Family Room

My wife went with an interesting window treatment in the family room. The curtain rods are fishing rods and the curtains are nets.

Here is a creel in the corner along with a fishing cat.
The big grouping of ceramic fish we brought back from The Costa Rica Fishing Trip.
How to tell time with a fishing motif.

There are two lamps of this style in the room.
The back wall has a large fishing picture with a fishing pole accent. The hat is from my Costa Rica fishing trip.
Here is my big Large Mouth Bass on display.
Here is a new sign from my daughters for my birthday. "Men and fish are alike, they get in trouble when they open their mouth." What are they trying to say?

Fish Ohio 1997

I actually caught a Fish Ohio in 1997 but didn't take it to get measured. The reason I let it go were:
1. It was a hot day and it would have stressed a fish that I wasn't keeping.
2. The fact that the only Large Mouth Bass I had taken out of Lake Hodgson was on my family room wall from 1996.

I was fishing the edge of a large weed bed at the south end of the lake. This weed bed comes out from a point between two bays. I cast a night crawler near the edge of the weeds as I was drifting away from the weeds. A Large Mouth Bass took the night crawler and I set the hook. I was fishing fairly heavy tackle so I was able to bring the fish to the boat and net it fairly quickly. I measured it and it was the same length as the one I had caught the year before.
I decided that one Large Mouth Bass on the wall was all I needed so I removed the hook and released it back into the lake to continue growing.
I hope somebody else was able to catch the fish and have the thrill of catching a really special fish. I didn't feel badly about releasing the fish and letting it continue to grow. I didn't turn it in as a Fish Ohio for an award but I knew I had done what was right for the lake. I didn't catch any other Fish Ohio that year or any in 1998.

Kenny Chesney "Just Who I Am"

I got this CD for my birthday. My wife and I went to the Flip Flop this summer and saw a lot of star acts in Cleveland. Kenny certainly has a big fan base and surrounds himself with stars on the tour.
The song that really made we want the CD was "Don't Blink" which is about growing older and how fast life goes by. I would certainly have to say that during the last year time has flown by.

"Never Wanted Nothin' More" is another song about lifes journey. "Shift Work" with George Strait is a fun song with a calypso beat and which is also on "Got a Little Crazy" about being still a little hazy the next day.
"Wild Ride" with Joe Walsh of the Eagles and his guitar licks.
"Scare Me" is a great ballad and you realize that Kenny is a good singer.
This CD has a lot of variety and certainly is very entertaining to listen through.

My Brother-In-Law's Art 3

Here are a few more of My Brother-in-Laws Art.
He did this Elephant grouping. It seems like a lot of work.

Here is some friends dogs that he did for them.

My Brother-In-Law's Art 2

I wanted to show you some more of My Brother-in-Laws art. I made a post earlier on his talent and here are a few more pictures.
Here is a great Bear drawing.

He likes animal pictures and he drew this Moose.

Here is a Mountian Goat he drew.

Billy Ray Cyrus "Home at Last

Billy Ray has been in the news lately because of the fame his daughter Miley has received. His new CD starts out with "Ready, Set, Don't Go". The song on the original release only has Billy Ray singing alone. If you want the song with Miley you must be careful what you purchase. there is an extended release of the CD. "Flying By" is a similar song about a child growing older.

"Beginning" is my favorite song on the CD. I would think it would be the second release from the CD. "Buffalo" is a serious song about losing your job with an interesting comparison.

"Don't Give Up On Me" is an interesting song and is a good listen. "I Can't Live Without You" is a great love song.

There are several remakes on the CD where Billy Ray tries to show his versatility.

Jason Aldean "Relentless"

Jason Aldean has come out with his second CD release. I'm sure most of you heard the first release "Johnny Cash". It certainly doesn't hurt to use a famous name in the title. Most of the album is about love and the direction it's heading. My favorite song on the CD is "Laughed Until We Cried". I feel this is the best song on the CD.

Another song I really like is "Not Every Man Lives". A key line is "every man dies, not every man lives". It is our choice in how we live our life. Life is so fleeting, what do you leave on earth when your life is over. It is a song that makes you reflect on your life.

You can listen to "I Use What I Got" from the CD.

Jason joins with Miranda Lambert for "Grown Woman". They sound good together on the duet. Miranda doesn't do some of the rough singing she does on her songs. Miranda Lambert is Blake Shelton's present girlfriend.

The Cd will leave you wondering if Jason has had a rough time with his girlfriends along life's way.

Funny Music Video

Trace Adkins and Rodney Carrington are an unlikely duo. They got together and made a video for Trace Atkins's song "I Got My Game On". The song is a fun song but the video is outstanding. Take a look at the video if you want a laugh.

