Just saw this in a news article:
"The vote was 58-39 in favor of the provision establishing concealed carry permit reciprocity in the 48 states that have concealed weapons laws. That fell two votes short of the 60 needed to approve the measure, offered as an amendment to a defense spending bill."
How appropriate! Does that mean the "defense spending bill" was two votes short of approval as well? So, I guess 39 senators are against defense spending, and 58 are for the right to carry concealed weapons across state lines.
By the way, "What defense spending"? What was the bill for? The F-22? The war in Iraq? The war in Afganistan? Military pay increases? It could be very important during the mid-term elections.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
On a Lighter Note....
This year we have slightly expanded our exploration of the fresh herb growing arena. Gail was looking through a Kohl's flyer and noticed that they had the "Aero-Garden" on sale at a significant mark-down. Since we had looked at them when they first came out and decided that they were over priced, we never bought one. Well, now we have. We are growing basil, mint, oregano, dill, thyme, and chives. All but the chives are now growing.
The basil is taking over............
The Aero-Garden.............................
The Aero-Garden is totally hydroponic. You just plug in the seed pods, fill with water, add the nutrient tablets, and wait for them to grow. There is a small pump to keep the water flowing and grow lights that stay on 16 hours a day. It even lets you know when to add water and nutrients. Virtually automatic.
Outside, I am growing corn and peppers, as well as oregano, basil and parsley.
The basil is taking over............
The Aero-Garden.............................
The Aero-Garden is totally hydroponic. You just plug in the seed pods, fill with water, add the nutrient tablets, and wait for them to grow. There is a small pump to keep the water flowing and grow lights that stay on 16 hours a day. It even lets you know when to add water and nutrients. Virtually automatic.Outside, I am growing corn and peppers, as well as oregano, basil and parsley.
Check out the corn......................
Herbs in the pots................
Herbs in the pots................
Really, we aren't turning into survivalists. We're just trying to grow some of our own veggies and herbs. Next year, I may put in a large vegetable garden.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
It's Been Awhile
I know, I know, never discuss politics or religion in mixed company. BUT, with what has been going on lately, I cannot bite my tongue any longer. The time has come to vent.........a little.
What the hell are we doing to our country? We sit back and allow the people we have elected to do our bidding in Washington let this country sink further and further into the depths of dispair.
First, Barney Frank - The remaining (Taxpayer funds) of the TARP money that is left unspent (to this point) should be returned to its rightfull owners! The Taxpayers! But no, he wants to spend it on "other significant" Government projects. WTF! This attempted misappropriation of funds is brought to you by the same guy who said the Freddy Mac and Fannie Mae were doing just fine. Just in case you don't know, he is the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. This is the person that our Elected Representatives have determined has the intelligence and knowledge to advise that body on all matters financial! So much for their judgemnet.
Second, The Continuing Bailout - Stop the Madness!!!!! We cannot afford to save every entity from the responsibility of their poor judgement and ineptitude. What, you only want another 800 Billion dollars? No problem. We'll just print you up some nice, crisp, new bills. When will those dumbasses realize that they are spending our money with little or no thought of the consequences? Even the Congressional Budget Office is starting to question whether this level of spending can or should be maintained!
Third, Health Care Reform (and I use that term loosely) - What are they trying to reform? They write / submit a bill of over a thousand pages (that no one will ever read) that creates or expands thirty eight federal entities to administer each and evey aspect of the "plan". My opinion of this brilliant move is that with enough targets, finger-pointing when it fails will be as easy as shooting ducks on a pond. Think about it! Who in our Government in the last twenty plus years has ever accepted the blame for his or her actions. They point at other politicians, corporate leaders, God, the Devil, even the American People. It is NEVER their fault. Is there any wonder why certain corporate leaders and many people in general react in the same manner? We have learned our lessons, from our elected teachers, very well. The only difference being that we will be vilafied for doing so and they won't.
