Defining Moment

Seems like these type of moments happen when you had hoped for something other than what you ended up with. Could just be life is giving back what you have given it. In that case this moment proved to be you reap what you sowed. If you have to ask and when it is not genuine then it really is not worth the time. I can only hope for things to happen it is not worth asking, it cheapens the moments. Un-returned email lack of interest distance all seem now a factor. In measured distance really not that far, emotional distance seems very far away. No matter how close you try to be.

We all chose paths in life and we must be true to ourselves. All one can do with what life brings is make the best of what they can do. Sometimes it is more than some expect, other times it leaves that empty feeling that life often brings from time to time. Teach what you can, love them be all you can and do what you think is the right thing to do. If the seeds fall right you get a good harvest. If you do not do well the harvest will be less or none at all. It was nice ride there and a long road back, a long time to think about defining moments.

Winter of 2010

The winter of 2009-2010 has proven to be cold and snowy. But we are only at the end of January. The Ohio Valley can be brutal in February. Life goes on work and play and live life moments. Ty is home this weekend from O.U. Harvard on the Ohio. Spent New Years Eve with bert driving around the farm country of butler, Hamilton and Franking counties in Ohio and Indiana. Was a cloudy dreary day but proved to be fruitful. Beat losing money at the boats like Min and Beate were doing. At least I had to pay for dinner was tasty. We will see what the new years brings. The winds of change seem to be happening and I see some new direction soon in our lives.

Thomas Honerlaw - R.I.P

A very old friend of mine died yesterday. Tom Honerlaw :ie Nate was one of the Jr DBs and a close friend back when I was younger. I was friends with his older brother Bob and helped coach Tom in basket ball when he was going to St. Johns Church. Of all the DBs he was the most gentle kind soul you could ever meet. A very nice person who would do anything in the world to help you out. I spent many a wild night out with Nate and the gang and have some fond memories of those nights. We had so much fun I can not recall all the details.

Fred as I most often called him would come to the store visiting me and we all played ball with the gang. Tom worked and saved to buy the first house of who was in the group. He was a good man who worked hard and played hard in his younger years. We kept in touch and went out on dates when he met Connie and I was seeing Mary. Tom married Connie and Mary and I never got married and split. After that I would see Nate at some of the softball games. But after I stopped playing we saw less of each other. I kept tabs on him via Harry who I saw more often.

Tom died from what seems a combination of heart attack and then car accident. I do not know much of really what has happened. That part is not important, Tom's loss is what is really is important, we will miss him. I feel very sorry for his loss to his son Kyle Honerlaw and Connie Honerlaw. You have my deepest sympathy, I know it is not easy.

Nate, take care buddy and you will be missed but not some forgotten.
A man like you is not forgotten easily. Sleep well friend.

From Kyle: "The visitation is on sunday the 27th at Vorhis and Ryan funeral home in norwood, 5501 Montgomery Rd. It is 2-5pm and the funeral will be monday the 28th at the Church of the Nativity. The mass will start at 10am."

Hotel Lakeside - End of November

It was a busy month with the trip to Lakeside Ohio for Mom's memorial service and burial. The cottage was huge and very nice. The Breeze Inn right next to the Hotel Lakeside and a short walk to the pavilion and Lake Erie swimming and fishing dock. There was a nice gathering of the family as well as friends and the service. Mom is now at rest and enjoying life again with Danny. We spent Sunday night there just the four of us in that huge house. It was nice, hearing the Lake and bells ring from the Pavilion Steeple. It is much more quiet in Lakeside Ohio in November compared to the Summer months.

Thanks giving was nice. Got to spend time with Dad and Martha's family is always enjoyable. Feel old talking to Ben and Jake who I use to see run around as 1 year old kids. Got news we maybe going on a cruise on the Oasis this summer. Now that would be very cool. The ship is huge and it would be fun to photograph.

Did something to my foot Friday night, not sure what but it sure hurt Saturday morning. Wanted to go to Rowe Woods but the cold and my foot put the trip off till afternoon. Met Ken Dunn who is one excellent photographer for a walk in Rowe Woods. Ken and I met last year at Capture Cincinnati's Book awards and book signing. My foot was still hurting but I can not recall anything that could cause it, so I went for a nice long walk showing him some of my favorite locations in Rowe Woods. It felt a little better till last night. Was very sore but I put on a cast and it feels better today. I guess I will gimp around unless it gets worse, same foot I broke a couple years back. It is hell getting old, but I prefer it to the alt.

Last Party

We had a birthday part for my mother in law last month in the nursing home. It was like many of the other parties we have held at her bedside over the last 10 years. But unlike the other birthday or holiday parties this one would be the last party. Mom had been told she was dieing and there was really no long term solution to the illness. She chose to refuse treatments and let life take it's course. The birthday party was in September and it was her 71st birthday which would prove to be her last one. Everyone was able to gather and enjoy cake and some time to talk about days and life events. Things she liked to hear about that was going on in her families daily lives. This would be the last time I saw her before her passing, my final kiss on her forehead.

Mom passed away on October 20th 2009 around 12:30PM with hospice at her side. Min and Jim were on there way but she like many mothers did not want to pass on in front of her kids. She she checked out about 8 minutes before they were able to get to her bedside. This is very common, I know my mother chose to pass on that way as well. There is something about mothers not wanting to pass on in front of their sons. She had Hospice and other friends with her when she went peacefully. I wish I could have done to comfort Min but I was in the Hospital at the time, a unplanned visit. Just more stress on Min's plate, something I was trying to avoid. I was able to get out and home that evening to at least be with her as she grieved. She has taken her mother's passing very hard.