Added New Post to the Blogs I Read

I added a new blog to the blogs I read. It is called McFly's Nashville Minute. George is one of the DJ's on the the WQMX radio station in Akron, Ohio. George writes on information coming out of Nashville. He will let you know how the singers are doing and where they are appearing on TV. It is a great sight to keep up with the Nashville talent.

The Joy on Christmas Day

I thank all of you who read my blog and wish you a Merry Christmas. Blogging has become a part of my life I want to share with all of you.

What is the true joy as seen at Christmas time? It is truly the joy of one who receives a gift that they truly wanted or not expected. My grand daughter's face was truly precious when she saw what she had received. We got her a flute that she didn't expect. I had replaced the mailbox recently so my wife used that box to pack the flute. They teased her that it was a mailbox of her own but I told her to open the package. She was truly surprised when she saw the black flute case in the packaging with a mail box picture on the outside. Her smile could not have been bigger. The flute was specially made with a return curve to the mouth piece to shorten the length because she is only 10. This should give her a start toward a gift of music.

My brother-in-law's art

My Brother-in-law, Gene, from the Austin, Texas area is a great artist. I visited with him a several times while I was working in the Houston area. Gene likes to do animal drawings. He gave me one of his art pieces when I was visiting and I have always cherished the gift.

He had shot a deer with a bow and decided to do this drawing. I think it is really good. I believe it is the deer he shot but am not absolutely sure. Maybe he will let me know if he reads this.

I never understood why someone with so much talent never decided to go into the art business. Everyone makes there own choices in life.

No blizzard remnants

The blizzard we had last week is gone. We had rain this morning and 50 degrees. We are now having high winds and the temperature is supposed to drop into the 20's with snow tonight. What crazy weather we are having.

Here is a picture of the house today after the rain storm. As you can see the 12" of snow from last week are now gone.

Jake -our Pomeranian 2

Jake our Pomeranian got a Christmas haircut. He is looking a lot darker with some big dark spots showing up on his back. He is an iside dog so I woundn't think the sun had him bleached. We did have him cut a little longer so that might be the reason.It was about 2 months since his last hair cut. You can see his last cut here in October .
I gave him a bone so he laid real still for the pictures.
He was really getting into that bone.

cookies 07

Every year we get together with the grand kids and make Christmas cookies. This year we did it last night. Here are some of the creations. Sometimes the decorating gets a little thick but that is half the fun.
The cookies appear in batches as everyone contributes to the layers.
They tend to get more creative as they progress. I made the Grinch looking one on the left.
This is a grouping of 2/3 of what was done.
Griff thought this one was special so he took a close-up. It's the jolly old elf himself as the star.

Clash of the Choirs - Finale

Clash of the Choirs is over. Drew Lachey Choir from Cincinnati, Ohio won the event. We all know that none of the celebrates had the time or knowledge to train the choirs to perform to the level they did. Blake Shelton even admitted he had never been in a choir. I think it was a shame that the people that did so much work behind the scenes were not recognized. I think it was nice that all the choirs went back with money for their charities.

It really was a story about charity more then anything else. They were very selective with the people they chose to make sure there was a story for the show. I thought there should have been more Christmas music but that wasn't the way it went.

The be song I heard was the "Flight of the Bumblebee" done acapella by Drew Lachey's choir. That song may have won him the contest because of the great job the choir did with the song.

Blake Shelton won most entertaining of the celebrates. If you watched Nashville Star you already knew he was funny. His girlfriend, Miranda Lambert, was in the audience for all performances. They had her on camera several times.

Shark Girl Has Lost Her Fight!!!

I don't know how many of you read Shark Girl's fight of corruption at WRAFB. If you don't the fight has taken a turn for the worse.

She put up a valiant fight but it has come crashing to a end. She was trying to fight against the corruption at WRAFB without a lawyer leading her into the shark infested waters. There is no good coming from her fight. She can't fight in an arena where she is outgunned. If you want to see what it is like to fight alone against the system check out the sight.

Christmas novelty songs

My wife really likes two novelty songs. She was looking for a CD that had them and had to order it. I think they both spread joy at Christmas. I put the You Tubes on for your enjoyment.

The first is "Dominic the Donkey". The story of the Italian Christmas donkey. This is funny and shares a fun time at Christmas.

The second is "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". Another fun song that came out in the 50's.

Brad Paisley "5TH Gear"

Brad Paisley 5TH CD is called"5TH Gear". I already wrote on the song "Letter to Me" last month and now I purchased the CD. Brad has done a great job of putting a variety of song on the CD along with the excellence of his guitar playing. Brad's CD are always so interesting.

