I forget what time of the night I was born but in the legal sense 12am today began my fortieth year. November 17 begins at 12AM so that settles that where the law is concerned.
I guess I overdid the sweets or didn't snack often enough yesterday when I said I felt rotten. My boss's dad brought in some cookies that are as decadent as a slice of birthday cake. Combine that with grape Kool-Aid (bought for 2.00 per jar at Big Lots) and you have me eating like a puny kid again. There is no doubt I am facing my parents' mortality in seeing them get sicker and more infirm.
I am having to make a few sacrifices in not going out and hitting the stores and restaurants whenever I please. Nor do I do much night fishing anymore. I am trying to find a job that affords me an hour or two travel distance between here and wherever the job is. I will have to find another place to live under this scenario.
Not that I haven't done fun things. I have been helping find airchecks for the producer at pawfilmworks.com so he can work on his website for a long-closed mall in Chicago. Some time ago I saw a web site for a recently closed mall and tried to revisit it. It was in New Jersey or a nearby state. That was when I bumped into Dixie Square Mall.
This mall near Chicago opened in November 1966 and closed that month in 1978. Months later it was used by Universal to film the mall chase in "The Blues Brothers." It seems the mall's closure in a rapidly-deteriorating town had a silver lining for John Landis, the movie's producer. The video snippits and pictures of the abandoned mall are a surrealistic view of something similar to ancient catacombs.
I did one call-canvassing session and a letter to the editor for Mac Collins, who ran for Congress. He may or may not pay for a recount but the state's secretary of state gave the election to his opponent, Jim Marshall. I saw my party ruin their chances to retain power nationally. Not that Iraq would have been a flash in the pan but Americans want to see tangible progress. A war kept Lyndon Johnson out of the White House although Johnson exhibited much more ineptitude than Bush.
These days I have gone to bed early though I have still been a little more tardy at work than I should be. Why don't I get quality sleep and why do I feel tired even after nine or ten hours?
I will ask my doctor about Cymbalta or a higher dosage of Zoloft. I don't want to monkey around with the Buspar. I only occasionally take the morning dose of Buspar. My head feels like it is in a fog when I am on Zoloft and the Buspar seems to be making it a little more noticeable. I haven't had the reality of turning 40 sink in quite yet.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Last day that I am 39
11/16/06
Today is the last day I am 39. Tomorrow I turn 40. I have mixed feelings about becoming 40. For much of my life I haven't achieved what I want and I think I have wasted too much time in my life.
This week I have been stuck at home for two evenings while we work with Mom and Dad. Sometimes neither one wants to listen to me or my sisters, especially Mom.
I feel depressed today. I work with the half wit crew this weekend again.
Today is the last day I am 39. Tomorrow I turn 40. I have mixed feelings about becoming 40. For much of my life I haven't achieved what I want and I think I have wasted too much time in my life.
This week I have been stuck at home for two evenings while we work with Mom and Dad. Sometimes neither one wants to listen to me or my sisters, especially Mom.
I feel depressed today. I work with the half wit crew this weekend again.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Dad's second ablation session
11/09/06
Last Friday Dad had to go to the hospital via ambulance because his implanted defibrillator went off five times. It went off four of those times when he walked to the house for help. He was planting pansies. I think I beat the ambulance there since I was around the corner and up the road at my shop.
I waited in the ER and my uncle dropped by. We waited then he was brought into the Chest Pain center partly because the ER was jammed with the runny nose club. It's a shame a flex space isn't available for peak ER visits. The electrophysiologist was there and paced Dad back into normal rhythm and dropped his heart rate to 70. Medications including morphine and lidocaine went into Dad. I had to go home and help Mom and give Dad some rest.
I was furious in a sense that Dad could not have been fixed earlier this year. I thought about sending him to Emory as an option but Dad felt the care from the Macon doctor quite sufficient.
My dad got a room on the 8th floor and was spared the laggards who worked in the cardiac ICU. That Saturday he found that he would get an ablation and they weaned him off the lidocaine that Sunday. The doctor ablated his heart to burn off nodes generating short circuits. He wanted to do more ablating but could not. I hope that Dad won't have to make a return trip to the hospital.
I know my Dad won't last forever and that long-term care of some form is in the near future for both of my parents. I just feel I haven't done enough for them or to make myself a successful person. I dislike being so cynical, so angry, so quiet, so grumpy. I have another side to me that is nice and as honest as the day is long. I guess the word for me is scared. I've been scared and now that forty years close in on me I am tired of being scared of this, that, and the other.
KAT
Last Friday Dad had to go to the hospital via ambulance because his implanted defibrillator went off five times. It went off four of those times when he walked to the house for help. He was planting pansies. I think I beat the ambulance there since I was around the corner and up the road at my shop.
I waited in the ER and my uncle dropped by. We waited then he was brought into the Chest Pain center partly because the ER was jammed with the runny nose club. It's a shame a flex space isn't available for peak ER visits. The electrophysiologist was there and paced Dad back into normal rhythm and dropped his heart rate to 70. Medications including morphine and lidocaine went into Dad. I had to go home and help Mom and give Dad some rest.
I was furious in a sense that Dad could not have been fixed earlier this year. I thought about sending him to Emory as an option but Dad felt the care from the Macon doctor quite sufficient.
My dad got a room on the 8th floor and was spared the laggards who worked in the cardiac ICU. That Saturday he found that he would get an ablation and they weaned him off the lidocaine that Sunday. The doctor ablated his heart to burn off nodes generating short circuits. He wanted to do more ablating but could not. I hope that Dad won't have to make a return trip to the hospital.
I know my Dad won't last forever and that long-term care of some form is in the near future for both of my parents. I just feel I haven't done enough for them or to make myself a successful person. I dislike being so cynical, so angry, so quiet, so grumpy. I have another side to me that is nice and as honest as the day is long. I guess the word for me is scared. I've been scared and now that forty years close in on me I am tired of being scared of this, that, and the other.
KAT
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Hello
I got back from a weekend at Lake Sinclair Campground. It was okay though I didn't catch any fish. The deep spots along the lake had campers and I snagged my line on overhead branches near the empty and shallow spots. I did have one fishy nibble at my bait but he was too smart for my own good.
I had to listen to a group of Girl Scouts/family members from Cobb County (a tag on one of the vehicles near their pad said such). Three redneck-looking guys and three fat ladies supervised the 9-12 year old females. One woman looked like Harpo Marx. A dog looking like her would not be eaten by starving Koreans. Speaking of which one Amerasian brat in a tent across from my fishing hole talked loud enough to wake the dead.
I preferred the mean-looking redneck in the van next to my tent. He at least played classic country when he was not talking half the day on his cell phone. He was bellyaching about this and that on the cell phone and talking about how the doctors could not figure out why he had high blood pressure. Maybe it's a mind thing. I want to go by the record store or on Itunes and buy some early George Jones/Tammy Wynette and some Conway Twitty/Loretta Lynn. We're talking about early Seventies- at least before 1974.
This will teach me not to go to Lake Sinclair Campground-National Forest Service during the weekend. I also froze in my tent and underinflating an air mattress made me no happier. I will definitely get a low-weight low temperature bag if I can get such for less than 75.00. The mattress was too big for the hiker's tent and I needed to get a single-sized air mattress-or a swimming bed.
I chose to spend the second night in my SUV. I let the small seat down in the rear row and sandwiched myself in my bag. I didn't like not having a bedroll or an inflatable bed but 18 inches didn't allow me much room. I was warmer and when the rain came I was glad I made the choice.
When I woke up at 11:00 and did the rest of the packing I left. I accidentally went to Monroe County instead of Covington. Not to worry; I made another turn and went to Fresh Air Barbecue and headed to Covington. I took pictures of the town square which was depicted in the "Dukes of Hazzard" pilot show.
On the way I saw where the south end of Newton County has a few developments but is turning ghetto closer to Covington. A new grocery store advertised that it was accepting EBT. I had heard that small towns where farming was the primary industry lost their higher-income citizens to the areas bordering Atlanta as the farms died out. Some towns have good homes being built nearby. There was a nice "Scoops" coffee shop and ice-cream parlor on Church Street. Then again I saw "Lee's Fashions" which hosted black fashions and black mannequins".
I felt so good to get home. I will definitely resolve to do SOMETHING about a job although I want a career or other worthy obsession to bury myself in. I need to get out on my own and make real money. As for a direction I don't want just something "fun"; I want a career interest that is long-term. I'll post whatever answer I find later on.
I read that State House District 140 Candidate Lauren Benedict's people, in a September 27 posting of the Peach Pundit, wanted to show that Allen Freeman was on the prowl for girls. Someone put the word that Allen's Myspace account did not mention a family and said he didn't want kids. Not the Allen Freeman I know. I tried to set up an account and had little better luck finding how to update my information. Now one of her alledged cronies has filed an ethics complaint which holds little water.
Just keep on, Ms. Benedict; you're making people mad. Oh and welcome to District 140 where you just moved to. Don't unpack your things yet. You won't need to be here long.
I got back from a weekend at Lake Sinclair Campground. It was okay though I didn't catch any fish. The deep spots along the lake had campers and I snagged my line on overhead branches near the empty and shallow spots. I did have one fishy nibble at my bait but he was too smart for my own good.
I had to listen to a group of Girl Scouts/family members from Cobb County (a tag on one of the vehicles near their pad said such). Three redneck-looking guys and three fat ladies supervised the 9-12 year old females. One woman looked like Harpo Marx. A dog looking like her would not be eaten by starving Koreans. Speaking of which one Amerasian brat in a tent across from my fishing hole talked loud enough to wake the dead.
I preferred the mean-looking redneck in the van next to my tent. He at least played classic country when he was not talking half the day on his cell phone. He was bellyaching about this and that on the cell phone and talking about how the doctors could not figure out why he had high blood pressure. Maybe it's a mind thing. I want to go by the record store or on Itunes and buy some early George Jones/Tammy Wynette and some Conway Twitty/Loretta Lynn. We're talking about early Seventies- at least before 1974.
This will teach me not to go to Lake Sinclair Campground-National Forest Service during the weekend. I also froze in my tent and underinflating an air mattress made me no happier. I will definitely get a low-weight low temperature bag if I can get such for less than 75.00. The mattress was too big for the hiker's tent and I needed to get a single-sized air mattress-or a swimming bed.
I chose to spend the second night in my SUV. I let the small seat down in the rear row and sandwiched myself in my bag. I didn't like not having a bedroll or an inflatable bed but 18 inches didn't allow me much room. I was warmer and when the rain came I was glad I made the choice.
When I woke up at 11:00 and did the rest of the packing I left. I accidentally went to Monroe County instead of Covington. Not to worry; I made another turn and went to Fresh Air Barbecue and headed to Covington. I took pictures of the town square which was depicted in the "Dukes of Hazzard" pilot show.
On the way I saw where the south end of Newton County has a few developments but is turning ghetto closer to Covington. A new grocery store advertised that it was accepting EBT. I had heard that small towns where farming was the primary industry lost their higher-income citizens to the areas bordering Atlanta as the farms died out. Some towns have good homes being built nearby. There was a nice "Scoops" coffee shop and ice-cream parlor on Church Street. Then again I saw "Lee's Fashions" which hosted black fashions and black mannequins".
I felt so good to get home. I will definitely resolve to do SOMETHING about a job although I want a career or other worthy obsession to bury myself in. I need to get out on my own and make real money. As for a direction I don't want just something "fun"; I want a career interest that is long-term. I'll post whatever answer I find later on.
I read that State House District 140 Candidate Lauren Benedict's people, in a September 27 posting of the Peach Pundit, wanted to show that Allen Freeman was on the prowl for girls. Someone put the word that Allen's Myspace account did not mention a family and said he didn't want kids. Not the Allen Freeman I know. I tried to set up an account and had little better luck finding how to update my information. Now one of her alledged cronies has filed an ethics complaint which holds little water.
Just keep on, Ms. Benedict; you're making people mad. Oh and welcome to District 140 where you just moved to. Don't unpack your things yet. You won't need to be here long.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
http://www.selfforsuperiorcourt.com
Hello
I am calling the race for Superior Court for Tillman "Tripp" Self. Tons of people in the legal community and elsewhere are endorsing him and he has had extensive experience handling civil and criminal cases. Ed Ennis has been a federal prosecutor for quite a while. He has more gray hairs and more importantly does not wear a bowtie.
Many who style themselves ultra classy wear bowties. This is to say "I'm different and thus I am better than you so I can wear this retro-Fifties goofball neckwear". But we have dealt with Tripp's family and find them wonderful people.
Pam White-Colbert will likely cater to the militants in the African-American community- but that is all. She has reportedly antagonized the staff in the DA's office wherein she works. Charles Jones and Cedric Leslie don't stand a chance as both are unknowns.
If I had gobs of money you would not catch me dead in a bowtie except in a tuxedo. I might be dead by the time I wear a tuxedo as most certainly the only occasion for wearing such might be my own wedding. This doesn't seem to be something that will happen soon.
I am calling the race for Superior Court for Tillman "Tripp" Self. Tons of people in the legal community and elsewhere are endorsing him and he has had extensive experience handling civil and criminal cases. Ed Ennis has been a federal prosecutor for quite a while. He has more gray hairs and more importantly does not wear a bowtie.