We will be putting her to rest near Lakeside Ohio where she grew up and has many friends. She will rest next to Danny and her parents. Lakeside has always been a special place in our families lives. It over looks Lake Erie and it is where her family's roots run deep. We have spent many summers in Lakeside but we were not able to make up this year do to a cruise and Ty heading off to O.U. I did not think we would be up there this year. Ma proved me wrong, we will spend time there over the week end. Not our normal trip to Lakeside but it will bring back memories of winter trips to Lakeside to see Mom and Danny as we did many times for Thanksgiving.

R.I.P Ma and there will be no longer need to worry about the kids, or family, just time to rest. Sleep well.

Nobel Joke

Ghandi doesn't get one but Obama does? LOL I thought that it was ridiculous joke when I first heard it, but it turns out the joke is now the Nobel Committee and their political motivations, they just marginalized their peace prize and prior winners. Obama was nominated for a Nobel Prize 11 days after he took office, having done nothing except party. These many months later, he's still done nothing except give speeches saying 'gosh we suck as a country'. You cannot make this up. It is almost surreal in how he is changing America and how the people will live. MSM doesn't report it and people seem ambivalent. Who is going to pay the bill, it is coming do at some point?

The economy is in the tank, he's taking the deficit and debt to historic, epic, impossible to deal with levels, with nothing to show for it, while shilling for more domestic programs that will probably literally annihilate the middle class. Ah, but that will probably happen even if none of them pan out. The mounting debt is frightening. No worries, Barry gives good socialistic speeches and the god like swoon in wonderment. There is a large segment of people here who are terrible at math and who believe in unicorns. I see that there are also some of these folks in Europe. But even the Germans, French and English are turning more to the right and capitalism.

This country was built on freedom and sweat equity. We've turned into a nation of whiners and weenies. Needing government handouts instead of knowing that the answer is to work harder. The grownups are dying out and all that will be left will be people scrambling for the dole. Like siblings after the funeral of the last parent.

If you can clap for that, you probably are receiving government checks. When you take away personal responsibility, you end up with irresponsible people. Modern America.

Tyler's trip to OU for College

The van was on loan from Frank & Cindy a kind thing for them to do. Lots of room for the move and ride in real comfort. We headed out early to get in line to unload the college dorm room furnishings and supplies.

Got to the Jeff and it was well organized and were unload and I was parked in about one hour. Forth floor all steps and my back is feeling it. The room has no A/C but seems nice for the two guys. The dorm is a short walk from downtown Athens.






Mother and Son as he heads of to his first year of college. One of life's defining moments in time. A real memory.

Obama Propagandist

I thought I would leave the empty CNN feed to show how the MSM filters what people see. The story showed out government Obama style in a not so good light. It was all about Drudge Report and misinformation was being spread. It told you how you could contact flag@whitehouse.gov would help to correct misinformation. It was pulled. It is kinda of scary when government wants us to send information about people and what they are talking about for the government to look it over.

She says what he said before does not count, that is not what he is saying now. Linda we all know he will do what he wants once Nancy and Harry get Rahm to put the hammer on the blue dogs to fall in line. Obama says one thing and does another. Just like in the election when he talked about working with all people and reaching across the isle. He never had done that and now has become the most divisive President in modern history.

Bronco II XLT

It is kind of sad to see the old truck go. It was one of those projects you want to do but never seem to get the time to work on it. I bought the truck back in 1990 when I was in outside sales. It was a cool 4 wheeler and worked well as a family car. We took many a trip in the truck and I had 150,000 on it when Oil Express worked on it.

They put the wrong fluid in the brakes and Min lost brakes while in traffic near a parade. All the brake lines and cylinder needed replacing and Min hit someone causing damage to the right front. It needed more work and Oil Express refused to take any responsibility. One reason I only have dealerships or myself replace oil any more. The Bronco sat waiting for me to have it fixed but time passed and it started to rust. The sitting caused problems, so it was time to say good bye to the old friend. Many people wanted it for parts.

It has been busy around here of late. We are having a lot of work done to the house to repair and fix up the old home. New coat of paint, gutters and landscaping. Throwing stuff away we do not need or use and getting the garage ready. All this and a cool trip to the Caribbean on a huge cruise ship. Spent some time in Old San Juan before boarding the Adventure of the Seas. It was a great cruise with good weather, service and rooms. Next post I will add some pictures. Time is short of late with work and getting stuff done that I have needed to do for some time.

Obamanomics

It is the month of August, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is raining, and the little town looks totally deserted.
It is tough times, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit.
Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town.
He enters the only hotel, lays a 100 Euro note on the reception counter, and goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one.
The hotel proprietor takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the butcher.
The Butcher takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the pig grower.
The pig grower takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the supplier of his feed and fuel.
The supplier of feed and fuel takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the town's prostitute that in these hard times, gave her "services" on credit.
The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the 100 Euro note to the hotel proprietor to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.
The hotel proprietor then lays the 100 Euro note back on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect anything.
At that moment, the rich tourist comes down after inspecting the rooms, and takes his 100 Euro note, after saying that he did not like any of the rooms, and leaves town.
No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now without debt, and looks to the future with a lot of optimism.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the United States Government is doing business .