Country music fans have already heard "Ticks" and "Online" two fun songs. There are four other fun songs "Better Than This", "I'm Still a Guy", "If Love Was a Plane" & "Mr. Policeman". For instance the line "if love was a plane no-one would get on".

There are 14 Brad songs on the CD plus some extras. "Throttleneck" is pure acoustics with Brad showing off his playing.

There is a future #1 which is a duet with Carrie Underwood called "Oh Love". I can't wait till it debuts on the radio.

There are two other car songs "All I Wanted Was a Car" and "Some Mistakes" where 5TH Gear is included.

Blizzard conditions in NE Ohio

We had a blizzard yesterday. It was snowing and blowing really hard. We probably have 12” of snow as you can see on the roof of our house. It blew off our bedroom roof and is piled on the living room roof. It then blew onto the garage roof.
Here is a view of the porch. The big wreath was covered with real snow yesterday. Since reading Rick Lee's blog I now wonder how he would portray the icekles. I took a couple of shots.
The wind gave them a Easterly rake.
Here's the last one from the porch.
I shoveled the driveway last night and had to do it again this morning. It’s supposed to stop snowing today.
Here is the snow on my grill cover.
Did I say there were stairs to the deck. Well, there are no more.
The snow bank beside my truck was 3 foot high.
My wife and I tried to go out for supper and some of the restaurants were closed. We will have rain by Thursday/ Friday so it should all melt away.

What's wrong with the Steelers II

The Steelers really got themselves in a tight spot yesterday. They were playing a tough team under hard conditions but losing at home could put them in trouble. The Browns won and are now tied with the Steelers. If the Steelers lose one more time they might not even be the division winner. Who could believe the Browns could win the division!!!!!!

I'm not looking for them to go to far in the playoff. I think they can win at least once so they will be in the playoffs. They are playing some bad teams but they have tended to do poorly against bad teams.

I know that Roethlisberger is hurting but they are playing badly. They better get there act together. Let's see what they do next week.

Fishing Guys' Wife

As I walk along life's way.
Looking for what I need to say.
I know because its not a lonely walk
because someone special cares to talk.

And let me know things aren't bad,
I don't have any reason to be sad.
For there is someone by my side
who makes my heart fill with pride.

That one person who does care
that I'm treated special, Its not fair.
That I'm so lucky I know not why
but it could make a grown man sigh.

Try to understand, I know you do.
That there are times I won't please you.
But that I love you and I always will
because being with you is such a thrill.

Happy Birthday on your special day from the one that you make feel special!!!!!!!!

The wife turns 64 today and will also retire next year.
Yes. I'm a very lucky guy. This was taken last month.

Clash of the Choirs - II

I had a post earlier on Clash of the Choirs. I have another video of Blake Shelton and his choir practicing for the show that starts on Monday night for 2 hours. It is a four night affair so be prepared to spend a little time with this show if you start it.


Just for Carletta here is a music video with Nick Lachey. The spot also has a couple of Blake Shelton videos.

It's My Birthday

Our family unit that live in our home town get together on Thursday nights as a family night every week. It ends up a great time to remember special occasions. It is a time of sharing with with the children and grandchildren. It changes as the years go on and the grandchildren get older but it's always a fun time.

Last night we celebrated my birthday a day early. There were some great fishing related presents, which I always enjoy. My wife got me the new Kenny Chesney CD I had asked for and the new Bruce Willis DVD "Live Free or Die Hard". We had an ice cream cake to celebrate the occasion. We have a lot of birthdays in the family from November 30th to January 1st. There are 7 during the season. The sharing of time together was very special to me.

I turned 64 which puts me one year closer to the retirement age. My how time flies by.

Fish Ohio 1996

1995 was another year without a Fish Ohio. That certainly isn't saying I wasn't catching a lot of fish. It just saying I didn't catch a qualifying fish.
1996 is a different story. I was fishing the aerator which I really enjoyed on August 17th. The aerator would draw in the fish because of the bait that comes to feed on the plankton and the fact that the pump would suck in bait and put it out on the bottom of the lake. I was casting minnows to a spot in front of the aerator that had a down draft in the water. I hooked into something a lot bigger then a crappie. I like to control my fish by keeping a tight drag and back reeling when I feel to much pressure on the pole. I was fishing ultralight so when the fish was hooked it really bent the pole. I was back reeling fast and thought I was in control. The fish must not have been hooked well and got off. The reason I told this story will become clear really soon. A little later in day I had a night crawler on the bottom and had a fish bite on that pole. I set the hook and realized I had another big fish on the line. It turned out to be a 27 1/2" 10# Carp that gave me a good fight. I fish with a heavier pole and 8# test line so the fish tested the equipment. I had it weighed and measured and released it back into the lake.