Many who style themselves ultra classy wear bowties. This is to say "I'm different and thus I am better than you so I can wear this retro-Fifties goofball neckwear". But we have dealt with Tripp's family and find them wonderful people.
Pam White-Colbert will likely cater to the militants in the African-American community- but that is all. She has reportedly antagonized the staff in the DA's office wherein she works. Charles Jones and Cedric Leslie don't stand a chance as both are unknowns.
If I had gobs of money you would not catch me dead in a bowtie except in a tuxedo. I might be dead by the time I wear a tuxedo as most certainly the only occasion for wearing such might be my own wedding. This doesn't seem to be something that will happen soon.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Of Malls and Marshall
Hello
I went to the Houston Mall again. I was rehab shopping for my mother. No, not THAT kind of rehab; she is becoming less and less mobile with her disease.
Even at 3:30 PM the mall is dead. Evelyn's, the dress shop that was too stubborn to leave, is no more. A third of the mall is rented by the Houston Medical Center. This is not a bad idea if the $/sqft sales are high even for spending money on medical procedures. But HMC isn't the Mayo Clinic or Cook County Hospital in Chicago.
The northeast entrance is no more. Home Decor resides in it, the small stores along the way, and in two or more old stores possibly carved out of WT Grant's. I remember when my sis and I went to Grant's and bought a small globe. This was on a Sunday. Eckerd's is a billing center for HMC and the southeast corridor has Warner Robins Municipal Court and a probation office. A nail place and beauty supply replaced stores near where the old record store and Burton's shoes once thrived. I forgot there was a southeast wing to the mall. It has a few of HMC's storefront facilities.
Were I HMC and if no expansion were already planned for the hospital I'd buy the mall and revamp it. Then I would rent it out. Hospitals likely find themselves hurting to make a profit and though Houston Medical Center doesn't have indigents bleeding them dry it remains a neat idea.
Management needs to market the mall as an office center and fill the hallway with another row of offices. Perhaps they can bulldoze all but the east and west anchors and make a strip mall. Westgate did this but their mistake was remaining commercial in a deteriorating neighborhood.
I heard Jim Marshall this and that today on WDEN and WMAC. I am firing off a letter to Mac Collins' staffer to tell the campaign to hurry up and get some ads on the air yesterday. There is no reason for a last-minute full court press to be delayed. Collins needs to counter the liars lying about his lying and get the word out. The other GOP related groups do much better at putting out the facts on Marshall.
I went to the Houston Mall again. I was rehab shopping for my mother. No, not THAT kind of rehab; she is becoming less and less mobile with her disease.
Even at 3:30 PM the mall is dead. Evelyn's, the dress shop that was too stubborn to leave, is no more. A third of the mall is rented by the Houston Medical Center. This is not a bad idea if the $/sqft sales are high even for spending money on medical procedures. But HMC isn't the Mayo Clinic or Cook County Hospital in Chicago.
The northeast entrance is no more. Home Decor resides in it, the small stores along the way, and in two or more old stores possibly carved out of WT Grant's. I remember when my sis and I went to Grant's and bought a small globe. This was on a Sunday. Eckerd's is a billing center for HMC and the southeast corridor has Warner Robins Municipal Court and a probation office. A nail place and beauty supply replaced stores near where the old record store and Burton's shoes once thrived. I forgot there was a southeast wing to the mall. It has a few of HMC's storefront facilities.
Were I HMC and if no expansion were already planned for the hospital I'd buy the mall and revamp it. Then I would rent it out. Hospitals likely find themselves hurting to make a profit and though Houston Medical Center doesn't have indigents bleeding them dry it remains a neat idea.
Management needs to market the mall as an office center and fill the hallway with another row of offices. Perhaps they can bulldoze all but the east and west anchors and make a strip mall. Westgate did this but their mistake was remaining commercial in a deteriorating neighborhood.
I heard Jim Marshall this and that today on WDEN and WMAC. I am firing off a letter to Mac Collins' staffer to tell the campaign to hurry up and get some ads on the air yesterday. There is no reason for a last-minute full court press to be delayed. Collins needs to counter the liars lying about his lying and get the word out. The other GOP related groups do much better at putting out the facts on Marshall.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Allen Freeman a shoe-in but....
Allen Freeman of Georgia House District 140 faces Lauren Benedict in a reelection fight for the state house. Peachpundit.com has more details but it seems that Ms. Benedict has rented a house so she can live in the district. She is reported to be a trial lawyer and a full-blown liberal. Anyone with further skinny on her political leanings and affiliations please post comments here.
As for Mr. Freeman his parents have lived near South Bibb for years. His wife's grandfather fixed the telephones in South Bibb in the earliest days of telephony.
As for Mr. Freeman his parents have lived near South Bibb for years. His wife's grandfather fixed the telephones in South Bibb in the earliest days of telephony.
Friday, September 29, 2006
More on Dead Malls
Hello
Speaking of dead malls we have one in Middle Georgia. Houston Mall in Warner Robins (off Watson Boulevard across from Suntrust) was built in 1972. On the north end was Grant's and Belk's anchored the west end. Sears was on the Watson Boulevard side. In 1994 its anchors left it a nearly empty hulk. Manager Laverne Norris and the owners struggle to keep it alive.
I swung by Houston Mall two days ago. The facility is trying to fill up empty holes but I do not see this as meaningful. I saw a doctor's office, an outpatient annex for the hospital up the road, a Primerica office, a used office furniture dealer, a beauty supply place, a furniture store, a softlines/home decor outlet, and a billing office for the hospital mentioned above. I whirled around back and saw the old Belk's entrance which is the front door for the Air Force Reserve Band's offices.
Last year I saw an Asian-made junk store and an art gallery. At the old Grant's end was a clothing store whose owner is too stubborn to give up. Where the bookstore was at the north court is Municipal Court.
The Telegraph article from July has management gloating at its 85% occupancy. Sad to say but these will not stay for long. The mall's owner is unable to grasp one rule of marketing; have a goal for what you want for your business. He seems to want to fill space with whatever comes his way.
The best that the Houston Mall can hope for is to become an office mall or a government center. Forget about being a power center near a slum area. I would advise ripping down the center section and leaving the old Grant's and the adjacent strips as well as the old Sears building. There is no reason to air-condition five or six people walking around in in thousands of square feet of space in the common area. A patched parking lot looks horrible as does an old road sign that is more of a tombstone.
Belk's is talking with the owners of the Bass Road power center and Dillard's has all but committed itself as an anchor. This will suck Macon Mall dry if both choose to move away. It would make sense as I have heard there is lower occupancy of the mall and people tell each other not to visit MM at night. The ghetto has surrounded almost all of the mall.
More on this and other malls in days to come.
Speaking of dead malls we have one in Middle Georgia. Houston Mall in Warner Robins (off Watson Boulevard across from Suntrust) was built in 1972. On the north end was Grant's and Belk's anchored the west end. Sears was on the Watson Boulevard side. In 1994 its anchors left it a nearly empty hulk. Manager Laverne Norris and the owners struggle to keep it alive.
I swung by Houston Mall two days ago. The facility is trying to fill up empty holes but I do not see this as meaningful. I saw a doctor's office, an outpatient annex for the hospital up the road, a Primerica office, a used office furniture dealer, a beauty supply place, a furniture store, a softlines/home decor outlet, and a billing office for the hospital mentioned above. I whirled around back and saw the old Belk's entrance which is the front door for the Air Force Reserve Band's offices.
Last year I saw an Asian-made junk store and an art gallery. At the old Grant's end was a clothing store whose owner is too stubborn to give up. Where the bookstore was at the north court is Municipal Court.
The Telegraph article from July has management gloating at its 85% occupancy. Sad to say but these will not stay for long. The mall's owner is unable to grasp one rule of marketing; have a goal for what you want for your business. He seems to want to fill space with whatever comes his way.
The best that the Houston Mall can hope for is to become an office mall or a government center. Forget about being a power center near a slum area. I would advise ripping down the center section and leaving the old Grant's and the adjacent strips as well as the old Sears building. There is no reason to air-condition five or six people walking around in in thousands of square feet of space in the common area. A patched parking lot looks horrible as does an old road sign that is more of a tombstone.
Belk's is talking with the owners of the Bass Road power center and Dillard's has all but committed itself as an anchor. This will suck Macon Mall dry if both choose to move away. It would make sense as I have heard there is lower occupancy of the mall and people tell each other not to visit MM at night. The ghetto has surrounded almost all of the mall.
More on this and other malls in days to come.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Dead and Dying Malls
Hello
I've been looking at dead and dying malls on the Web.
Your homework; visit
http://mallsofamerica.blogspot.com/2005/12/macon-mall.html There I have posted words on the Macon Mall and Westgate Mall. Below is a picture of the back end of Westgate dating to 1971
http://www.deadmalls.com
http://georgiaretailmemories.blogspot.com
Google for "Dixie Square Mall Harvey Illinois" which is a still-standing dead mall.
Also google for "Houston Mall Warner Robins" and see the Telegraph article
Enjoy while I go to bed.
KT
Dead Malls
Hello
I have been reading websites about dead malls and dying malls. I will fill you in on this later but here's some homework to do.
Visit the above link as per Macon Mall. I made a comment on this and Westgate Mall. Here is an external, from 1971, of the rear of Westgate.
Also see below:
http://www.deadmalls.com
http://georgiaretailmemories.blogspot.com
Also Google for Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois. It is a mall in which the car chase in "The Blues Brothers" was filmed. Not to worry; almost all of the mall is still standing. Empty. For over 25 years. Someone has done videos of the abandoned mall.
Finally look for an article on Houston Mall in Warner Robins. Read it then drive by for a few laughs.
We tend to wrinkle our noses at recent history but those who forget the past are condemned to my ire.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Been out for a few days
Hello
I've been off the blog for a few days. I have been trying a medicine for my sleep issue and the first one I tried made my heart beat too strongly. The next one seems to be causing me to stay in a sleepy state. I just want it to alleviate my issue of falling asleep after work.
I'll give the Strattera another chance before I give up. I like the idea of an SSRI but not if it will make me sleep like a bear- and at the wrong time.
Visit this link; deadmalls.com
I've been off the blog for a few days. I have been trying a medicine for my sleep issue and the first one I tried made my heart beat too strongly. The next one seems to be causing me to stay in a sleepy state. I just want it to alleviate my issue of falling asleep after work.
I'll give the Strattera another chance before I give up. I like the idea of an SSRI but not if it will make me sleep like a bear- and at the wrong time.
Visit this link; deadmalls.com
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
What did I do the morning of 9/11/01
I don't know if I've written down what I did on 9/11/01 but it cannot be too much of a good thing to write it down again. The big thought I had was to make sure our leaders and our country would not pull any punches. We haven't done all we can but we are surely safer.
It was ten minutes after 9 and I was in bed getting ready to go to work. I lay there to get primed for the work day at the computer store. I was listening to WMAC-AM and Kenny Bee told us to stand by for a report on a terrorist attack- or an airplane crash, or both. I wish I had his words written down earlier. I didn't know if it were an airliner or a small craft. I remembered the B-25 that crashed into the Empire State Building during WWII. Reports from ABC initially indicated there was a plane crash. Later it seemed the reports talked of terrorism. I made my way to the store.
Our store was in a bigger facility at Mercer Crossing and I had a back room almost to myself for doing service work. I did almost nothing but service work. We had more manpower back then. We didn't have "same day next day" service yet but I took my job seriously.
I had a television tuned to Fox as we had cable internet run to the store. I got to see the pictures run over and over again of the planes crashing into the towers. I got to see an almost live picture of the towers crash. I say these pictures were almost live because the Fox staff indicated no surprise and said "here's some video of the tower crashing". Later the Pentagon fell prey and a plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field.
News wasn't entirely instantaneous though some live video showed us what was going on. Much of the video was looped and from other sources. Journalists have to confirm and reconfirm their stories before going public. It is still faster than having to wait for days or weeks as many in our nation did after the Declaration was signed.
Only a token few customers came into the store and the phone was relatively quiet. The nation seemed to stop; there was almost no activity in the shopping center. I heard that the Colonial Mall (later called Macon Mall) was evacuated in the wake of a bomb threat. My sister, who travels to many places in her job, called Mom and Dad later that night to tell us everyone was doing fine and that people were sent home from work due to having nothing to do.
I had heard stories of Pearl Harbor and the Kennedy Assasination. I wondered if we in our dumbed-down generation would trivialize this event and worse, insist on political correctness and forget what kind of stuff we as Americans were and are supposed to be.
I would be more infuriated with American attitudes than our goverment if nobody did anything about the terrorists. The generation after ours knew less about history or government and fell prey to the media and those who want to throw oru nation's principles out the window. I think the new adults very well have a chance to redeem themselves.
It was ten minutes after 9 and I was in bed getting ready to go to work. I lay there to get primed for the work day at the computer store. I was listening to WMAC-AM and Kenny Bee told us to stand by for a report on a terrorist attack- or an airplane crash, or both. I wish I had his words written down earlier. I didn't know if it were an airliner or a small craft. I remembered the B-25 that crashed into the Empire State Building during WWII. Reports from ABC initially indicated there was a plane crash. Later it seemed the reports talked of terrorism. I made my way to the store.