Fourth, Health Care Reform - Why do the politicians fail to separate this debate into its basic elements? There is the moral issue of providing coverage to individuals who cannot get or afford health insurance. There is the financial issue of how we will pay for that. And there is the reform issue of how to reduce costs without degrading service, if that is really possible. Until the President and the Congress try to look at these issues in their proper perspective, we will continue to see the OMNIBUS Healthcare Bills that have been floated (and failed) in the past. I do not think it is really possible to address all the issues in one, all or none, bill. Nor do I believe that it has to be done RIGHT NOW! Let's take our time and do it right. I know that the current administration is looking at the mid-term elections with fear and trepidation. If they fail to keep their grandiose campaign promises, they may loose the congressional majority. I mean, if you can't accopmplish your far reaching agenda with control both the executive and legislative branches of the Government, what can you do?
Last, Nancy Pelosi - Enough said.
What the hell are we doing to our country? We sit back and allow the people we have elected to do our bidding in Washington let this country sink further and further into the depths of dispair.
First, Barney Frank - The remaining (Taxpayer funds) of the TARP money that is left unspent (to this point) should be returned to its rightfull owners! The Taxpayers! But no, he wants to spend it on "other significant" Government projects. WTF! This attempted misappropriation of funds is brought to you by the same guy who said the Freddy Mac and Fannie Mae were doing just fine. Just in case you don't know, he is the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. This is the person that our Elected Representatives have determined has the intelligence and knowledge to advise that body on all matters financial! So much for their judgemnet.
Second, The Continuing Bailout - Stop the Madness!!!!! We cannot afford to save every entity from the responsibility of their poor judgement and ineptitude. What, you only want another 800 Billion dollars? No problem. We'll just print you up some nice, crisp, new bills. When will those dumbasses realize that they are spending our money with little or no thought of the consequences? Even the Congressional Budget Office is starting to question whether this level of spending can or should be maintained!
Third, Health Care Reform (and I use that term loosely) - What are they trying to reform? They write / submit a bill of over a thousand pages (that no one will ever read) that creates or expands thirty eight federal entities to administer each and evey aspect of the "plan". My opinion of this brilliant move is that with enough targets, finger-pointing when it fails will be as easy as shooting ducks on a pond. Think about it! Who in our Government in the last twenty plus years has ever accepted the blame for his or her actions. They point at other politicians, corporate leaders, God, the Devil, even the American People. It is NEVER their fault. Is there any wonder why certain corporate leaders and many people in general react in the same manner? We have learned our lessons, from our elected teachers, very well. The only difference being that we will be vilafied for doing so and they won't.
Fourth, Health Care Reform - Why do the politicians fail to separate this debate into its basic elements? There is the moral issue of providing coverage to individuals who cannot get or afford health insurance. There is the financial issue of how we will pay for that. And there is the reform issue of how to reduce costs without degrading service, if that is really possible. Until the President and the Congress try to look at these issues in their proper perspective, we will continue to see the OMNIBUS Healthcare Bills that have been floated (and failed) in the past. I do not think it is really possible to address all the issues in one, all or none, bill. Nor do I believe that it has to be done RIGHT NOW! Let's take our time and do it right. I know that the current administration is looking at the mid-term elections with fear and trepidation. If they fail to keep their grandiose campaign promises, they may loose the congressional majority. I mean, if you can't accopmplish your far reaching agenda with control both the executive and legislative branches of the Government, what can you do?
Last, Nancy Pelosi - Enough said.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Where Did the Weeekend Go?
Watched Greyson today while Chris and Courtney went to see the new Harry Potter movie. As usual, he ran us ragged, but we had a ball. He is so funny and curious. He wants to know what everything is and searches for new things to get into. Today, while I was preparing the ingredients for our Butternut Squash / Curry soup, he and Grandma played in the sink. As soon as he saw the camera, he started hamming it up.
Hey, look at me................
What does this do??????
WATER....................
By the way, the soup turned out great. Butternut Squash / Curry Soup, garnished with Horseradish Cream Sauce and Lime Zest. MMMMMMMMMMMM.