The very next week on August 24 I was set up in the same spot. I had been fishing since morning and thought I would try to cast to the same spot I had lost the fish the week before. Well here's a story that is just hard to believe, I hooked into another big fish. It was a similar cast at a similar time of day to the fish I lost last week. Do I think it was the same fish? You bet I do, fish are creatures of habit. It was obvious the fish had forgotten what happened last week when it tried to eat a minnow from that spot. Well guess what. It ran in the same direction as last week but this time I was able to control the fish. I tried hard to work the fish back to the boat. As I was bringing it in the fish suddenly decided it was going to jump. I guessed at that point it was a Large Mouth Bass because they have the habit of jumping to throw the hook. I was amazed when I saw the fish jump. It was the biggest Bass I had ever caught. It did another deep dive and I let it run. I started to work the fish toward the boat and to my surprise it was tired out. I got my net ready and with one swoop had the fish in the boat. I did a preliminary measurement and decided it would qualify as a Fish Ohio. I took it and had it measured and weighed. It was 21 1/2" long and weighed 5 1/2 #'s. It was the biggest Bass of my fishing life. I decided to have it mounted and it now resides in our family room. My wife is very understanding of my love of fishing and the family room actually has a fishing theme because of her decorating talents. I will take some pictures later on next week to show you what I mean . Here is a map of the Lake Hodgson in Ravenna, Ohio that I fish most weekends. It is 2 miles long and 1/2 mile wide with an eighty foot depth in the middle.

The Best Gift

I try to check to see if Scott Wynn has posted on that day. Scott is a DJ with WQMX the country music station which I listen. He does some great posts. The Best Gift post he did today is outstanding. I would suggest you all give this a read.

I really feel that Scott has shown the true meaning of Christmas and the way love should be shared with your family and others.

Ice Enclosure

I don't like these kind of mornings. We have a one car garage so the wife gets the garage for the winter. My boat gets the garage for the summer so it's loaded and ready to hit the lake. So my car sits outside for the night.

A dawn like this morning, when the car in encased in ice, makes it hard to get the car on the road. There was a 1/4" shell on the car which was almost impossible to chip off the windows. I was able to get a 12" x 12" spot to look through the front window. I had to drive about two miles before the windows started to melt. It was off the windows by the time I got to work. It is either sit in the driveway with the car running or drive as the windows melt. I always choose to drive.

I saw what happened out in the plains with the ice storms and am glad that didn't happen to us, so I'm not complaining to much.

Growing up in the Fifties

The 50's were a hard time in which to grow up. It wasn't the Great Depression but things were a bad with a lot of people out of work. We didn't have anywhere near the possessions that the children of today have. That wasn't even a possibility while I was growing up. There was many a time that food was as much importance as possessions. I think that was the start of a trend of a generation that wanted their children to get better then they had received.

No-one today can remember going to get in line to get food on which to live from a distribution center. Those staples included a tub of white lard that you mixed with a yellow coloring agent to make an oleo. You then spread it on the bread they gave you. You also would get eggs and milk.

You would try to get a job at a young age to have some money to spend on yourself.

I worked at a cemetery one summer cutting the grass. It wasn't a fun job especially when they had a funeral. The grave was dug with a back hoe but was filled in by hand after the people left the area. It wasn't as if you knew who was in the casket but you still knew someone had died. One time people were moving away and wanted to take a baby that had been buried years before. We dug up the wooden casket but since it had been made from wood and there were only black marks in the soil and nails from the casket. This is what we put into a casket and sent with the people to rebury.

I worked for my uncle painting houses for several summers. My Dad and uncle would put me up on a porch roof with a step ladder on the roof. I had to paint the side of the house above the roof. The sides of the house was painted with ladders with stand-offs that held expandable planks off the ladders on which to stand. There were no safety ropes or belts. Thank God no-one fell off the planks. It would have been an awful fall om your back that you may not of survived. I had to wait until they were done with the side of the house before I could get off the roof and move to a different area to paint. Sometimes the heat on the roof was almost unbearable. It was alright if you were in the shade.

My uncle gave me my first car. It was his old paint car, a 53 Chevy Bel-Air two door coupe. It had a 6 cylinder engine and a automatic transmission. It was painted a light green. It had paint on it from painting the houses and carrying the ladders on the roof. It had a big chromed grill that cleaned up beautifully and a lot of other chrome parts. The car's paint job was a little harder to clean but it ended up looking reasonable. This is a picture of a 53 Chevy.


Here is the side view of another 53.