Our store was in a bigger facility at Mercer Crossing and I had a back room almost to myself for doing service work. I did almost nothing but service work. We had more manpower back then. We didn't have "same day next day" service yet but I took my job seriously.
I had a television tuned to Fox as we had cable internet run to the store. I got to see the pictures run over and over again of the planes crashing into the towers. I got to see an almost live picture of the towers crash. I say these pictures were almost live because the Fox staff indicated no surprise and said "here's some video of the tower crashing". Later the Pentagon fell prey and a plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field.
News wasn't entirely instantaneous though some live video showed us what was going on. Much of the video was looped and from other sources. Journalists have to confirm and reconfirm their stories before going public. It is still faster than having to wait for days or weeks as many in our nation did after the Declaration was signed.
Only a token few customers came into the store and the phone was relatively quiet. The nation seemed to stop; there was almost no activity in the shopping center. I heard that the Colonial Mall (later called Macon Mall) was evacuated in the wake of a bomb threat. My sister, who travels to many places in her job, called Mom and Dad later that night to tell us everyone was doing fine and that people were sent home from work due to having nothing to do.
I had heard stories of Pearl Harbor and the Kennedy Assasination. I wondered if we in our dumbed-down generation would trivialize this event and worse, insist on political correctness and forget what kind of stuff we as Americans were and are supposed to be.
I would be more infuriated with American attitudes than our goverment if nobody did anything about the terrorists. The generation after ours knew less about history or government and fell prey to the media and those who want to throw oru nation's principles out the window. I think the new adults very well have a chance to redeem themselves.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Been out due to boss' baby
Hello
I've been out because of my boss' wife giving birth but my mind has still been active.
I updated the Nike Hercules page at http://home.earthlink.net/~kturnerga/robinsnike. I am too cheap to buy a domain name so this long-drawn-out URL will have to do. Someone from the Byron Area Historical Society sent a picture of a sign that adorned the Byron Nike Hercules Base in the Sixties. The present property is now a restaurant fixture business and a pyrotechnics facility. Hopefully I can jazz up the web page to make it a showpiece but I am learning more about networking and not so much about web authoring.
The mayor of Macon wants nobody but his spokesperson, Ron Wildman, to respond to any press inquiries. Likely the public safety staff will be able to answer questions on events dealing in breaches of safety but everything else is under Mayor Ellis' lid. It's that simple: we in unincorporated Bibb must consolidate or break off ties with the City of Macon. The big fear is taking on the city's debt and having North and South Bibb become rich uncle to the rest of the county.
Now I did finally get the General Tso's brakes to behave. Or Kubia's Auto Center did. I got the rear brake shoes replaced a few months ago but the brakes were still spongy. I tried bleeding them with the 5.00 gizmo that allows one person to bleed them. I did more harm than good and there was air in the line. Next I propped the pedal with a sawn board and bled the lines in the back. I saw improved results but was not happy. The rear brakes were adjusted at Kubia's. At first the brakes would intermittently require me to hit metal to get to a complete stop at slow speeds. I tried backing up and hitting the brakes several times and voila they work fine.
The next task on the General is to change the oil and shampoo the rug on the driver's side. It still smells of manure when I first start it and the blower kicks in. I will insert some room deodorizer pads in an attempt to alleviate the smell. Should this fail I want to get a Haynes book and go further into the blower intake to make the machine smell better.
We have two window air conditioners in the living room. The big A/C (13000BTU) died so my uncle had one A/C that he didn't need. He and my sister bought another one. Each unit is 5000BTU and 8000BTU respectively. As the big A/C window unit is under warranty we will actually gain two instead of losing one A/C. I just wish that years ago the family had acquired high-velocity ducting and central air. This is if we had known that six window A/C's were to cool 1500 SQFT of space. Some of the units are unused but most tick along all the time. I may be wrong about the square feet of house; I will check with the Board of Tax Assessor's web site (so I read the headlines on Macon-Bibb's BOTA; big deal!).
I have lost a little weight just from judging by the girth I have. Some Tommy Hilfiger pants I got for a song and a dance manage to fit. My belly protrudes less. I attribute this to a small breakfast every morning and sometimes missing a meal. It wreaks havoc with my mood and my sleep cycle is going to pot. I wake up still sleepy at 9:15 and have a small snack. At 3:00 I have lunch and at 8:00 or 9:00 I take a nap. I wake up come 12:00 and shortly thereafter I will have dinner.
I am not getting richer nor am I doing a good job search to build up my piggy bank. I sleep and do a little playing and lots of housework. I want to take Brainbench's Windows 2003 Server exam (free) come October. I don't care if I am seeking a non-computer related career; I want to stay on track and do something with my life.
Dad is getting better and is doing more around the house thank goodness. His sleep cycle is slowly improving. Everyone's thoughts and prayers have been greatly appreciated.
I've been out because of my boss' wife giving birth but my mind has still been active.
I updated the Nike Hercules page at http://home.earthlink.net/~kturnerga/robinsnike. I am too cheap to buy a domain name so this long-drawn-out URL will have to do. Someone from the Byron Area Historical Society sent a picture of a sign that adorned the Byron Nike Hercules Base in the Sixties. The present property is now a restaurant fixture business and a pyrotechnics facility. Hopefully I can jazz up the web page to make it a showpiece but I am learning more about networking and not so much about web authoring.
The mayor of Macon wants nobody but his spokesperson, Ron Wildman, to respond to any press inquiries. Likely the public safety staff will be able to answer questions on events dealing in breaches of safety but everything else is under Mayor Ellis' lid. It's that simple: we in unincorporated Bibb must consolidate or break off ties with the City of Macon. The big fear is taking on the city's debt and having North and South Bibb become rich uncle to the rest of the county.
Now I did finally get the General Tso's brakes to behave. Or Kubia's Auto Center did. I got the rear brake shoes replaced a few months ago but the brakes were still spongy. I tried bleeding them with the 5.00 gizmo that allows one person to bleed them. I did more harm than good and there was air in the line. Next I propped the pedal with a sawn board and bled the lines in the back. I saw improved results but was not happy. The rear brakes were adjusted at Kubia's. At first the brakes would intermittently require me to hit metal to get to a complete stop at slow speeds. I tried backing up and hitting the brakes several times and voila they work fine.
The next task on the General is to change the oil and shampoo the rug on the driver's side. It still smells of manure when I first start it and the blower kicks in. I will insert some room deodorizer pads in an attempt to alleviate the smell. Should this fail I want to get a Haynes book and go further into the blower intake to make the machine smell better.
We have two window air conditioners in the living room. The big A/C (13000BTU) died so my uncle had one A/C that he didn't need. He and my sister bought another one. Each unit is 5000BTU and 8000BTU respectively. As the big A/C window unit is under warranty we will actually gain two instead of losing one A/C. I just wish that years ago the family had acquired high-velocity ducting and central air. This is if we had known that six window A/C's were to cool 1500 SQFT of space. Some of the units are unused but most tick along all the time. I may be wrong about the square feet of house; I will check with the Board of Tax Assessor's web site (so I read the headlines on Macon-Bibb's BOTA; big deal!).
I have lost a little weight just from judging by the girth I have. Some Tommy Hilfiger pants I got for a song and a dance manage to fit. My belly protrudes less. I attribute this to a small breakfast every morning and sometimes missing a meal. It wreaks havoc with my mood and my sleep cycle is going to pot. I wake up still sleepy at 9:15 and have a small snack. At 3:00 I have lunch and at 8:00 or 9:00 I take a nap. I wake up come 12:00 and shortly thereafter I will have dinner.
I am not getting richer nor am I doing a good job search to build up my piggy bank. I sleep and do a little playing and lots of housework. I want to take Brainbench's Windows 2003 Server exam (free) come October. I don't care if I am seeking a non-computer related career; I want to stay on track and do something with my life.
Dad is getting better and is doing more around the house thank goodness. His sleep cycle is slowly improving. Everyone's thoughts and prayers have been greatly appreciated.
Monday, August 14, 2006
South Bibb Development near Hartley Bridge
08/14/06
I read about a Moon Properties development at Hartley Bridge Road and Interstate 75. I praise this form of growth for South Bibb. The houses coming after the commercialization phase include multiple-family structures. If there are any houses built they must be middle-to-upper market. We do not need cheap rental property this close to Crawford and Peach Counties. With the ghetto being a few miles up Interstate 75 we most definitely need Moon's development to be relatively upscale- not snooty but upscale. This is being billed as an alternative to living in Atlanta. Of course we do need the jobs and decent schools to draw in people.
I am very excited with what I see going on in the next few years. Moon, according to the Telegraph, mentions a theater, elementary school, home improvement place, and supermarket.
Just think; when I grew up (an example; 1973)we had to travel to Rocky Creek Road to go to a real grocery store. Back then we had two superettes (Bryant's and the Red and White), one pharmacist (McCook's), four convenience stores, a few smaller country stores, a handful of churches, six full-fledged service stations (most on the Interstate), a few smaller "filling" stations, and two restaurants (Stuckey's and Shane's).
This development means a big push to get more goodies. Who knows; a tire store, a lube shop, more major fast-food outlets (A Hardee's I hope)and a multitude of doctor's offices. I really do not think a Wal-Mart is needed in our community for the next ten years at the earliest.
KAT
I read about a Moon Properties development at Hartley Bridge Road and Interstate 75. I praise this form of growth for South Bibb. The houses coming after the commercialization phase include multiple-family structures. If there are any houses built they must be middle-to-upper market. We do not need cheap rental property this close to Crawford and Peach Counties. With the ghetto being a few miles up Interstate 75 we most definitely need Moon's development to be relatively upscale- not snooty but upscale. This is being billed as an alternative to living in Atlanta. Of course we do need the jobs and decent schools to draw in people.
I am very excited with what I see going on in the next few years. Moon, according to the Telegraph, mentions a theater, elementary school, home improvement place, and supermarket.
Just think; when I grew up (an example; 1973)we had to travel to Rocky Creek Road to go to a real grocery store. Back then we had two superettes (Bryant's and the Red and White), one pharmacist (McCook's), four convenience stores, a few smaller country stores, a handful of churches, six full-fledged service stations (most on the Interstate), a few smaller "filling" stations, and two restaurants (Stuckey's and Shane's).
This development means a big push to get more goodies. Who knows; a tire store, a lube shop, more major fast-food outlets (A Hardee's I hope)and a multitude of doctor's offices. I really do not think a Wal-Mart is needed in our community for the next ten years at the earliest.
KAT
City phone bill being paid?
08/14/06
Question:
Is it true that the City of Macon has not been paying its telephone bills and that some of the phone numbers are dead?
Carelessness, neglect, and even worse can kill
http://www.wmaz.com/news/local_headlines.aspx?storyid=28777 details a woman who is smoking in bed- and she is on oxygen, by the way- and causes a fatal fire.
What part of "Oxygen: No Smoking Within 50 Feet" do some of us not understand?
What part of "Oxygen: No Smoking Within 50 Feet" do some of us not understand?
Sunday, August 06, 2006
General Tso actually gets brakes fixed
08/06/06
The General Tso got its brakes fixed. Yes, it does need its rotors ground but for 280.00 that can wait. The danger aspect of the brakes is gone thanks to the Mad Machinist. I had replaced the front pads but the rear shoes needed replacement. Try this; take a glass jar and rotate it as you would when taking off the lid. Put your thumb on the inside of the jar and force the twirling to stop. This is how brake shoes work on a drum on the rear of a car.
Of course it isn't that simple due to the springs and brake adjustment screw so I took it to the Mad Machinist. Yes there is lots of travel space on the pedal but much of that is normal. I do have to finish with the smell issue and the fuel feed being stubborn but these aren't that critical. Nor is having to feed the thing a quart of oil once every few weeks. A head job is more costly than feeding it oil until it smokes all the time.
I read about Leslie Elliot, who I grew up with. She worked in advertising- like I wanted to. I was an intern for her back in college. But she now has chosen to teach for Heard Elementary. Leslie is going to hang an angel in her room just as her deceased mother, Marian Hamlin, did when she taught a previous generation at Heard.
I do have one question; when is the ACLU going to yank out the angel due to church-state separation issues? Oh and one more question; why are so many promising people like Leslie and myself, when leaving college, forced to teach school, work for the federal government, do telephone insurance sales, or work in health care? This is what is happening in the Macon area. My family needs me here but I can't move forward in my career as long as I'm in Macon or the surrounding area.
I do have a plea for everyone while on the subject; vote for Allen Peake if he is running in your district. I trust a businessman over a lawyer who's father was just another politician at the State House. Read the Peach Pundit. Stebin's father gave to a Democratic candidate this year. So much for his dad being a closet Republican.
Stebin at one time refused to restrict the mayor's powers. I do not know what the issue was but it was in 2005. Someone please clue us in on this before we vote this Tuesday.
Finally, vote for Karen Handel and vote for Black in the runoff.
KAT
The General Tso got its brakes fixed. Yes, it does need its rotors ground but for 280.00 that can wait. The danger aspect of the brakes is gone thanks to the Mad Machinist. I had replaced the front pads but the rear shoes needed replacement. Try this; take a glass jar and rotate it as you would when taking off the lid. Put your thumb on the inside of the jar and force the twirling to stop. This is how brake shoes work on a drum on the rear of a car.