Served with a great salad and some warm, buttered bread. Who could ask for more? Oh yeah, a cold beer to wash it down made it complete.
No kayaking this weekend. Friday afternoon we had a thunderstorm move through and Saturday morning it was still pretty cloudy. Of course it cleared up in the afternoon, but by that time we were already committed to other things (cleaning the house). Today started off the same, but again it cleared up in the afternoon.
Hey, look at me................
What does this do??????
WATER....................
By the way, the soup turned out great. Butternut Squash / Curry Soup, garnished with Horseradish Cream Sauce and Lime Zest. MMMMMMMMMMMM.
Served with a great salad and some warm, buttered bread. Who could ask for more? Oh yeah, a cold beer to wash it down made it complete.No kayaking this weekend. Friday afternoon we had a thunderstorm move through and Saturday morning it was still pretty cloudy. Of course it cleared up in the afternoon, but by that time we were already committed to other things (cleaning the house). Today started off the same, but again it cleared up in the afternoon.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Last Video
This is one video of the carp "nesting" from our June 7th trip to the Back Bay National wildlife Refuge.
Carp........
Apparently you can't upload more than one large video file per blog post, at least that's the way it seems. Check out the other videos at Pictures
Carp........
Apparently you can't upload more than one large video file per blog post, at least that's the way it seems. Check out the other videos at Pictures
Missing Video Part 1
Here is one of the videos that wouldn't upload.
Greyson helping Dad wash the car.............
Greyson helping Dad wash the car.............
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Hard Weekend
Saturday was a bear. Gail went shopping and I stayed home to trim the trees. After eight hours, all the trees were trimmed and the lake was cleaned out. Neeedless to say, I was beat. As I was about to doze off, Chris called. Another Oh-Dark-Thirty surf trip. So, I was up at 5:30 AM on Sunday. When we got there, the surf was pretty small. We even discussed leaving, but since we were already up, we stayed. Turned out to be a little fun. Knee to waist high, and what seemed like 5 minute intervals.
The rest of the day was spent running around. Not much more to report.
The rest of the day was spent running around. Not much more to report.
Monday, July 6, 2009
July 4th Weekend
LESSONS LEARNED, July 3, 2009
It has often been said that you should learn at least one new thing each day. Well today, I learned more than one. What I learned as:
1. Three to five foot seas are much bigger when you are out in a 12 foot kayak than they appear from shore. (Think "Deadliest Catch". 125 foot ship in 30 to 50 foot seas, you do the math.)
2. "Watertight" hatch covers aren't.
3. "Dry bags" are, partially.
4. My waterproof camera really is.
5. I can still swim.
How I learned all this is quite simple, we decided to go for a kayak paddle on the Chesapeake Bay. We launched from the Chesapeake side of First Landing State Park.
This is what it looked like from the shore.............
Hey ! Gail had the camera...............
Gorgeous scenery................
Snowy / White Egrets sitting in the tree........
School of small Bass fry...............
Spent about three hours paddling around the south end of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, toward False Cape State Park.
After our trip, Chris and Greyson came over again. Chris washed his truck and Greyson, well he was Greyson. He wears me out.
The way I see Greyson.........
Dinner turned out better this time. Beans and potato salad again, but this time it was drumsticks marinaded in Soyaki sauce. Turned out pretty good.
July 5th, 2009
Went over to Chris' to help him install a ceiling fan in Greyson's room. Took most of the afternoon once we got started. Pretty uneventful day for the most part.
I had really hoped to spend some time working on the transition from the old computer to the new. Didn't get much done on that front, but the time was well spent on more important things.
It has often been said that you should learn at least one new thing each day. Well today, I learned more than one. What I learned as:
1. Three to five foot seas are much bigger when you are out in a 12 foot kayak than they appear from shore. (Think "Deadliest Catch". 125 foot ship in 30 to 50 foot seas, you do the math.)