"Clash of the Choirs"

There's a new reality TV show coming on NBC next Monday December 17th. It will run 4 days. It's called "Clash of the Choirs - Holiday Challenge" and my favorite artist, Blake Shelton, will have a choir from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They went back to their hometowns and made a choir from people from the area. Here is a You Tube of his try-outs. there will be a lot of Christmas songs.

Here is a picture of Blake from the sight. He is going with a much cleaner look today then the long hair look he used to have.


The other people with choirs are Patti LaBelle, Michael Bolton, Drew Lachey and Kelly Rowland. This should be an interesting holiday program.

David Allan Coe Concert

Last night was the David Allan Coe Concert that I said I may go to at The Barn in Kent, Ohio. I have added a blog about rating a concert venue in which I rated this venue as a 9 out of 30. Only the parking in Kent allowed this venue to get over half it's points.

I like a lot of his songs but he was a bitter old man. That did not add to the experience.

Can a venue make or break a concert. That absolutely has to be true. The concert was scheduled to start at 9:00 and was changed to 10:00 at 8:30 after we were there for an hour and a half. We had been there since 7:30. The Barn is a venue that has 5 separate areas. The main dance floor area is the only area that has a view of the stage. Because of the five separate areas The Barn has a large crowd capacity which are all located in the one viewing area at the same time. There is no seating where you can see the stage. My wife and I had to stand on a window ledge between two of the areas to even see the artist.

The lighting was so bad you couldn't even take a descent picture. I went as close to the stage as possible and got a picture and got my hearing blasted by the speakers. What I won't do for my blog.

When you are trying to take picture over people heads they don't come out well.

This is a view from the back of the room on a raised platform which was private. I went into the space to get a picture.

We eventually made our way to a seating area where you couldn't see the concert, only hear it. I told the wife we could here it better on a CD and we might as well head for home. In all it wasn't a good experience and I would never go to The Barn again for a concert.

The one good thing from the concert is i met and talked to Ken Steel one of the DJ's from WQMX 94.9. He was very friendly and it was nice to meet him. WQMX has a great bunch of people.

Rate The Concert Venue

I went to a concert last night so I wanted to make a rating system for the concert venues. I like to be treated well when I'm spending my money.

A. Parking at the venue.
0. It cost an a lot to park far away.
1. It cost to park far away.
2. It cost a lot to park close.
3. You can park close at a reasonable cost.
4. The parking is close and is free.

B. Entry to the venue.
0. Long wait and a body search (they pat you down).
1. Long wait and they search everything.
2. Long wait and they put you through a metal detector.
3. The lines are reasonable and they put you through a metal detector.
4. The lines are reasonable and you feel safe.

C. Music level at the venue.
0. I can no longer hear.
1. It was too loud.
2. I can't hear you.
3. I can hear what they are singing.
4. That just right.

D. Can I see the performers at the venue?
0. What performers - those ants?
1. I can barely see over every one - bad lighting.
2. I need binoculars.
3. They are visible on the projection screen and with binoculars.
4. This is very nice, I can see: the performers are visible to the eye and on projection screen.

E. Seating to the venue.
0. What seating? There's hardly a place to stand?
1. What seating you can stand?
2. Seating /on lawn, sit down in front.
3. Comfortable seating with some standing.
4. Comfortable seating close up with everyone seated.

F. Cost of food and souvenirs.
0. Arm and a Leg.
1. This is expensive.
2. This is reasonable.
3. I'm willing to pay this.
4. This is a good value.

G. Cost of Concert
0. Get a loan.
1. This is very costly.
2. This is expensive.
3. This is reasonable.
4. Free.


Rating for "The Barn" - Kent, Ohio A-4 B-0 C-0 D-1 E-1 F-2 G-2 = 9/28 Once is enough for this concert venue!!

Fish Ohio 1994

I bogged about 1991 and 1992 Fish Ohio's. I didn't catch a Fish Ohio in 1993. I caught plenty of fish but just not one that qualified. Sometimes you catch a fish that is just 1/4" short but it doesn't qualify. You can't stretch the fish even if you want to.

On May 22nd in 1994 I made an unusual Fish Ohio catch by an unusual method. I was again fishing Lake Hodgeson and had been really learning the lake and enjoying the variety of fish in the lake.

I was out trolling by pulling a lure behind the boat and directing the boat away from problems underwater. A good depth finder gives you an idea of whether there are problems ahead. I had just made a turn and was working down along an underwater sand bar. I had just bought a yellow colored Wally Diver which is supposed to be a killer Walleye lure. It is fished in the 10 to 12 foot depth. I got a hit and hooked into a fish that was really strong. It made a run that almost took all my line. I stopped the line from going out and the fish started to pull my boat into deeper water away from the sandbar. I have fought some pretty strong fish but this fish was really strong. It pulled the boat 50 foot toward the middle of the lake. After about a 30 minute fight the fish tired and I started to gain line. I thought I might have the lake record Walleye on the line.