Of course it isn't that simple due to the springs and brake adjustment screw so I took it to the Mad Machinist. Yes there is lots of travel space on the pedal but much of that is normal. I do have to finish with the smell issue and the fuel feed being stubborn but these aren't that critical. Nor is having to feed the thing a quart of oil once every few weeks. A head job is more costly than feeding it oil until it smokes all the time.
I read about Leslie Elliot, who I grew up with. She worked in advertising- like I wanted to. I was an intern for her back in college. But she now has chosen to teach for Heard Elementary. Leslie is going to hang an angel in her room just as her deceased mother, Marian Hamlin, did when she taught a previous generation at Heard.
I do have one question; when is the ACLU going to yank out the angel due to church-state separation issues? Oh and one more question; why are so many promising people like Leslie and myself, when leaving college, forced to teach school, work for the federal government, do telephone insurance sales, or work in health care? This is what is happening in the Macon area. My family needs me here but I can't move forward in my career as long as I'm in Macon or the surrounding area.
I do have a plea for everyone while on the subject; vote for Allen Peake if he is running in your district. I trust a businessman over a lawyer who's father was just another politician at the State House. Read the Peach Pundit. Stebin's father gave to a Democratic candidate this year. So much for his dad being a closet Republican.
Stebin at one time refused to restrict the mayor's powers. I do not know what the issue was but it was in 2005. Someone please clue us in on this before we vote this Tuesday.
Finally, vote for Karen Handel and vote for Black in the runoff.
KAT
Monday, July 24, 2006
General Tso's Rug Gets Shampooed
07/24/06
I took out the passenger's seat on the General Tso as I figured this would most effectively let me clean the carpet. I shampooed and brushed the carpet and front and rear mats. I vacuumed the rug after it dried. The seat was shampooed, brushed,and vacuumed too.
Of course the hardest part was aligning the screw holes with the holes on the seat. The left front screw hole had been stripped by the time I got through. Saturday night I tried to screw the seat in and got really angry. I tried to pry, curse, and sweat through the ordeal.
Then Dad checked his blood pressure and found it to be 205/??. We then called 911 and an ambulance came. The paramedic and EMT examined him and found him to be fit despite his having the jitters. We thought it best to have him go to the ER.
KAT
I took out the passenger's seat on the General Tso as I figured this would most effectively let me clean the carpet. I shampooed and brushed the carpet and front and rear mats. I vacuumed the rug after it dried. The seat was shampooed, brushed,and vacuumed too.
Of course the hardest part was aligning the screw holes with the holes on the seat. The left front screw hole had been stripped by the time I got through. Saturday night I tried to screw the seat in and got really angry. I tried to pry, curse, and sweat through the ordeal.
Then Dad checked his blood pressure and found it to be 205/??. We then called 911 and an ambulance came. The paramedic and EMT examined him and found him to be fit despite his having the jitters. We thought it best to have him go to the ER.
KAT
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Blackballed and a Clarification
Hi!
I got blackballed today!
I posted a comment on a blog about the blogger administrator's opinion on Bibb's public schools. I told him his attitude towards supporting the schools was akin to the Alan Jackson song (lyrics if nothing else), "Prop me up 'side the jukebox when I die". He was in effect propping up dead schools. I then admonished him to think of his kids rather than the institution of public education. I capped it off by referring to the "dog excrement" sending their kids to school as being the big reason Bibb schools stink.
We do have bureaucrats and top-down management wreaking havoc on our schools. Not that they were perfect. My dad used to say that any white Chevrolet truck with a work body going somewhere slowly was a Bibb BOE truck. My mom said it took two people from BOE headquarters to run around a classroom with a Flit can to kill bugs.
If I stepped on the administrator's toes I must apologize but not because I was wrong.
KAT
I got blackballed today!
I posted a comment on a blog about the blogger administrator's opinion on Bibb's public schools. I told him his attitude towards supporting the schools was akin to the Alan Jackson song (lyrics if nothing else), "Prop me up 'side the jukebox when I die". He was in effect propping up dead schools. I then admonished him to think of his kids rather than the institution of public education. I capped it off by referring to the "dog excrement" sending their kids to school as being the big reason Bibb schools stink.
We do have bureaucrats and top-down management wreaking havoc on our schools. Not that they were perfect. My dad used to say that any white Chevrolet truck with a work body going somewhere slowly was a Bibb BOE truck. My mom said it took two people from BOE headquarters to run around a classroom with a Flit can to kill bugs.
If I stepped on the administrator's toes I must apologize but not because I was wrong.
KAT
Friday, July 21, 2006
Mayor Cialis tells MHA board to resign
Hello
Mayor Ellis today told the Macon Housing Authority's board to resign. This request is in light of a federal report detailing improper spending.
So I wonder who among the mayor's friends frittered away the housing funds? I'm waiting for the MHA's members and Mr. Hiscox to tell us their side.
KAT
Mayor Ellis today told the Macon Housing Authority's board to resign. This request is in light of a federal report detailing improper spending.
So I wonder who among the mayor's friends frittered away the housing funds? I'm waiting for the MHA's members and Mr. Hiscox to tell us their side.
KAT
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
General Tso gets new brakes for real
07/12/06
I went to put in a new network card for a friend but the card didn't work. I had bought a card to install in her computer but I couldn't find it. I saw her new dog; it is sooo cute. It's an 8 month-old dachsund.
I went to get my hair cut and finally found a place after three tries. I cannot believe how poorly staffed some salons are! In Warner Robins I went to the second-hand office furniture store. They had some nice office chairs and a few tables but oddly enough the tables, as simple as they were, cost 99.00. I need a smaller table for the sewing room as well as a flippable ironing board.
Next I went to Home Decor. It is one of few businesses that keep the lights on at the Houston Mall. I would advise bulldozing all but the anchor stores and outparcels, putting the bricks and other items for sale on Ebay as keepsakes, and building a strip. This would entail a bit of capital though and I am sure the property makes a nice tax write-off.
At Home Decor I found $4.00 bath towels, some nice mats, and a sheet set for 13.00. I could go nuts with my money in that store. I also found old store racks and fire extinguishers from Wal-Mart. I might partake in one of the extinguishers for the house. I saw some hanging torso squares with female breasts along with some store mannequins.
I slept then changed the brake pads on the General Tso. I put a new retainer clip on the left side and compressed the piston with a C-clamp and a chisel laid flat. Even with this I had to do some tapping to slide the caliper on. I am sure a pro would not have to resort to tapping to force a caliper onto the rotor. I hate travel space and feeling a thunk when I brake slowly and hard. Possibly this is normal operation but I did see less of this happen thanks to the new pads.
I got Dad his medicine to calm him down and allow him to sleep.
I went to put in a new network card for a friend but the card didn't work. I had bought a card to install in her computer but I couldn't find it. I saw her new dog; it is sooo cute. It's an 8 month-old dachsund.
I went to get my hair cut and finally found a place after three tries. I cannot believe how poorly staffed some salons are! In Warner Robins I went to the second-hand office furniture store. They had some nice office chairs and a few tables but oddly enough the tables, as simple as they were, cost 99.00. I need a smaller table for the sewing room as well as a flippable ironing board.
Next I went to Home Decor. It is one of few businesses that keep the lights on at the Houston Mall. I would advise bulldozing all but the anchor stores and outparcels, putting the bricks and other items for sale on Ebay as keepsakes, and building a strip. This would entail a bit of capital though and I am sure the property makes a nice tax write-off.
At Home Decor I found $4.00 bath towels, some nice mats, and a sheet set for 13.00. I could go nuts with my money in that store. I also found old store racks and fire extinguishers from Wal-Mart. I might partake in one of the extinguishers for the house. I saw some hanging torso squares with female breasts along with some store mannequins.
I slept then changed the brake pads on the General Tso. I put a new retainer clip on the left side and compressed the piston with a C-clamp and a chisel laid flat. Even with this I had to do some tapping to slide the caliper on. I am sure a pro would not have to resort to tapping to force a caliper onto the rotor. I hate travel space and feeling a thunk when I brake slowly and hard. Possibly this is normal operation but I did see less of this happen thanks to the new pads.
I got Dad his medicine to calm him down and allow him to sleep.
The Dang Thing Works After All
Hello
I asked the local ambulance service about problems transmitting my dad's 12-lead EKG to the hospital.
It turns out the ambulance crew did get a link up to the hospital. I stand corrected. For those who don't have 12-lead EKG in your ambulances I advise it since a cardiologist, in some instances, can read your EKG on a Blackberry or other PDA even if you collapse near a turnip field. Automatic defibrillation should be in every place visited by tons of people along with staffers trained to use it.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Robins AFB Strippers get automated
Hi!
On CNET's news page I saw a C-130 getting its paint stripped (Photo via CNET). An automatic machine cuts five days off the task of stripping the birds. The article did not mention Robins AFB by name but likely that is where the robot cranes work. NIST, a government agency, developed the Robo-Crane technology which includes an AMP (Aerial Multi-Axis Platform adapted for stripping. The operator is safely enclosed in a compartment. Previous painters had to don suits and deal with hazardous toxins. NIST's web page reports that two production units are being installed at Robins.
It's good to see Robins (if not by name) make it onto front-page geek news.
KAT
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Telegraph endorses Stebin, Ellis faves
07/06/06
Dad is doing fine; just hates being hogtied to a hospital bed by his condition.
I read the Telegraph's endorsements for City Council and State House 137. Some of the nominations make sense but I dislike something about Nancy White and Cynthia Knight, two candidates endorsed by Mayor C. Jack Ellis. Something must be cooking for Ellis to endorse these two.
I also refuse to comprehend how the Telegraph, given Becky Burgess and Allen Peake's reform attitudes, can endorse Stebin Horne. Actually I can; Stebin "kills" more babies than the leading candidate (booming tv ad voice). He is lenient on abortions compared to Allen Peake as per a pro-life group's survey. The Telegraph liberals ate this up.
My support is going with Allen Peake. The Mercer University School of Law has been a staffing firm for the Georgia House way too long. Not that we have had bad lawyers in there at all; Floyd Buford did a reasonable job and so have a token few others.
Becky Burgess has largely been working at Mercer since she received her law degree from there. She is the third banana of somethingorother at the Medical School. She wants to freeze property taxes prior to the sale of property. This means municipalities lose a windfall from companies who reform blighted property. So the knife cuts both ways. Becky also wants to consolidate Macon and Bibb so property owners outside the city limits won't be the rich uncle to the decaying city. I don't see how planning a consolidated government is in her hands; local leaders will have to concoct a charter.
The Peach Pundit says Stebin's mom handed out campaign buttons in one of the classes she was teaching.
As for Dale Washburn the citizens of Jones County weren't totally happy with him when he was their County Commissioner. He could be tempremental with Jones residents although there was the "free lunch" crowd of Macon refugees who have since become more bourgeois. At my store back in the Eighties one lady who had trouble getting a road paved advised her friends weres going to hold a motorcade protest on "Dale Washboard Road." His base, according to the PP, is largely confined to realtors.
Also I have a homework assignment for the readers! I remember Stebin Horne last year was reluctant to restrict the mayor's powers at one point because he disliked being too restrictive on the office of the mayor. This was on a certain issue which escapes me. Clue me in, please. I know Stebin did propose limiting the mayor's power on another issue to be frank with everyone.
Prediction; Aaron Bowers and possibly Cynthia Knight get on Council. And it's a runoff between Allen Peake and Becky Burgess. Becky advertises with the right words and Allen Peake appeals to the average person for what he's not- a lobbyist or lawyer. Anyone who runs restaurants and is a CPA earns their money and then some. If you don't think the restaurant business is hard just try my biscuits- with a good set of dentures.
KAT
Dad is doing fine; just hates being hogtied to a hospital bed by his condition.
I read the Telegraph's endorsements for City Council and State House 137. Some of the nominations make sense but I dislike something about Nancy White and Cynthia Knight, two candidates endorsed by Mayor C. Jack Ellis. Something must be cooking for Ellis to endorse these two.
I also refuse to comprehend how the Telegraph, given Becky Burgess and Allen Peake's reform attitudes, can endorse Stebin Horne. Actually I can; Stebin "kills" more babies than the leading candidate (booming tv ad voice). He is lenient on abortions compared to Allen Peake as per a pro-life group's survey. The Telegraph liberals ate this up.
My support is going with Allen Peake. The Mercer University School of Law has been a staffing firm for the Georgia House way too long. Not that we have had bad lawyers in there at all; Floyd Buford did a reasonable job and so have a token few others.
Becky Burgess has largely been working at Mercer since she received her law degree from there. She is the third banana of somethingorother at the Medical School. She wants to freeze property taxes prior to the sale of property. This means municipalities lose a windfall from companies who reform blighted property. So the knife cuts both ways. Becky also wants to consolidate Macon and Bibb so property owners outside the city limits won't be the rich uncle to the decaying city. I don't see how planning a consolidated government is in her hands; local leaders will have to concoct a charter.
The Peach Pundit says Stebin's mom handed out campaign buttons in one of the classes she was teaching.
