that I was opening. It does seem like the box got me back though.

Just the Beatles- Let It Be

2009-07-11T20:36:00.002-04:00

A big one by a big group...

The Beatles Let It Be
by manon42

Herve Sings

2009-07-02T08:56:00.003-04:00

Herve Villechaize is another lost talent.

You may think this is too idealized, considering the 'real' world, but I think it is nice.

Rainy Days - on a Sunday

2009-06-28T12:55:00.004-04:00

It is kind of a dull drizzly day this Sunday.

Lawn needs mowing and the flowers could use a little attention - but not this week.

Thought the Carpenters "Rainy Days and Mondays" might fit the mood.

First Call - Reveille

2009-06-22T08:38:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you just need that little extra kick to get going in the morning:

Saw Star Trek and The Brothers Bloom

2009-06-07T21:14:00.002-04:00

Saw the new Star Trek movie about two weeks ago.

I really think this is the most interesting Star Trek movie I have seen. It was a real shoot-em-up, exciting movie. It used all the original character names and was really well presented.

This week I went to see a movie called The Brothers Bloom.

It was a con-man story. I think they had hopes of emulating The Sting but that movie was in a category of its own. This one was pretty good though. It was quite interesting in its use of geography and the story plot.

Actually I was quite happy with both picks.

Lilacs All Over The Place

2009-05-17T11:56:00.005-04:00

Went out to cut the grass this morning and the daylilies are growing like crazy, the roses have survived their rabbit attack and are flourishing, but the lilacs are the stars of the show.

They are just starting to burst out all over.

All I have right now is white and I would like to remedy that in the future but for now, who could ask for anything more?

This is the sort of thing I enjoy so much out of gardening.

Flowered Trees on the way Home

2009-05-06T20:24:00.007-04:00

This is a view of Amherst St. in Buffalo where I turn left to go out Military Rd. Both sides of the street are lined with these flowering trees.

I have not really noticed this area in past years but there are so many flowers this year it is hard to ignore them.

This is one of a group of trees in front of a bank. They are quite large. My daughter thinks they could be mock oranges but is not sure. I don't know, these are not fragrant at all.

There really are quite a few, extending through the Grant-Amherst business district and almost down to Elmwood Ave.

I can't wait to see what there is in the way of fruit some day.

Sort of makes a routine driving experience a little more interesting.

Rabbits and Roses

2009-05-03T23:13:00.003-04:00

It was a nice day today - just a little bit cool but nice and sunny.

I could have put it off for another week but I really felt like getting out and cutting the grass. Lawn mower was cooperative too - it started on the first pull after sitting unused all winter.

As I was working in the back yard, I looked at the rose bushes and was very irritated about what I saw on two of them.

It would not be right to cast blame in the wrong direction BUT I think that rabbit that thinks it owns my back yard probably is going after my roses. I think this is probably going to call for some strong measures.

There is always something different in this gardening business, isn't there?

Swine Flu - 1976 Style

2009-05-01T21:10:00.003-04:00

How they dealt with this in 1976 - interesting to compare with today's news.

I did get my shot. The epidemic was a bust though.

Like a Rolling Stone

2009-04-23T22:22:00.001-04:00

My likes are quite diversified:

Why We Know Less Than Ever About the World

2009-04-11T21:52:00.003-04:00

A short talk by Alisa Miller, head of Public Radio International, on the growing lack of knowledge about the world.

Selecting Chocolates for Easter

2009-04-10T22:03:00.003-04:00

Timely advice for seasonal shoppers. This just caught my eye for some unknown reason. I periodically get sick of too serious stuff.

IE8

2009-04-10T12:10:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I decided to take a chance and download Internet Explorer 8. I went to the Microsoft site to get the plain vanilla non optimized for anything version because I did not want anything I am using to be optimized out of the way. My concern with upgrades is that programs I am using will not work with the newer version.

When I upgraded versions of IE5 way back when in the Win95 days it took me all night using dialup. Using DSL it only took a few (very few) minutes for IE8. Everything worked like a charm. I don't know if the whole thing took 15 minutes because I was not timing it but I am sure it was less than a half hour.

It really loads fast. Everything seems to work good. So far I have had no real problems. I have to figure out what accelerators and slices are good for but that is just a normal learning experience.

I did get rejected by a survey that only works with IE up to 7 and offered to let me 'upgrade' to 7 but after I stopped chuckling I decided to try loading it in Firefox. That did work and I loaded the survey and got rejected for the survey itself in Firefox. (I am used to rejection at my stage of life).

Everything I need seems to work in IE8 and so far it looks like a significant improvement. I do have Firefox, Chrome, and Safari on my machine but I think I will stick with IE.

I was happy to see that my RoboForm toolbar loads in both IE and Firefox so anytime I get the urge, I can try the alternative browser and still access everything. It is good to have fallbacks. I must have someone named Murphy in my family.

April Showers These Aint

2009-04-07T07:43:00.004-04:00

It's really not much - it's the principle of the thing!

The southtowns - the snow belt - are getting more.

Waiting for the Snow (to go)

2009-04-06T20:56:00.003-04:00

This has been a rather cool and wet day. They are predicting 2 or so inches of snow tonight and into tomorrow.

Everything is ready for the warmer weather. It is like the plants are getting set to lunge out of the ground once we get this little distraction out of the way.

Nice Sunday

2009-04-05T14:01:00.002-04:00

It still is a little cool. The sun is out so that makes everything ok.

I took a walk to the store. I thought it was just about perfect walking weather.

I have done all the gardening I need to do so this is just a lazy day off.

I didn't notice any buds on the trees. The temperatures did go down to right around freezing this week and they predict a little snow around Tuesday. So we take it as it comes.