2. "Watertight" hatch covers aren't.
3. "Dry bags" are, partially.
4. My waterproof camera really is.
5. I can still swim.
How I learned all this is quite simple, we decided to go for a kayak paddle on the Chesapeake Bay. We launched from the Chesapeake side of First Landing State Park.
This is what it looked like from the shore.............
The funny thing about the whole adventure is that when we came through the gate, the ranger suggested that we should go to 64th street to launch and I told him we wanted to launch on the Chesapeake side. Of course, he didn't mention the high seas.
Our harrowing, life threatening (according to Gail) adventure began with launching into a rather rough shore break. I helped Gail get out and then launched myself. Even before I got into the boat, waves were crashing over the top. When I did get into the boat, the cockpit was filled with water, but the scuppers took care of that in no time. We paddled out and had a ball riding over the waves, although, with the wind and current we made very little headway down the beach. We just hung out in the same area for a while and rode the waves. We just considered this to be a practice session for our planned ocean excursion. Then the real fun began.
We were just talking about going in, when the five foot part of the seas came into play. Several waves came in succession and the bow of my kayak was buried in the water. The cockpit filled and it got really sluggish. I tried to turn into the next group of waves but got caught sideways. Needless to say, I got pitched into the water. When I tried to get back in the boat it would just continue to roll toward me and could not be stopped. That is when I figured out that the "watertight" hatch wasn't. The kayak was filled with water. Each time I tried to climb back aboard, the water would shift over to that side and cause the boat to roll. Each time it rolled, it took on more water. There was no way that I was going to get back on board and paddle in, so I just started swimming and pushing the boat toward shore. (Under the watchful eyes of Gail) She didn't understand what I was trying to tell her, that the kayak was full of water. She thought I meant the cockpit, not the hull. Needless to say, she "worried" (guided) me all the way in. When we finally did reach the shore, she tried to pull my kayak up on the shore and couldn't. It was then that she understood. I pulled my kayak up on the beach, opened the hatch, and poured ten plus gallons of water out.
On a side note, Gail was kind of worried about landing her kayak in the rough conditions, but she handled it like a pro. She paddled to keep up the same speed as the incoming waves and glided to a soft and safe landing.
Looking back on the adventure, we were never in any serious danger and it was kind of fun.
Chris and Greyson, July 3rd, 2009
Courtney was in Las Vegas for a friend's birthday celebration, so Chris and Greyson were "batch-ing it" for the weekend. They came over in the afternoon and stayed for dinner (partial disaster). We had purchased a small tri-tip roast last weekend a Trader Joe's and decided to have it for dinner. Gail mentioned it to Chris and he said he had read that they were good grilled. What a mistake! It was so tough that you could hardly chew it. The beans and potato salad were great, so all was not lost.
Greyson never fails to amaze me. That kid has more energy than any two kids I have seen. He is in constant motion. About the only time he sits still is when he wants you read him a book. That only lasts for a few minutes and he is off and running again. Chris decided to wash the car and Greyson was ready and willing to help.
Hey Dad! Let me help!
(Great video should be here. Having trouble loading videos and have contacted Google)
We have several varieties of ducks that call the pond home and Greyson loves ducks. He even knows the sign for ducks and signs every time he sees them. He also signs airplane, motorcycle, please, more, all done, and several others. Then there is the universal point and "Uh" for everything else. Dad and Greyson decided to feed the ducks.
Feeding the ducks.................
(There should also be a video here)
Note: I'm going to trying uploading some videos to Picasa to see if that will work.
Kayaking, Chris and Greyson, July 4th, 2009
We went out for an early (at least for us) kayak trip to the Back Bay. We went down to the Back Bay Ranger Station and launched about 8:45. The water was calm, the winds light, and the weather was gorgeous.
The Captain leading the way.............
Hey ! Gail had the camera...............
Gorgeous scenery................
Snowy / White Egrets sitting in the tree........
School of small Bass fry...............