It turned out when I got the fish to the top that it was a 29" 12# carp that had sucked in the lure. Carp tend to be a bottom feeding fish and are normally caught on baits fished setting on the bottom. This carp decided to chase a swimming bait and eat it. You never know what strange happenings are going to occur when fishing.

I netted the fish and brought it into the boat. I realized that this was a large fish and it qualified as a Fish Ohio. I had it weighed and measured and returned it to the lake to maybe grow even bigger.

Here is a picture of the fish with my boat in the background.

The Change of Seasons

Did you ever wonder why we have the changing seasons in North and South America. If you did I will try to give a simple as possible scientific explanation of what is happening.

The Earth is in constant motion. It is spinning on it's axis which is tilted at 23.5 degrees. It turns one rotation in 24 hours so you are facing the Sun for approximately 12 hours a day. The earth is also rotating around the Sun. It keeps a circular motion around the Sun because of the gravitational pull of the Sun on the Earth. It takes a year for the earth to travel around the Sun. The circular motion and the tilt is what causes the change of seasons.

We have four main position in relationship to the Sun. In the spring (March 21 this year) you have what is called the Vernal Equinox. The Sun shines on the earth and the tilt of the Earth is of no effect. The Sun shines on the Northern and Southern Hemispheres equally. This is the beginning of Spring.

As the earth continues around the Sun the tilt of the earth comes into effect and as the earth moves 1/4 of the way around the sun until the earth's tilt is at 23.5 degrees and the Sun shines more on the Northern Hemisphere. This takes place on the first day of Summer (June 21 this year) at the Summer Solstice. This is the beginning of Summer. This is the longest day of the year for us.

The Earth then continues 1/2 of the way around the Sun. In the Fall (September 23 this year) you have what is call the Autumnal Equinox. The Sun shines on the earth and the the tilt of the Earth again has no effect. The Sun shines on the Northern and Southern Hemispheres of the earth equally. This is the beginning of Fall.

As the earth continues around the Sun the tilt of the earth comes into effect and the earth moves 3/4 of the way around the Sun until the earth's tilt is at 23.5 degrees and the Sun shines more on the Southern Hemisphere. This takes place on the first day of Winter (December 22 this year) at the Winter Solstice. This is the beginning of Winter. This is the shortest day of the year for us.

The earth continues the final 1/4 of the way around the Sun and the cycle is ready to begin again. The Southern Hemisphere is going into Summer now as we go into Winter. This should explain the changing seasons throughout the year.

Snow-Snow-Let it Snow

Well maybe I would like it to slow down for Friday when I make my long drive to work. I see a lot of car accidents on the expressway during the winter. I make sure I have good tires to keep the car under control.

The weather has changed and we are getting snow. We get a lot of lake effect snow in Ohio. The cold air flows across Lake Erie, picks up moisture from the lake, and dumps the converted moisture in the form of snow. We are not in the primary snow belt, so compared to Painesville were my son lives, we are spared. We still get our share of snow.

The seasons are continually changing and we are far enough North to see the full effects of the seasons.

I will try to post by Friday on why we see the change of the seasons.

Clay Walker "Fall"

Clay Walker has been around a lot of years and put out a new album this year. Clay has so many hits over the years it is hard to count. I have a couple on my music player. I saw Clay in person with my wife in Akron last year. I was so impressed we went to see him in Vegas around our birthday time in December. He does put on a great show and you will never be disappointed if you see him.


His new CD "Fall" is a good one. I bought the CD because of the song "Fore She Was Momma" that was the first release. The title track was released next but I was already excited about "Fall" from listening to the CD. It's a great song with a super story of depending on your man when you slow down. I thought it would go to number 1 but only reached number 5 but was on the charts 31 weeks. This alone shows how good the song was.


There are several other songs on the CD that should go high on the charts. "It ain't Pretty (But It's Beautiful)" is one of the future releases that should do real well. It's a story of the homeless girl and her love for her broken doll. Get ready to listen to this one. It has a good chance to go number 1.


He does a special song with the late/great Freddie Fender. They did Freddie's famous "Before the Next Teardrop Falls". This is a video of Freddie sing it. This duet was Freddie's last recording before he past away in October of 06.


"Your My Witness" is another great song. Clay put a lot of good cuts down on this album. This album has enough diversity for everyone.

