Walking On The Ice

The water surrounding the peninsula isn't incredibly deep, and therefore it freezes really well this time of year. Today was our first experience walking on it!
Of course, letting Bree walk without holding her hand was an immediate mistake...but after she had a slight bouncing off the ice we made sure it didn't happen again.

She was tough about it, though. She even wanted to ski like some of the other people she saw.

The ice fishing huts are all over the place. These people are maniacs. You can't heat the damned things, because well....you'd melt the ice. So they just sit in there, freezing their bujungas off. There were even some REALLY hardcore dudes that decided they didn't even need huts, and just sat out in the open with their lines in the holes.

With all the wind out there those are some tough fishermen.

You can't tell in the above picture, but the ice has to be 8 inches thick or more.

We also made our way to some of the more remote spots of the isle. This lighthouse is pretty amazing. This concrete slab isn't really much higher than the water, so I bet in stormy weather this old lamp gets some waves splashing on it.

And people are still getting use out of their house boats out there. The only good thing about this time of year for those people must be that they don't need to row to shore. They can just walk across the ice to shore.

But it certainly has to be chilly in those things this time of year.

***

It was a really good day at the isle.

Times Like These Are Priceless

Bryanna woke up and came down stairs as I was watching some TV and looking at cigar bundles online. (I couldn't remember the name of a brand I tried over ten years ago (or so), and was trying to jog my memory by browsing an index of cigar makers.

I ended up finding it, which really made me happy.)

We have been hanging out, watching cartoons, farting on each other, and telling jokes. She thinks she is the funniest person on the planet. Perhaps she is.

This morning I am going to make breakfast for Theresa and Bryanna.

I'm thinking scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage. Even bacon if they want it.

Afterwards, the girls will probably head out so Theresa can work out. I'll give Awesome Marsha a call so we can catch up.

Life feels good this morning.

This weekend I have to start prepping for the Georgia trip. We have to ship our equipment equipment ahead of us, so I have to make sure I have everything.

So far the list is:

Hard Hat

Safety Harness

Safety-yellow Vest

Steel Toed Boots

3 full sets of electrical prints, and various other drawings (totaling over 500 bound pages)

This will be an interesting trip, since I will not be doing any physical work. It will all be from a supervisory standpoint. Actually, I will probably be just the translator of the drawings I did, and will spend the rest of the time learning from Bobo...he's the man with over 40 years of experience with my company.

It will be an experience. Hopefully a good one.

***

Thank God It's Friday

It's been a long week
and I'm sure glad

the weekend is here.

The job in Georgia is starting to take off.

I will probably make another trip to that state soon.

In addition, a trip to another job in Scranton, PA is going to happen this week or next week.

I had fun in Georgia last time. But this time it is looking like a long haul.

Several weeks.

Or months.

Not cool.

We'll see.

Weekend Review

It was a nice, relaxing weekend.

I was feeling very sluggish, though. It has a lot to do with my eyes straining.

Friday night I watched some movies and fell asleep early.

Saturday I worked for a few hours.

Saturday night I watched "Death Wish". Always a classic.

Then I stayed up so that I could hang with Theresa when she got off work.

Today I watched "Walk The Line". Afterwards we all went to get breakfast at Bob Evans.

Then we went to the store, and I bought a couple pairs of shoes for work, since my boots have begun to look about two years passed their prime.

Well.
Today I am going in to pick up my contacts.
I am going to regretfully inform the eye doctor that I need to redo my eye appointment.
My eyes aren't dealing well with the new prescription.
We'll see how this goes. More to post later.

I got my eye exam today.
I thought my right eye had started to get blurry over the last six months, and that it was due to sitting at a computer all the time. In reality I am developing an astigmatism.
My left eye needed a 1/4 stronger prescription. That's the first time it has needed a stronger one since 2002. So my eyes are aging.
Just like me.
Getting old is a bummer, but I'm still good looking so it's all good.

After work I picked up two pairs of glasses. So in all, today I got new sunglasses, two pairs of eye glasses, contacts, and a lens cleaning kit. And I got all of it for less than what I paid for just one pair of glasses and my eye exam back in 2004.

I guess I can't complain about that!

Today:
-I cooked breakfast for Theresa and Bryanna. It wasn't much, but it was edible.

-Organized my cubicle and read over notes to prepare for the upcoming work week. There were people working out in the shop, but I'm not sure who it was.