As for Dale Washburn the citizens of Jones County weren't totally happy with him when he was their County Commissioner. He could be tempremental with Jones residents although there was the "free lunch" crowd of Macon refugees who have since become more bourgeois. At my store back in the Eighties one lady who had trouble getting a road paved advised her friends weres going to hold a motorcade protest on "Dale Washboard Road." His base, according to the PP, is largely confined to realtors.
Also I have a homework assignment for the readers! I remember Stebin Horne last year was reluctant to restrict the mayor's powers at one point because he disliked being too restrictive on the office of the mayor. This was on a certain issue which escapes me. Clue me in, please. I know Stebin did propose limiting the mayor's power on another issue to be frank with everyone.
Prediction; Aaron Bowers and possibly Cynthia Knight get on Council. And it's a runoff between Allen Peake and Becky Burgess. Becky advertises with the right words and Allen Peake appeals to the average person for what he's not- a lobbyist or lawyer. Anyone who runs restaurants and is a CPA earns their money and then some. If you don't think the restaurant business is hard just try my biscuits- with a good set of dentures.
KAT
Dad's brush with death
Early Thursday, July 6, 2006
Hello
This early Monday morning on July 2 my dad had his defibrillator go off 15x at our house at 1:45 or so in the morning. I was night fishing and returned home to see a red light flashing in my room's window. I knew there were no red lights on our house. I drove up and saw an ambulance. I slid beside it and saw my uncle there. He said Dad had his device go off 15 times and that he almost carried him to the ER. Mom fortunately dialed 911 and had an ambulance and fire engine en route. The medics called in to the Chest Pain Center and tried to transmit a 12-lead EKG but the transmission failed. One medic told me a cell phone was connected to a fax machine on the unit. I read about these units in a news story.
Dad was conscious the whole time and Mom said he told her he wasn't going to make it. I felt a combination of shock and sickness despite knowing about the pessimism Dad always feels. He had seen this and that relative die in the past few years and his sister died as a teenager. I felt guilty. I wondered if I was spending too much time on the computer, too much time playing with my airchecks, too much time hitting the singles web sites, or too much time sleeping. I come home tired from work partly from being upset at what is going on at home and what is going on at work.
I wheeled Mom in her borrowed wheelchair to the ER's front entrance as there was nobody to watch her at the front entrance. I went out the McDonald's door, to the ER's entrance, and then got a ride with a hospital cop. I drove up to the ER and took Mom home. Now I did break a rule; never let the gas go below 1/4 of a tank. We luckily made it to a station and gassed up. I had intended to go to work in the Honda but that was before I was greeted with the ambulance in the driveway.
Monday evening I visited Dad in the CVICU (Cardiovascular ICU). After work and eating at the McDonald's (cafeteria was closed) I went to the 2nd Floor CVICU (Cardiovascular ICU) where Dad was housed. Two of my sisters were in the waiting room. One was knitting. It was cold and they were covered in thin blankets. The hospital does visiting hours at the CVICU in 90 minute blocks. My middle sister came too.
Tuesday I cut grass and one sister helped with cutting what I missed. We watered the tomatoes and before long we felt we should rest before we both wound up in the ER ourselves. I rested and went up to the hospital.
Wednesday around 8 AM we took Mom up to the CVICU waiting room. Ms. D took us to the Heart Lab on the 2nd Floor. We waited for the ablation procedure on Dad's heart nodes to be finished. This would cause sections of the heart to not generate improper impulses to make the heart beat in V-tach. It was around 12:30 when this happened. I found out later when they withdrew Dad from the Lidocaine his machine zapped him 30 times until he was manually converted. Thus they were early with the procedure. The doctor did two of the nodes and had to let a third, slightly less serious node, be managed by medication. We saw Dad at the CVICU where he was returned.
We were tired and went to the Cracker Barrel to eat as one of us stayed behind with Dad. I had a large coffee and biscuit for breakfast so I was half-tired, half-tense. The service was horrible at the Eisenhower Parkway Cracker Barrel. It needed to be bulldozed and most of the staff machine-gunned as they ran from the falling ruins.
There was some loud two-year-old behind us screaming bloody murder. I almost told them to shut up. I got some rest then my uncle brought some stew and cornbread. I ate some chicken he brought two days ago and went to see Daddy. The nurse told us what went on with Daddy and the background behind the procedure. Dad seemed less groggy thank goodness.
I told him every night he was there I loved him as I left. I felt better about myself when doing this though we as a family don't get too sentimental with each other as a rule.
I dropped by Wal-Mart around 11:00 and got some supplies. I got small Diet Cokes so Dad would have it by Mom's bedside at all times and wouldn't have to deal with the big bottles.
I left and went to Wal-Mart to pick up some supplies along with Sean Hannity's book, "Deliver Us From Evil" as it was on sale.
Hello
This early Monday morning on July 2 my dad had his defibrillator go off 15x at our house at 1:45 or so in the morning. I was night fishing and returned home to see a red light flashing in my room's window. I knew there were no red lights on our house. I drove up and saw an ambulance. I slid beside it and saw my uncle there. He said Dad had his device go off 15 times and that he almost carried him to the ER. Mom fortunately dialed 911 and had an ambulance and fire engine en route. The medics called in to the Chest Pain Center and tried to transmit a 12-lead EKG but the transmission failed. One medic told me a cell phone was connected to a fax machine on the unit. I read about these units in a news story.
Dad was conscious the whole time and Mom said he told her he wasn't going to make it. I felt a combination of shock and sickness despite knowing about the pessimism Dad always feels. He had seen this and that relative die in the past few years and his sister died as a teenager. I felt guilty. I wondered if I was spending too much time on the computer, too much time playing with my airchecks, too much time hitting the singles web sites, or too much time sleeping. I come home tired from work partly from being upset at what is going on at home and what is going on at work.
I wheeled Mom in her borrowed wheelchair to the ER's front entrance as there was nobody to watch her at the front entrance. I went out the McDonald's door, to the ER's entrance, and then got a ride with a hospital cop. I drove up to the ER and took Mom home. Now I did break a rule; never let the gas go below 1/4 of a tank. We luckily made it to a station and gassed up. I had intended to go to work in the Honda but that was before I was greeted with the ambulance in the driveway.
Monday evening I visited Dad in the CVICU (Cardiovascular ICU). After work and eating at the McDonald's (cafeteria was closed) I went to the 2nd Floor CVICU (Cardiovascular ICU) where Dad was housed. Two of my sisters were in the waiting room. One was knitting. It was cold and they were covered in thin blankets. The hospital does visiting hours at the CVICU in 90 minute blocks. My middle sister came too.
Tuesday I cut grass and one sister helped with cutting what I missed. We watered the tomatoes and before long we felt we should rest before we both wound up in the ER ourselves. I rested and went up to the hospital.
Wednesday around 8 AM we took Mom up to the CVICU waiting room. Ms. D took us to the Heart Lab on the 2nd Floor. We waited for the ablation procedure on Dad's heart nodes to be finished. This would cause sections of the heart to not generate improper impulses to make the heart beat in V-tach. It was around 12:30 when this happened. I found out later when they withdrew Dad from the Lidocaine his machine zapped him 30 times until he was manually converted. Thus they were early with the procedure. The doctor did two of the nodes and had to let a third, slightly less serious node, be managed by medication. We saw Dad at the CVICU where he was returned.
We were tired and went to the Cracker Barrel to eat as one of us stayed behind with Dad. I had a large coffee and biscuit for breakfast so I was half-tired, half-tense. The service was horrible at the Eisenhower Parkway Cracker Barrel. It needed to be bulldozed and most of the staff machine-gunned as they ran from the falling ruins.
There was some loud two-year-old behind us screaming bloody murder. I almost told them to shut up. I got some rest then my uncle brought some stew and cornbread. I ate some chicken he brought two days ago and went to see Daddy. The nurse told us what went on with Daddy and the background behind the procedure. Dad seemed less groggy thank goodness.
I told him every night he was there I loved him as I left. I felt better about myself when doing this though we as a family don't get too sentimental with each other as a rule.
I dropped by Wal-Mart around 11:00 and got some supplies. I got small Diet Cokes so Dad would have it by Mom's bedside at all times and wouldn't have to deal with the big bottles.
I left and went to Wal-Mart to pick up some supplies along with Sean Hannity's book, "Deliver Us From Evil" as it was on sale.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
General Tso Brake Secrets and Flomax
07/01/06
Thursday I tried to put brake pads on the General Tso. I had pages printed from the Honda manual I downloaded which told me how to do the pads. Of course on part of another page I didn't have it advised me to move the piston. Thus when I had the 3/4 in pad and backings on each side of the rotors I was unable to get the piston (looks like a pipe) to fit around the pads. Another web site told me to remove the cap from the brake fluid.
I got a C-Clamp yesterday from Big Lots. It may not be big enough. I also need Honda-type brake fluid. The DOT3 probably isn't to specifications. I would have done the brakes last night but didn't feel like it. I am on Flomax nightly. I have considered a multivitamin 2x per day.
The Flomax may be doing odd things to my appetite and I am writing this at 15 minutes until 5AM. I got up at 1:30 and had two hot dogs and soup. I notice that even when awake at work I get dyslexic with my typing and I think it might be spilling over into my writing. I may see my general practitioner about my depressed state if things do not get better. There is a new medication out but it costs an arm and a leg. I may ask him about a few medications I have on a list underneath the mirror in my room.
Monday, June 26, 2006
General Tso gets new tire and brakes fixed
6/26/06
I took the General Tso to get the passenger's front tire replaced with a used tire at Economy Tire on Third Street. It cost around 28.00. I also purchased from Pep Boys 30.00 worth of brake pads and the adhesive and cleaner I would need to effect the repair. The car drives better. Of course this weekend it rained, even heavily sometimes. This put a damper on all but indoor work.
Speaking of the General Tso I got "The Damn Show" DVD off Ebay. It has too much of the male reproductive system and too little in the way of creativity but there were some moments- such as Willie the bum and "The Gooks of Hazzard" -that were so funny.
Monday (today) I went to the urologist. He gave me some medication to take for a month and then I would report back to him. I saw Denise's mom as I swung by the cafeteria after seeing the urologist in Coliseum Medical Center's C building . I didn't tell her who I was so she might think I'm a fruitcake stalker since I asked about Denise. She works at the hospital's front desk.
I went to the computer show in Perry this Sunday. I bought a 256mb memory wafer, some DVD blanks for 10.00, CD cases, a whole-band FM transmitter for the MP3 player, and CD sleeves for the store. Then I went home, played with my PC a little while, and took Donna to a movie. She apologized for telling me about a job opening on base; it seems she is liking her job less and less. Donna's been there for almost twenty years so she can't really jump into the private sector and lose her retirement benefits.
I have been uptight on the job and coming home tired. More and more I am getting tired. I have been doing more job searching. I have had a tense stomach this week; a few times I could take a dump on a screen door and not hit the wire for the most part. I have taken stock of my life and my attitude towards people and life in general; I don't like the way I feel. I feel so negative and unhappy.
I'll try this; I'll love people and stop myself when I think negative thoughts about them.
Monday, June 12, 2006
Denny's and Oversleep
I had a frustrating day at work on Saturday so I went to sleep. I got up, jumped in the Honda, and went to Denny's in Byron.
For those who don't know, Denny's in Byron started out in the late Eighties as a Shoney's. When Shoney's left most of Middle Georgia the facility became a Denny's. A few years ago it suffered from bad service and lukewarm coffee (Millstone tastes a bit like wee tee anyway). People had to wait at the front for minutes to get seated.
I was the last customer in all likelihood come the night Denny's closed. I heard the manager on duty say that afternoon they waved off someone coming to close the restaurant because of a lack of a court order. The next day I went by and found the place closed.
Today the facility is still a 4500 ft2 behemoth compared to the smaller Denny's such as the Locust Grove store. That means a bigger light bill and lots of rent to be recouped for a 24-hour operation.
Having said that the service needs improvement. I had to wait 15 or so minutes for my food despite there only being 7 other customers there at 11PM. My lukewarm wee-tee did not get refilled promptly. I thought to myself that the labor pool must be from Peach and Crawford counties (can we say redneck?).
I may not go back to Denny's; then again it may be closed down again by the time I change my mind.
For those who don't know, Denny's in Byron started out in the late Eighties as a Shoney's. When Shoney's left most of Middle Georgia the facility became a Denny's. A few years ago it suffered from bad service and lukewarm coffee (Millstone tastes a bit like wee tee anyway). People had to wait at the front for minutes to get seated.
I was the last customer in all likelihood come the night Denny's closed. I heard the manager on duty say that afternoon they waved off someone coming to close the restaurant because of a lack of a court order. The next day I went by and found the place closed.
Today the facility is still a 4500 ft2 behemoth compared to the smaller Denny's such as the Locust Grove store. That means a bigger light bill and lots of rent to be recouped for a 24-hour operation.
Having said that the service needs improvement. I had to wait 15 or so minutes for my food despite there only being 7 other customers there at 11PM. My lukewarm wee-tee did not get refilled promptly. I thought to myself that the labor pool must be from Peach and Crawford counties (can we say redneck?).
I may not go back to Denny's; then again it may be closed down again by the time I change my mind.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
General Tso gets new fan
Hello
I got the condenser fan for the Honda (General Tso). It was a used Acura fan which I had to remove from its mount and put onto the old shroud for the Honda. I installed it and works fine.