David Allan Coe

David Allan Coe is coming to Kent on Saturday. I may get to go see him in person if things work out. I really like "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" , the perfect country and western song. I also like "The Ride" and "Mona Lisa Lost Her Smile".

He is getting pretty old but is still touring the country sharing his love of country music. He is part of the Willie, Wayland and Meryl crowd that where country when I was younger.

Last year my friend Guy Pernetti open for him when he was in Akron. I went to see Guy again last month. He put on another great show and dedicated one country song to me personally.

Jake Owen "Startin' With Me"

I really like to pick out new talent whom I enjoy hearing. This is the case with Jake Owen. When I heard the likes of the title track to the new CD,I had to have it. Jake has a great sound which you would have never known from his first released song off the album which was "Yee Haw" I'm wanting to have a great weekend is the best way to describe the song.

The "Startin' With Me" song is a ballad that talks about different choices he could have made in his life. I really liked it and wanted to see what else Jake would offer on his new album. On his My Space sight he talks with wanting to be a pro golfer until an injury made him change his dream. Country music was a great choice for him.

"Something about a Woman", "Long Night with You" and Hard Not To Love You" are all love songs with different twist. Jake really knows how to tell a love story.

He does a duet with Randy Owen called "You Can Thank Dixie" which is an upbeat solid song.

Watch this youngster for a good future in country music.

#1 THE OHIO STATE verses WHO?

The Ohio State will be #1 in the BCS poll.

The loss to the Illinois ended up just being part of a crazy season. We now know why the the team is called The Ohio State. This is the third year in a row in the #1 spot in the BCS with one National Championship. Tressel has done another great job with the Buckeyes. He was good at YSU (my alma mater) and great at Ohio State.

I wanted WVU to win so it could be an interstate rivalry I blogged about last week between Ohio State and WVU. Well, Oklahoma did their job and took Missouri out of the picture in a big way opening up the #1 spot for WVU. Holy Cow- WVU got beat badly by Pitt. Even though I'm a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I never root for Pitt. How does a 28 point underdog beat the #2 team in the country. There have been so many upsets this year from the #2 spot it's not that surprising. I'm still in shock that it happened. I watch both games and was very surprised how it went. Yes, there was a big cheer from Columbus when they saw both teams ahead of them go down to defeat. I guess this is a true back yard brawl. WVU had a hard time with Pitt the whole game. As Jedi has told me many a time, this is the real rivalry for WVU. It really backfired on WVU this time. True the quarterback injury hurt but Pitt really controlled the game. The score could have been worse then it turned out.

Now the question is who gets to play Ohio State. You would think it would be Georgia because they were #4 but maybe it will be LSU/Kansas/VT/USC. It seems anyone in the top ten is in the picture. I feel anyone with 2 loses should be eliminated but we will have to see how the voting comes in.

It will be an interesting decision as to who is #2.

My favorite fried fish recipe - Italian Crappie

Here is my favorite fish recipe because Shark Girl asked. I will give some variations that allow some leeway in the recipe. You need to start with mild fish fillets. I like crappie/perch/bluegill and mix the three. I'm the only one who can tell the difference in the fillets because I know their shape and color.

I call this one Italian Crappie because of the taste the breading gives the fish.

You need:

Fish fillets - mine are always skinless and the fillets should be a mild white fish.
3 eggs
Buttermilk - (You can use regular milk but the buttermilk adds to the taste.)
1 cup of Italian Breadcrumbs.
1 cup of Parmesan Cheese
salt and pepper
Olive Oil and butter or Peanut Oil - Use vegetable oil as a last choice.
2 one gallon freezer bags

You need two containers to dip the fillets in the breading process. I use gallon freezer bags because when I'm done I can just throw them away easily with little mess.

Start by beating three eggs in a bowl with a 1/3 of a cup of buttermilk add salt and pepper to taste. Combine the mixture thoroughly and pour it into one of the freezer bags.

Pour a cup of Parmesan Cheese and a cup of the Italian Breadcrumbs into a freezer bag and mix thoroughly by shaking the bag. This makes your external coating.

You now put some of your fillets into the egg mixture in the first bag. Shake the bag to coat the fillets with the egg mixture. Remove the fillets from the egg mixture and place one or two at a time in the coating bag. Shake to make sure the fillet is well coated.

On a stove top have a frying pan with the olive oil and butter heating. Watch you don't burn the mixture. Start placing your fillets in the oil and cook them several at a time to golden brown on both sides. Do not burn the fillets.

You can serve this with any vegetable you like and I really enjoy the taste of the fish prepared this way. I like to fry some peppers and onions together in a separate pan to serve with the fish fillets.