-Talked with Awesome Marsha on the phone for a bit while at work.

-Went over to Theresa's place for a while.
-Went home to eat and go over notes some more.

-Theresa brought Bryanna over, and we have been hanging out. It's nice.

New Bronson!

Oh yeah - you KNEW there would be more Bronson some day!
Tonight is the night of some serious Bronson action. I just got this movie, and I know it's going to be some true classic grit.
***
A week ago the Death Wish series was playing on cable. It was totally sweet, and inspired me to go out and pick up another Bronson flick. I couldn't find any, so I got "Hard Times" from Amazon. Long live the Bronson!

Glasses

No, Bree is not getting glasses. But she was trying on different pairs while I was talking to the people about prices and such.

She's making those spectacles look good!
Tuesday I get my eyes looked at. (I'm starting to have a hard time seeing out of my right eye.)
I am looking forward to it!

blackout

Some ice fell on the incoming power where I work today.
The power went out, and for a while we all thought that we would get to go home early.
Well, we didn't get to. But it was ok because it was Friday!
At least we got a break for a few hours - that was a blessing in itself.

Motors

You'd think I know all there is to know about motors by now.
Nope.
I'm always amazed at how much I don't know.
***
It's been a long week and I'm sure looking forward to the weekend. I think what I'm looking forward to the most is sleeping in. Oh that and....hanging with my girls in the daytime.
Last weekend we attempted to play in the snow but it didn't work out so well.
So maybe this weekend we'll do something different. It really doesn't matter what we do as long as we get to spend the time together.
****
I'm not sure why I haven't been posting regularly lately. I'll have to step it up.

United States Postal Service.
What happened to them? Wasn't the slogan something about "rain, sleet, or snow...." and then some added bullshit after that?
Evidently in Erie the slogan is "Sunny days only...no snow, please".
I haven't received mail because they can't get to my mail box. Too much snow they say.
I shovel the fucking thing every night, and I have no problem getting to it.
Pussies.
UPS never gives me a problem.
Fed Ex never gives me a problem.
DHL never gave me a problem (I haven't used them in the long time).
Only the good ole' USPS gives me a problem.

They are considering cutting back the days of mail delivery from the USPS, citing email and the lack of written mail no longer high in demand.

I think they are no longer high in demand not because of anything putting them out of business...but because they suck. Who wants their crappy service any more anyway?

If you have bills you can pay them online.
If you have packages you can get them through any of the other logistics companies.

Why even deal with the biggest junk mailer in history - the United States Postal Service?
90% of what they DO deliver is coupons and fliers.
But the other 10% they just can't seem to deliver.

USPS: Do us all a favor and go the hell out of business.

Old Man Winter

It's been a rough week here. Even the postal service has been getting stuck!

People have been having wheels fall off their cars!

And the darn snow just keeps on falling!
***
It's a shame I haven't finished fixing the snow blower yet. I'm just plain lazy.

This is the time of day of my birth.

As of now I am 30 years old.

Boom Boom Mancini

Written By Warren Zevon
c. 1987 Zevon Music/BMI

Hurry home early - hurry on home
Boom Boom Mancini's fighting Bobby Chacon
Hurry home early - hurry on home
Boom Boom Mancini's fighting Bobby Chacon

From Youngstown, Ohio, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini
A lightweight contender, like father like son
He fought for the title with Frias in Vegas
And he put him away in round number one

Hurry home early - hurry on home
Boom Boom Mancini's fighting Bobby Chacon
Hurry home early - hurry on home
Boom Boom Mancini's fighting Bobby Chacon

When Alexis Arguello gave Boom Boom a beating
Seven weeks later he was back in the ring
Some have the speed and the right combinations
If you can't take the punches it don't mean a thing

Hurry home early - hurry on home
Boom Boom Mancini's fighting Bobby Chacon
Hurry home early - hurry on home
Boom Boom Mancini's fighting Bobby Chacon

When they asked him who was responsible
For the death of Du Koo Kim
He said, "Someone should have stopped the fight, and told me it was him."
They made hypocrite judgments after the fact
But the name of the game is be hit and hit back

Hurry home early - hurry on home
Boom Boom Mancini's fighting Bobby Chacon
Hurry home early - hurry on home
Boom Boom Mancini's fighting Bobby Chacon