I am concerned about the brakes on the General. When I put on brakes I find they shake when doing all but sudden braking. I looked at the pads; they have 1/8 in left on them. Honda's service manual says .05 of an inch is serviceable (huh?). I priced some basic metallic pads at 20.00. Hopefully the debacle with the Corsica won't repeat itself (in which I could not get the wheel nuts off as they disintegrated when I used a non-metric wrench). I may just take it to my machinist and let him turn the rotors; they are ribbed for my displeasure. He can then do the pads. Then again 20.00 is so attractive for a car that will last a year or two.
Driving an Explorer makes for a heavy foot on the General. I wasn't doing that great with being attentive to the road so I had to hit the brakes hard at least twice. Needless to say I must be careful. I will say this; the General Tso is in for an oil change. I have the filter to do it with too.
My tooth still hurts upon waking but not to worry; Dr. Arnold the endodontist will have a whack at it come two Wednesdays from now. If he had looked at it to start with I would have had a happy tooth this January but the rear-view mirror offers the clearest view of events. I don't fault my dentist for trying but I would have given him three strikes if I weren't so nice.
I am still debating my educational options. I will likely get my Microsoft certs out of the way and learn MS Exchange Server. Of course I need to memorize my processors and sockets. Today I wasn't sure if one DDR2 stick were needed in a system.
The Letters to the Editor have come to a trickle since I've come home tired. When in good spirits I've been doing housework, chatting online, and making DVD's to play at work when time runs slowly. Tomorrow I don't expect too much slowness. I have a screen to change out for Wood Floor Man and a thorny reload that needs to go out at 2:00 for Ms. Nutty Professor. Thus I'll just bring the MP3 player.
I charged up the NiMH battery but it only lists a half-charge on the MP3's LCD. So I have another one charging; big deal. I did hear a WABC Rewound aircheck with a pretty mellow and happy 1973 song George Harrison did. It was one of those Peace and Love gooey things. The song stuck in my mind because even if he were speaking Greek the vocals and instrumentals sounded good. Agreed, George, but I'm still glad Zarqawi is room temperature.
Monday, June 05, 2006
Pat Topping Dances a Jig thanks to Uncle Sam
Hello
The 6/4 Telegraph tells us there is a rosy scenario for jobs in Middle Georgia. Robins AFB will have a slew of retirees very soon and Pat Topping of the Chamber of Commerce says it is worth several "Brown and Williamsons" in the number of jobs created by attrition.
Once again we see how this town relies too much on Robins AFB. What I would have done had I been Mr. Topping is to say, "Good but not great." We are relying on the federal government to prop up this rotting town and sluggish midstate as we have been for sixty years.
I remember a BRAC-related meeting in which George Israel said that people in the old days felt "to get on (get a job) at the base is to have arrived" Yes- arrived at a potential salary and workplace booby-trap.
Firstly, Robins AFB isn't quite likely to close. It may cut back some aspects but not close. Sadly jobs outside of Robins AFB are scarcer and scarcer. That is, unless you love working retail and getting yelled at on a daily basis as you have coworkers lacking your work ethic. Unfortunately the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce is too lazy to get white-collar jobs into the midstate, let alone skilled blue-collar employment.
Here's how the "base" will be a lower-paid hell in which to work. With workers unable to find alternate employment and the prevailing local wage being lowered, Robins AFB's supervisors can treat workers like a dog and pay what they wish. And not always is the laggard working next to you going to get disciplined.
Just try to get a job at Robins AFB. It's who you know not what you know or can do. A Wal-Mart manager, when I put that down on a psychology exam when applying there, wondered if I ad worked at Robins. I am not jealous of Robins AFB's workers or their jobs. I know several people who prefer private enterprise and its more direct, if still flawed, results-oriented microeconomy.
I don't want to ruin a good Letter to the Editor so I'm shutting up.
The 6/4 Telegraph tells us there is a rosy scenario for jobs in Middle Georgia. Robins AFB will have a slew of retirees very soon and Pat Topping of the Chamber of Commerce says it is worth several "Brown and Williamsons" in the number of jobs created by attrition.
Once again we see how this town relies too much on Robins AFB. What I would have done had I been Mr. Topping is to say, "Good but not great." We are relying on the federal government to prop up this rotting town and sluggish midstate as we have been for sixty years.
I remember a BRAC-related meeting in which George Israel said that people in the old days felt "to get on (get a job) at the base is to have arrived" Yes- arrived at a potential salary and workplace booby-trap.
Firstly, Robins AFB isn't quite likely to close. It may cut back some aspects but not close. Sadly jobs outside of Robins AFB are scarcer and scarcer. That is, unless you love working retail and getting yelled at on a daily basis as you have coworkers lacking your work ethic. Unfortunately the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce is too lazy to get white-collar jobs into the midstate, let alone skilled blue-collar employment.
Here's how the "base" will be a lower-paid hell in which to work. With workers unable to find alternate employment and the prevailing local wage being lowered, Robins AFB's supervisors can treat workers like a dog and pay what they wish. And not always is the laggard working next to you going to get disciplined.
Just try to get a job at Robins AFB. It's who you know not what you know or can do. A Wal-Mart manager, when I put that down on a psychology exam when applying there, wondered if I ad worked at Robins. I am not jealous of Robins AFB's workers or their jobs. I know several people who prefer private enterprise and its more direct, if still flawed, results-oriented microeconomy.
I don't want to ruin a good Letter to the Editor so I'm shutting up.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
The Air Compressor PT 3 and General Tso
5/31/06
I'm hoping this June will mean working harder, having more fun, and sleeping less. I need to stop doing nonsense projects such as the media machine I am building and do more house-related work that needs to be done. I also need to enhance my career. All I do it seems is to come home from work tired. I am also afraid I make impulsive and rash decisions a little too much.
On Sunday I slept late and woke up just in time to see Donna. We went out to see X-Men 3 at the Galleria in Warner Robins and ate at the Cracker Barrel. At her house we sat and watched "Flip This House" in which Ginger bought properties more rotten and moldy than the chicken in my broken down fridge (another subject of this blog).
On Memorial Day I taped WABC's interned feed of its Rewound 2006 show. Johnny Donovan, who does voice-overs for Rush Limbaugh, was an air personality at WABC. Look up Musicradio77.com. WABC was to pop music what WSM was to country. I used a VCR and its audio-in jack to tape 2 hour segments of the show. Unfortunately the only VCR I had that lacked wow and flutter was an anti-theft VCR that only recorded 2, 12, and 24-hour segments (it was a time delay unit a motorcycle dealer threw out).
I ate with my mom and dad at home. We had grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. Sadly the refrigerator let the food get just as warm as the grill did. After I sunk 40.00 into a freezer fan several months ago it had to do this to me. I slept and had dinner with Mom and Dad at the Cracker Barrel. I picked out a fridge, got the model number (a white Frigidaire) and told Dad about it.
Tuesday was a normal day at work and it was relatively slow so I got a peek at some DVD movies on my laptop. I went home and rested. Afterwards I took most of the fridge's contents, put some in a cooler, and soe in a milk crate. I put what needed cooling- even what little the fridge afforded us- inside. The cooler and crate allow Dad and I to yank out everything come delivery day, which is June 1 (Thurs).
Today (Wed) I slept then went to Po Folks. The service seems to be deteriorating but the food is at least unchanged. I went home, played with my media machine computer, and went to Hillsboro Lake. I took my dad's Honda which is now a secondary car. I want to use it to save gas and to keep the car in running condition. I call it the General Tso. The reason for this name is that some Athens comedians did a "The Damn Show" DVD. Therein is a sketch in which "The Gooks of Hazzard" drive a Celica with a Japanese flag and 01 written in a Chinese font. They call it the "General Tso" and can run away from the sheriff as they have better gas mileage.
The lake is on the Jones/Jasper line and was drained a few years ago. The campsites were taken down by the US Forest Service and there are red flags within 12 feet of the lake's former rim. The beavers have tried to dam the lake so there is standing water. I ate some chicken I bought in Gray and walked around. I still have a little stamina left.
I am almost finished with my air compressor but it won't get above 40 PSI. I need compression washers that don't leak as badly.
I'm hoping this June will mean working harder, having more fun, and sleeping less. I need to stop doing nonsense projects such as the media machine I am building and do more house-related work that needs to be done. I also need to enhance my career. All I do it seems is to come home from work tired. I am also afraid I make impulsive and rash decisions a little too much.
On Sunday I slept late and woke up just in time to see Donna. We went out to see X-Men 3 at the Galleria in Warner Robins and ate at the Cracker Barrel. At her house we sat and watched "Flip This House" in which Ginger bought properties more rotten and moldy than the chicken in my broken down fridge (another subject of this blog).
On Memorial Day I taped WABC's interned feed of its Rewound 2006 show. Johnny Donovan, who does voice-overs for Rush Limbaugh, was an air personality at WABC. Look up Musicradio77.com. WABC was to pop music what WSM was to country. I used a VCR and its audio-in jack to tape 2 hour segments of the show. Unfortunately the only VCR I had that lacked wow and flutter was an anti-theft VCR that only recorded 2, 12, and 24-hour segments (it was a time delay unit a motorcycle dealer threw out).
I ate with my mom and dad at home. We had grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. Sadly the refrigerator let the food get just as warm as the grill did. After I sunk 40.00 into a freezer fan several months ago it had to do this to me. I slept and had dinner with Mom and Dad at the Cracker Barrel. I picked out a fridge, got the model number (a white Frigidaire) and told Dad about it.
Tuesday was a normal day at work and it was relatively slow so I got a peek at some DVD movies on my laptop. I went home and rested. Afterwards I took most of the fridge's contents, put some in a cooler, and soe in a milk crate. I put what needed cooling- even what little the fridge afforded us- inside. The cooler and crate allow Dad and I to yank out everything come delivery day, which is June 1 (Thurs).
Today (Wed) I slept then went to Po Folks. The service seems to be deteriorating but the food is at least unchanged. I went home, played with my media machine computer, and went to Hillsboro Lake. I took my dad's Honda which is now a secondary car. I want to use it to save gas and to keep the car in running condition. I call it the General Tso. The reason for this name is that some Athens comedians did a "The Damn Show" DVD. Therein is a sketch in which "The Gooks of Hazzard" drive a Celica with a Japanese flag and 01 written in a Chinese font. They call it the "General Tso" and can run away from the sheriff as they have better gas mileage.
The lake is on the Jones/Jasper line and was drained a few years ago. The campsites were taken down by the US Forest Service and there are red flags within 12 feet of the lake's former rim. The beavers have tried to dam the lake so there is standing water. I ate some chicken I bought in Gray and walked around. I still have a little stamina left.
I am almost finished with my air compressor but it won't get above 40 PSI. I need compression washers that don't leak as badly.
Mayor Cialis and his friends want to save Macon
In this Lorra Lypstick story Mayor Ellis outlined a few items to be dealt with at the Community Leadership Summit at the Douglass Theater. These included public safety, education and teen pregnancy. The mayor said our infrastructure and worker skills were up to snuff. He said there is much work to do to get Macon into the 21st Century.
I don't like to get personal with politicians but last year didn't someone get sued for child support that fit the name and description of the mayor? What message is this to send to our kids? How about showing up with liquor on your breath at a City Council meeting?
Education can't get far when the parents of Rutland High School students use filthy language at school officials who discipline their kids. I live in RHS's area and cannot believe these parents are of the same stock that have anchored this community. The point is that parents are the bulk of the problems we face with our schools in Bibb. There has been crass ineptitude exhibited by the Bibb County Board of Education for years and having crud for parents only added fuel to the fire.
And whom has sent good garbage trucks to Ghana and traveled there on our dime? Small wonder we can't buy decent fire engines and police cars. Not that all of this is the mayor's fault; it is natural that people in Macon have moved further and further outwards with their tax dollars. Macon's City Council let the mayor get away with overspending. They also managed to have a hotel built in the Coliseum parking lot. Yet everyone knows what has happened in the Finance Department.
Someone needs to press for consolidation- and only if the chief law enforcer is elected. We must also take over our schools and deal with unruly kids. Sharon Patterson has done what she can with whomever and whatever she has to deal with. Our local government needs to not sacrifice public safety to charities, festivals, and a wealthy hospital. We need to fix our infrastructure. Let's try not to destroy our neighborhoods but don't sacrifice safety (eg. Interstate 16 and 75 Project) to the environmentalists. If we have to move Interstate 16 to the foot of Eisenhower Parkway let's do it.
KAT
In this Lorra Lypstick story Mayor Ellis outlined a few items to be dealt with at the Community Leadership Summit at the Douglass Theater. These included public safety, education and teen pregnancy. The mayor said our infrastructure and worker skills were up to snuff. He said there is much work to do to get Macon into the 21st Century.
I don't like to get personal with politicians but last year didn't someone get sued for child support that fit the name and description of the mayor? What message is this to send to our kids? How about showing up with liquor on your breath at a City Council meeting?
Education can't get far when the parents of Rutland High School students use filthy language at school officials who discipline their kids. I live in RHS's area and cannot believe these parents are of the same stock that have anchored this community. The point is that parents are the bulk of the problems we face with our schools in Bibb. There has been crass ineptitude exhibited by the Bibb County Board of Education for years and having crud for parents only added fuel to the fire.