Spent about three hours paddling around the south end of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, toward False Cape State Park.
After our trip, Chris and Greyson came over again. Chris washed his truck and Greyson, well he was Greyson. He wears me out.
The way I see Greyson.........
Dinner turned out better this time. Beans and potato salad again, but this time it was drumsticks marinaded in Soyaki sauce. Turned out pretty good.
July 5th, 2009
Went over to Chris' to help him install a ceiling fan in Greyson's room. Took most of the afternoon once we got started. Pretty uneventful day for the most part.
I had really hoped to spend some time working on the transition from the old computer to the new. Didn't get much done on that front, but the time was well spent on more important things.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Great Weekend 6-20-09
This post has been in the works for a while. Never had a chance to finish it up, so I decided to publish it now just to get it done.
All our work was finished up on Thursday, planning a kayak outing for the weekend. Also, I have been looking for a good deal on a tandem kayak for about five months now. Every time I find one, it has just sold. Well that changed on Thursday. I decided to check on Craig's List while I was at work and there was one listed. I called the number listed and left a message for the seller. He called me back about three and explained that he would be busy with a client (he is a personal trainer that works out of his home in Chick's Beach) until about a quarter to five and then had to leave. I told him I would be there at 4:45 on the dot. I left work early and headed out. Got there at 4:40, he finished with the client and showed me the kayak. A little rough around the edges, but still a decent deal. Scored a tandem kayak. Just after we had loaded it into my truck someone else drove by that was interested. Too late! I found out that he was supposed to take his son to a karate lesson, but my stopping by made that impossible, so his wife had to be the chauffeur. Hope it didn't cause too much trouble.
Saturday morning we headed out the First Landing State Park for the maiden voyage of the "VBK OURS". We only stayed out for a couple of hours due to the weather. Not that it was bad, just the opposite, beautiful. BUT, about 95 degrees, high humidity, with a heat index around 110. Gruesome.........
While we were out, a couple of times I thought about jumping in the water. As we were paddling, I thought I saw grease spot floating on the water, but upon closer examination, saw something that kept us out of the water. See below...
All our work was finished up on Thursday, planning a kayak outing for the weekend. Also, I have been looking for a good deal on a tandem kayak for about five months now. Every time I find one, it has just sold. Well that changed on Thursday. I decided to check on Craig's List while I was at work and there was one listed. I called the number listed and left a message for the seller. He called me back about three and explained that he would be busy with a client (he is a personal trainer that works out of his home in Chick's Beach) until about a quarter to five and then had to leave. I told him I would be there at 4:45 on the dot. I left work early and headed out. Got there at 4:40, he finished with the client and showed me the kayak. A little rough around the edges, but still a decent deal. Scored a tandem kayak. Just after we had loaded it into my truck someone else drove by that was interested. Too late! I found out that he was supposed to take his son to a karate lesson, but my stopping by made that impossible, so his wife had to be the chauffeur. Hope it didn't cause too much trouble.
Saturday morning we headed out the First Landing State Park for the maiden voyage of the "VBK OURS". We only stayed out for a couple of hours due to the weather. Not that it was bad, just the opposite, beautiful. BUT, about 95 degrees, high humidity, with a heat index around 110. Gruesome.........
While we were out, a couple of times I thought about jumping in the water. As we were paddling, I thought I saw grease spot floating on the water, but upon closer examination, saw something that kept us out of the water. See below...
Lots of jellyfish. They were everywhere. No water for us.
"The Virginia Beach Kayak (VBK) Ours"
We got home just before the heat got really oppressive. All in all, good timing.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Round Two
Last night was the second attempt to get the new computer up and running. No email, no bookmarks, and even though the hard drive was reinstalled into the old tower, all my programs and data files were blank. It seems there was a conflict with "ownership"when a copies were made to disc. Seems my files now belong to his laptop, which is not with him. Sooooo, the whole old computer took a trip to work today to try to resolve the issues with his laptop. I'll find out what happened when I get home tonight.
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