And whom has sent good garbage trucks to Ghana and traveled there on our dime? Small wonder we can't buy decent fire engines and police cars. Not that all of this is the mayor's fault; it is natural that people in Macon have moved further and further outwards with their tax dollars. Macon's City Council let the mayor get away with overspending. They also managed to have a hotel built in the Coliseum parking lot. Yet everyone knows what has happened in the Finance Department.
Someone needs to press for consolidation- and only if the chief law enforcer is elected. We must also take over our schools and deal with unruly kids. Sharon Patterson has done what she can with whomever and whatever she has to deal with. Our local government needs to not sacrifice public safety to charities, festivals, and a wealthy hospital. We need to fix our infrastructure. Let's try not to destroy our neighborhoods but don't sacrifice safety (eg. Interstate 16 and 75 Project) to the environmentalists. If we have to move Interstate 16 to the foot of Eisenhower Parkway let's do it.
KAT
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Hello
Sheriff Jerry Modena, according to the 5/24 Telegraph, mentioned litigation against the Bibb County Commission for failing to give him money to buy adequate equipment and manpower. I cannot vouch for the legality of this though the sheriff's PIO, CPT David Davis, advised the law required the Commission adequately fund the BSO.
Joe Allen, commissioner for West Bibb, held up one finger according to a 5/23 Telegraph article. This meant the sheriff should cut his budget by one million dollars. Guess where we can get close to 975,000.00.
Who's the richest, most spoiled payee for county taxes? You guessed it; The Medical Center. They want 975,000.00 more for indigent care- never mind that they are a non-profit hospital that is supposed to sustain itself. Of course substaining itself is not having Carlyle Place and a doctor's office on every corner. MCCG let its Level One trauma center designation go down the drain for lack of money and they won't put a heliport up on their roof because of the sign proclaiming themselves as the king's castle (or Faulk's castle).
Jerry Modena, in short, is getting Faulked. Big time. The county should cut MCCG and the museums and recreational leagues in order to take care of priority one- protecting its citizens.
KAT
Sheriff Jerry Modena, according to the 5/24 Telegraph, mentioned litigation against the Bibb County Commission for failing to give him money to buy adequate equipment and manpower. I cannot vouch for the legality of this though the sheriff's PIO, CPT David Davis, advised the law required the Commission adequately fund the BSO.
Joe Allen, commissioner for West Bibb, held up one finger according to a 5/23 Telegraph article. This meant the sheriff should cut his budget by one million dollars. Guess where we can get close to 975,000.00.
Who's the richest, most spoiled payee for county taxes? You guessed it; The Medical Center. They want 975,000.00 more for indigent care- never mind that they are a non-profit hospital that is supposed to sustain itself. Of course substaining itself is not having Carlyle Place and a doctor's office on every corner. MCCG let its Level One trauma center designation go down the drain for lack of money and they won't put a heliport up on their roof because of the sign proclaiming themselves as the king's castle (or Faulk's castle).
Jerry Modena, in short, is getting Faulked. Big time. The county should cut MCCG and the museums and recreational leagues in order to take care of priority one- protecting its citizens.
KAT
Sunday, May 14, 2006
5/14/06 Pictures
One is of me in my protective gear prior to the last two sprays on the tank and frame. It isn't
NIOSH approved but it'll do for my purposes. The thing on my head is a Wal-Mart or Lowe's sack to keep my remaining hair from becoming red- and sticky.
The other is of the unit before its receiving the pump module. The coverings are for masking the wheels, regulator, and electrical hookups.
The other is of Sam the fluffy yellow cat. He needs to groom himself better but I help out with this when I can.
I fixed the battery door on the Photosmart 320 by taking a thumbscrew and cutting a hole in a 3.5 inch drive bay cover. It isn't tight so I may get a 1/16" thick metal tab and drill a hole for the thumbscrew. It seems the cameras, as good as they were, had the battery door tabs fracture off. You can find bunches of them like this on Ebay.
I had an enjoyable Mother's Day. Two of my sisters and my uncle came. I gave Mom a speakerphone. She needed a phone with a small handset to grip with her crippled hands. We had grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. Sadly they had gotten a little cold when removed from the grill but I loved them, especially the zingy flavorful hot dogs. We had mixed fruit and Vanilla pound cake for dessert.
One is of me in my protective gear prior to the last two sprays on the tank and frame. It isn't
NIOSH approved but it'll do for my purposes. The thing on my head is a Wal-Mart or Lowe's sack to keep my remaining hair from becoming red- and sticky.
The other is of the unit before its receiving the pump module. The coverings are for masking the wheels, regulator, and electrical hookups.
The other is of Sam the fluffy yellow cat. He needs to groom himself better but I help out with this when I can.
I fixed the battery door on the Photosmart 320 by taking a thumbscrew and cutting a hole in a 3.5 inch drive bay cover. It isn't tight so I may get a 1/16" thick metal tab and drill a hole for the thumbscrew. It seems the cameras, as good as they were, had the battery door tabs fracture off. You can find bunches of them like this on Ebay.
I had an enjoyable Mother's Day. Two of my sisters and my uncle came. I gave Mom a speakerphone. She needed a phone with a small handset to grip with her crippled hands. We had grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. Sadly they had gotten a little cold when removed from the grill but I loved them, especially the zingy flavorful hot dogs. We had mixed fruit and Vanilla pound cake for dessert.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Hello
5/3/06
Air compressor, part II
A few weeks ago I assembled the air compressor on a bench with the motor and belt. I connected a two-conductor power cord and though it spat oil the device functioned fine. The next step was to take the board on which the apparatus lay and put it onto the frame.
I connected the 300PSI orange hose I got from Lowe's and powered the unit up. It did fine though once it reached 60PSI the machine's shaft and clutch assembly separated and the pulley span freely. I drilled a hole in the pulley and shaft assembly and inserted a 1/4 inch bolt. I tried the compressor again but it had trouble attaining 80PSI.
I at first thought the compressor itself was broken. I disassembled the head from the body and examined it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That was my mistake. I had damaged the gasket. I took some silicone gasket sealant (comes in a tube for 4.00 or so) and did a half-hearted job of replicating the gasket according to the smudge pattern left after I cleaned the surface.
I then put the compressor onto the belt and bolted it to the frame. There was air coming out of the intake after powering on the unit. Also my coupling to the discharge hose needed tightening and a little teflon tape.
I was about to give up and went to an auto parts store and purchased some paper gasket material.
I decided to be a fair man and give the device one more chance. I did a much better job of placing the sealant onto the head and let it dry for a day or two as it was loosely nested upon the body of the compressor. The screws were tightened and I turned the machine on. It hit 80PSI though the unit's 1HP motor shuddered.
Of course all the compression is for naught if the tank leaks into the compressor and the still-loose fittings. The next step is a check valve. I tried the one that came with the Campbell-Hausfeld unit but it didn't seem to turn loose when air came from the compressor. It also warrants another chance. A visit to Tractor Supply turned up a check valve with a 25.00 price tag. The valve was too large. Prices on the Internet are much better.
I found a link to a stationary version of my unit. Click on http://home.san.rr.com/jerryswartz/AirCompressor/HomeBuiltAirCompressor.htm .
Darnit I wish I had tallied the costs of materials before I embarked on this project. I also wish that I had tried the sealant on the Campbell-Hausfeld pump/motor but I was in the "cut my losses" mood and subjected the unit to the trash way too soon. Next time I will leave the parts lay for a few days as my frustration bubbles away.
5/3/06
Air compressor, part II
A few weeks ago I assembled the air compressor on a bench with the motor and belt. I connected a two-conductor power cord and though it spat oil the device functioned fine. The next step was to take the board on which the apparatus lay and put it onto the frame.
I connected the 300PSI orange hose I got from Lowe's and powered the unit up. It did fine though once it reached 60PSI the machine's shaft and clutch assembly separated and the pulley span freely. I drilled a hole in the pulley and shaft assembly and inserted a 1/4 inch bolt. I tried the compressor again but it had trouble attaining 80PSI.
I at first thought the compressor itself was broken. I disassembled the head from the body and examined it. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That was my mistake. I had damaged the gasket. I took some silicone gasket sealant (comes in a tube for 4.00 or so) and did a half-hearted job of replicating the gasket according to the smudge pattern left after I cleaned the surface.
I then put the compressor onto the belt and bolted it to the frame. There was air coming out of the intake after powering on the unit. Also my coupling to the discharge hose needed tightening and a little teflon tape.
I was about to give up and went to an auto parts store and purchased some paper gasket material.
I decided to be a fair man and give the device one more chance. I did a much better job of placing the sealant onto the head and let it dry for a day or two as it was loosely nested upon the body of the compressor. The screws were tightened and I turned the machine on. It hit 80PSI though the unit's 1HP motor shuddered.
Of course all the compression is for naught if the tank leaks into the compressor and the still-loose fittings. The next step is a check valve. I tried the one that came with the Campbell-Hausfeld unit but it didn't seem to turn loose when air came from the compressor. It also warrants another chance. A visit to Tractor Supply turned up a check valve with a 25.00 price tag. The valve was too large. Prices on the Internet are much better.
I found a link to a stationary version of my unit. Click on http://home.san.rr.com/jerryswartz/AirCompressor/HomeBuiltAirCompressor.htm .
Darnit I wish I had tallied the costs of materials before I embarked on this project. I also wish that I had tried the sealant on the Campbell-Hausfeld pump/motor but I was in the "cut my losses" mood and subjected the unit to the trash way too soon. Next time I will leave the parts lay for a few days as my frustration bubbles away.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Hello
I'm going to come off the soapbox and wander into my workshop. I really have other things supposedly more
important to do but this home project isn't without value.
Last fall my air compressor died. It was a 20 gallon, belt-driven unit with a one-piston pump and a 1hp motor. I bought it out of a surplus yard and paid 100.00 for it. This was in 1998. Of course air compressors have gone down in price.
I hated the idea of spending so much money. I also had a 13 gallon air brake tank someone gave my dad for use as an air tank. This translated into trips to the gas station for air as it leaked slowly. I dreamed for years of having an air compressor to inflate tires and perhaps operate air sprayers and other tools.
For 50.00 I could get an air pump and motor off Ebay. So all I had to do is buy a regulator and the framework and piping would not cost much. So I thought. I sanded the tank and flushed trash from it. Paint remover and a RotoZip's sander attachment took most of the tank down to bare metal. I had to use Liquid Wrench and elbow grease to pull out the plugs inserted over 30 years ago.
My secret to painting it was to hang it like an animal being skinned.
I painted the tank with primer and two coats of paint. I painted it red since I had that color available. I had fixed the PowerPainter so I was in good shape for doing this quickly.I almost had the compressor ready when I found a leak in the gasket of the pump. I was dumb enough to pull the piston out of the channel rather than remove the arm from the rocker. Thus I ruined the piston gasket. By this time I decided on either a new compressor or a belt-driven pump.
I saw several candidates for the pump on Ebay but they were either too costly or required a 5hp motor. New compressors ran 130.00 for units that would run my paint sprayer (yes I know about the Power Painter; I already had a spray gun). So I referred back to a Mother Earth News article from 1978 that the magazine graciously archived on their web site. I also read some web sites about off-road vehicle air compressors tethered to the drive belts on off-road trucks.
The heart of these units is a York vehicle air conditioner compressor.
Ford and Chrysler used these in the Sixties and Seventies for vehicle air conditioners. Gas- be it air or Freon- must be compressed to achieve its function. In air conditioners it is to create a cool coil for a fan to blow cool air. I found a York-type compressor from a late-Sixties model Mustang on Ebay. It was from somebody in Georgia so shipping wasn't too hideously expensive.There are two caveats to using such units. One is to have the clutch engaged at all times. Off-roaders have electrical connnections engage the clutch as if the air conditioning compressor were still compressing refrigerant. Another issue, especially important for painters, concerns lubrication. You can fill the compressor with 30W oil up to the shaft but some oil will emerge from the discharge.
I dealt with the clutch first. The clutch would have to be welded onto the pulley. With cast iron this is easier said than done. My machinist, a customer at my store, proposed another idea. He had milling equipment to take the lip of the shaft on the clutch assembly down to where no air gap existed between pulley and shaft. Visualize this; the clutch assembly has a shaft onto which the pulley slides and engages if there is electrical activity to grab the shaft. This slides onto a beveled shaft running the pistons on the compressor.
This wouldn't happen because the electrical connectors on the clutch were gone. So the machinist lathed the lip down to where tightening the clutch shaft onto the beveled inner shaft would eliminate movement. He said for me to try it out.
I went home that night and tried it. Voila! I turned the pulley and air came out. I had to modify my frame to hold the belt-driven assembly. The previous pump was a small motor and piston that lay at a slant. So I had to rebuild the frame. I had to drill- using a 1966 vintage drill- some large holes in an axle holders I fashioned. I need to make a few minor adjustments, find the axle I lost in the shop, and put the motor and compressor
mounts onto the unit before the frame is complete.
For my next trick I put one more coat of paint on the tank/frame assembly. There is a Square-D pressure switch I had left over from the previous completion of the task. It is still connected and plumbed. I have the regulator on the rear of the tank. The compressor will go on the front and the motor goes on the rear.
To be continued.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Gang Violence coming to South Bibb?
I read a WMAZ-TV story in which a gang consultant mentioned gang graffiti on a stop sign along Houston Road. Maybe it was put there by thugs to mark future territory. It makes me unhappy to see this and I hope we have the South Bibb ethic, handed down from generation to generation, which makes everyone make those who want to "trash up" the neighborhood very unwelcome.
I believe much of the gang activity in South Bibb will be bred in the new houses growing where soybeans once did. There is an apartment complex and trailer park between Hartley Bridge and Houston Road to provide fertile ground. I am hoping at some point in the future that a community meeting will bring up this issue.
Warner Robins likely has more of a gang issue than its spinmeister, Detective Karen Stokes of the local police, wants to tell us (per WMAZ TV reports last year). Let's not make the same mistake. Identifiy that the problem exists, and to what extent. Then freeze out the gang members and their permissive parents. It would not hurt for everyone who is compentent to handle a gun to own one- if nothing else for deterring a collateral effect from dope fiends who seek to harm property or person.
Given what happened to Deputy Joe Whitehead I do not see where the Bibb County Sheriff's Department will be leninet in the event of drug and gang apprehensions. They don't need to be. With using deadly force they should stop short of being judge, jury and executioner- but VERY short.
If this were 75 years ago the only gang members you would see in South Bibb would 1)have stripes where people in the neighborhood beat them or 2) be headed out on a wagon with their belongings.
I heard an elderly man tell me some 15 years ago of a crippled WWI vet who drank too much while his kids starved. The locals burned a cross on his front lawn. Yes, he was white. When this failed to modify his behavior they took a stick and beat his butt.
I will say this; if I move to another town with as much or more of a gang issue it will be where intellect and hard work rule whenever the gangs do not. If Middle Georgia does not deal with the issue and keeps on relying on Robins AFB to save its economic hide we will be a festering ulcer much like a dying Steel Belt town.
KAT
I read a WMAZ-TV story in which a gang consultant mentioned gang graffiti on a stop sign along Houston Road. Maybe it was put there by thugs to mark future territory. It makes me unhappy to see this and I hope we have the South Bibb ethic, handed down from generation to generation, which makes everyone make those who want to "trash up" the neighborhood very unwelcome.
I believe much of the gang activity in South Bibb will be bred in the new houses growing where soybeans once did. There is an apartment complex and trailer park between Hartley Bridge and Houston Road to provide fertile ground. I am hoping at some point in the future that a community meeting will bring up this issue.
Warner Robins likely has more of a gang issue than its spinmeister, Detective Karen Stokes of the local police, wants to tell us (per WMAZ TV reports last year). Let's not make the same mistake. Identifiy that the problem exists, and to what extent. Then freeze out the gang members and their permissive parents. It would not hurt for everyone who is compentent to handle a gun to own one- if nothing else for deterring a collateral effect from dope fiends who seek to harm property or person.
Given what happened to Deputy Joe Whitehead I do not see where the Bibb County Sheriff's Department will be leninet in the event of drug and gang apprehensions. They don't need to be. With using deadly force they should stop short of being judge, jury and executioner- but VERY short.
If this were 75 years ago the only gang members you would see in South Bibb would 1)have stripes where people in the neighborhood beat them or 2) be headed out on a wagon with their belongings.
I heard an elderly man tell me some 15 years ago of a crippled WWI vet who drank too much while his kids starved. The locals burned a cross on his front lawn. Yes, he was white. When this failed to modify his behavior they took a stick and beat his butt.
I will say this; if I move to another town with as much or more of a gang issue it will be where intellect and hard work rule whenever the gangs do not. If Middle Georgia does not deal with the issue and keeps on relying on Robins AFB to save its economic hide we will be a festering ulcer much like a dying Steel Belt town.
KAT
Sunday, March 26, 2006
03/26/06
I just got back from Charleston. The drive there is a seemingly goofy, down-and-up, path to Interstate 95 via Interstate 16. I went to see the old town though I couldn't buy a whole lot due to my slimline budget. I also have this darned cap on my tooth that precludes me from having sticky or hard candies.
Vacation started on my off day of Wednesday. I slept late like an idiot and woke up in time to take Sam, our newest acquistion to the feline fleet, in to the vet. He gave him a leukemia and rabies shot, prescribed antibiotics for a puncture wound to the ear, and told us to hustle back with him in three weeks for a leukemia shot and a test. Then he would be glad to have him neutered.
I packed and decided to do the darned rail for the hallway late at night. Mom encouraged me to go to bed. I woke up at 10 AM that Thursday and had lunch with Mom and Dad. At 1:00 I left for Charleston. I packed my rucksack for an overnight camping trip in case I went to the park in Aiken. I figured on returning that Sunday.
I drove along Interstate 16. At the old Nike site (missile base) in Jeffersonville I saw a water tower rise up. Its rusty, dark shell looked so much like a relic of the Cold War days. Yet I knew towers and ships made of steel look like a woman without makeup. The radar stands were gone and so was everything else but the metal ground-mounted water tank and generator building left from the Cold War. I regret having the base ripped down but historic preservation won't butter the bread that an industrial park will.
I drove on and made a wee-wee call in the woods near Dudley. I almost fell asleep several times until I got to Metter. I had the strongest stimulant you can get from outside a drugstore- Waffle House Coffee. I got gas and kept going. I turned north at Interstate 95 and went up 17 then back up 95 in a miscue at Hardeeville.
I made it to Charleston at 7 PM or so. I went to Blassinger's (or whatever) the barbecue place is on the Savannah Highway. I drove to the Days Inn off Johnnie Dodds Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. This was after I cursed the remaining skeleton of the old Ashley River bridge and said, "They finally tore the son of a XX down". I hated that bridge and Dad hated it even more; it was designed for Model T's and we had no such vehicle when we went to Patriot's Point in 1980 and 1988.
Next day: Market Street and the cold
Saturday; Yorktown, Laffey, Clamagore, and the cutter Ingham.
I just got back from Charleston. The drive there is a seemingly goofy, down-and-up, path to Interstate 95 via Interstate 16. I went to see the old town though I couldn't buy a whole lot due to my slimline budget. I also have this darned cap on my tooth that precludes me from having sticky or hard candies.
Vacation started on my off day of Wednesday. I slept late like an idiot and woke up in time to take Sam, our newest acquistion to the feline fleet, in to the vet. He gave him a leukemia and rabies shot, prescribed antibiotics for a puncture wound to the ear, and told us to hustle back with him in three weeks for a leukemia shot and a test. Then he would be glad to have him neutered.
I packed and decided to do the darned rail for the hallway late at night. Mom encouraged me to go to bed. I woke up at 10 AM that Thursday and had lunch with Mom and Dad. At 1:00 I left for Charleston. I packed my rucksack for an overnight camping trip in case I went to the park in Aiken. I figured on returning that Sunday.
I drove along Interstate 16. At the old Nike site (missile base) in Jeffersonville I saw a water tower rise up. Its rusty, dark shell looked so much like a relic of the Cold War days. Yet I knew towers and ships made of steel look like a woman without makeup. The radar stands were gone and so was everything else but the metal ground-mounted water tank and generator building left from the Cold War. I regret having the base ripped down but historic preservation won't butter the bread that an industrial park will.
I drove on and made a wee-wee call in the woods near Dudley. I almost fell asleep several times until I got to Metter. I had the strongest stimulant you can get from outside a drugstore- Waffle House Coffee. I got gas and kept going. I turned north at Interstate 95 and went up 17 then back up 95 in a miscue at Hardeeville.
I made it to Charleston at 7 PM or so. I went to Blassinger's (or whatever) the barbecue place is on the Savannah Highway. I drove to the Days Inn off Johnnie Dodds Boulevard in Mount Pleasant. This was after I cursed the remaining skeleton of the old Ashley River bridge and said, "They finally tore the son of a XX down". I hated that bridge and Dad hated it even more; it was designed for Model T's and we had no such vehicle when we went to Patriot's Point in 1980 and 1988.
Next day: Market Street and the cold
Saturday; Yorktown, Laffey, Clamagore, and the cutter Ingham.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Hello
I lost my temper at work and did a few things I didn't want to in front of everyone including clients. I hate losing my temper. The boss told me that I need to be unemotional and view customer criticism and helping people as something other than personal. He says that pride in my work is a motivator. So I asked how I could avoid letting my pride hurt me emotionally.
I want to take some time off and reassess my life and how to do my job better and without all the fuss. I am not taking mental leave but I need to spend time away from worrying about Mom and Dad and my career, my job, and my life.
Ideas on this are welcome.
I lost my temper at work and did a few things I didn't want to in front of everyone including clients. I hate losing my temper. The boss told me that I need to be unemotional and view customer criticism and helping people as something other than personal. He says that pride in my work is a motivator. So I asked how I could avoid letting my pride hurt me emotionally.
I want to take some time off and reassess my life and how to do my job better and without all the fuss. I am not taking mental leave but I need to spend time away from worrying about Mom and Dad and my career, my job, and my life.
Ideas on this are welcome.
Friday, February 17, 2006
02/17/06
Someone in our South Bibb community told me of a nightclub locating in our area. I wish I could tell you more. Unless it is near Interstate 75 at Hartley Bridge or the new interchange, I say this would be not a good thing given the spillover we have from Crawford and Peach counties. We have enough riffraff in our neighborhood despite the overwhelming majority of decent people.
Stay tuned and if anyone holds a meeting concerning this, attend. Please.
Someone in our South Bibb community told me of a nightclub locating in our area. I wish I could tell you more. Unless it is near Interstate 75 at Hartley Bridge or the new interchange, I say this would be not a good thing given the spillover we have from Crawford and Peach counties. We have enough riffraff in our neighborhood despite the overwhelming majority of decent people.
Stay tuned and if anyone holds a meeting concerning this, attend. Please.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
The Open House on the Sardis Church Road connector took place on January 24, 2006. The news made it out to be such a horrible project. The Telegraph's S. Heather Duncan got on her envirocrazy soapbox a little bit.
Here http://tomcat2.dot.state.ga.us/PublicOutreach_ex/projectInfo/projectInfo.cfm?projID=311910-&projNum=NH-75-1(246)&projName=Sardis%20Church%20Rd%20Proposed%20interchange%20@%20I-75&CFID=196295&CFTOKEN=71385225 are some dandy maps. I saved the maps in case the link dies.
Dirt should be turned same time next year. However I do feel for Martha and Joe Hymerling and the others losing their homes. I pray they are justly compensated.
The road will be a good thing for the county but I doubt we will succeed in attracting much industry as long as Jack Ellis is in office and we refuse to take back our city and county from the race baiters and old boy network.
I also modified some maps for easier viewing. I may post those later.
Here http://tomcat2.dot.state.ga.us/PublicOutreach_ex/projectInfo/projectInfo.cfm?projID=311910-&projNum=NH-75-1(246)&projName=Sardis%20Church%20Rd%20Proposed%20interchange%20@%20I-75&CFID=196295&CFTOKEN=71385225 are some dandy maps. I saved the maps in case the link dies.
Dirt should be turned same time next year. However I do feel for Martha and Joe Hymerling and the others losing their homes. I pray they are justly compensated.
The road will be a good thing for the county but I doubt we will succeed in attracting much industry as long as Jack Ellis is in office and we refuse to take back our city and county from the race baiters and old boy network.
I also modified some maps for easier viewing. I may post those later.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
On January 24 at 4PM the GADOT will hold a meeting on the Sardis Church Road extension. This will attract the hippies at CAUTION Macon, the fruitcakes, and those who want South Bibb to stay in the early Sixties.
The roads project won' t solve all Bibb's problems but will make it safer to get through South Bibb and to its factories and Robins Air Force Base.
Eventually, according to plans, the road will stretch to Sgoda Road in Twiggs County. Thankfully GADOT plans for Sardis Church Road have it widened to four lanes. If plans from a few years ago are followed, new construction will stretch from near Nowell Road to a quarter of a mile from Houston and Walden Roads. It will cross South Walden Road above Glen Haven Memorial Gardens and rendezvous with Avondale Mill Road.
Will the Sardis Church Road project send our community into a downward spiral? Poor zoning regulation has allowed two trailer parks, several rinky-dink houses, and other trashy developments to settle in South Bibb. So where were the crybabies back then?
I still would like to see us reform our city government, fix our public schools, and do better with our industry recruitment. Saying no to the Sardis Church project would hurt and not help.
The roads project won' t solve all Bibb's problems but will make it safer to get through South Bibb and to its factories and Robins Air Force Base.
Eventually, according to plans, the road will stretch to Sgoda Road in Twiggs County. Thankfully GADOT plans for Sardis Church Road have it widened to four lanes. If plans from a few years ago are followed, new construction will stretch from near Nowell Road to a quarter of a mile from Houston and Walden Roads. It will cross South Walden Road above Glen Haven Memorial Gardens and rendezvous with Avondale Mill Road.
Will the Sardis Church Road project send our community into a downward spiral? Poor zoning regulation has allowed two trailer parks, several rinky-dink houses, and other trashy developments to settle in South Bibb. So where were the crybabies back then?
I still would like to see us reform our city government, fix our public schools, and do better with our industry recruitment. Saying no to the Sardis Church project would hurt and not help.
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