I vary the recipe in the second bag several ways:

1. The second freezer bag can have flour mixed with salt and pepper for a milder taste.

2. The second freezer bag can have crushed potato chips for a more kid friendly taste. My grand kids eat this one up.

3. The second freezer bag can have a crushed Ritz Crackers for an interesting taste variance.

4. The second freezer bag can have a crushed Saltine Crackers for another taste variance.

I'm sure one of the five variations will become your favorite.

I'm feeling better.

I really had a tough week. I wasn't doing much posting based on how I felt. I went from a gum infection to a sinus infection in the middle of the week. I have been faithful with the antibiotics and have been taking Advil for the pain. Between the two I'm feeling a lot better.



I need to go back into the Dentist on Monday to see if he can figure anything out. I wonder if the gum and sinus infections are related. If he doesn't know I may end up at my Family Doctor to figure it out.



I'm glad the work week is done. My job as an Engineer is so almost completely mental. I sometimes have to measure parts and that is the only physical part of the job. The rest of the time is spent making designs on the computer. I think having these kind of medical problems makes the mental aspect of the job very hard. I will tell you this much. Having Auto Cad makes the designing and drawing part of my job much easier. When I started my work life you did all your drawings by hand on the drawing board. I had a drafter back then who would take my layout and convert it to part drawings. I now do all the drawings myself. This is an prime example of how the computer age has improved the quality of work. I make great looking drawings on the computer. I was a sloppy designer with a pencil.

WVU vs. Pitt and Missouri vs. Oklahoma

#2 WVU verses Pitt takes place at 7:45 PM tomorrow on ESPN. #1 Missouri verses #9 Oklahoma takes place at 8:00 PM on ABC. #3 Ohio State is idle with a Rose Bowl berth if both teams win and a National Championship game if either team loses. This makes for an interesting night of college football. I blogged about this earlier in the week but the picture is even clearer now.



WVU was especially lucky that this they are playing at home for the 100th backyard brawl. If the game was played at Heinz Field WVU would be in the same quagmire that the Steelers / Dolphins game was played. AS it is the Steelers play the Bengals on Sunday night at Heinz Field. With more rain predicted that should be an interesting game.



I feel this is a game that WVU should win. WVU has had a good record against Pitt for the last few years. Pitt is unranked and WVU has been playing really well.
I'm rooting for a WVU win.



The game between Missouri and Oklahoma is another story. I hope the Oklahoma can show Missouri that twice in the same season is really nice. That number one spot has been a curse all year. I will have to flip the TV back and forth until one of the games gets out of hand.
I'm rooting for a win by Oklahoma.

I really want to see #1 WVU verses #2 Ohio State. With both of them having one loss seasons.

I have a gum infection,

My wife and I went out to the Outback Steakhouse for our wedding anniversary on Sunday. I took one bite of bread and I had a nerve jolt go way up into my jaw. I determined that it was the second tooth from the back on the top. I diagnosed that I had a cavity under a old feeling in the tooth. It really started to hurt for the rest of the meal. I was able to eat but only on the opposite side of my mouth. I was in pain the rest of the day. I was taking some Advil but didn't sleep well

I called the Dentist on Monday morning and told them my problem. They took X-rays to determine what was going on in my mouth. The Dentist said that my diagnosis was way off. What, I thought I gave them a good heads up. He told me in the first place there was no filling in the tooth and no cavity in the tooth. Whoops, what was I thinking. It turned out I had a gum infection. He put me on an antibiotic and said it should be fine in a day. It is two days later and I'm still hurting. I hope it's nothing worse then an infection. I have been taking Advil for the pain and it takes a while to work.

I'm looking for improvement. I hope things change by tomorrow. I have to go to the Dentist again next Monday. I have enough Antibiotics for one week. I want to quit hurting.

Steeler's field needed help.

It's really bad when a field comes into play during a game. The field at Heinz Field was awful. No one could do what they wanted to do under those conditions. I heard they laid a new layer of sod over the original sod. I wonder who came up with that brilliant idea. Didn't someone realize that a loose field wouldn't work. It's just lucky they were playing Miami who hasn't done anything this year. It was an awful night with lightning delaying the game start. It rained hard all through the game.

The Steeler's played on the Miami end of the field all night. They even had a great passing performance from Roethlisberger. The problem was it was impossible to kick on the field. It didn't matter whether it was a field goal or punt it just didn't work. No one could run on the field. Joey Porter still gained 81 yards to go over 1,00 yards for the year.

The Steeler's made a field goal with 17 seconds left in the game to win 3-0. The Steeler's now have to play the Bengals. They need to play a good game because the Patriots are on the schedule.

A Special Thanksgiving #2

I had said it would be a special time with the 6 grand kids being together for Thanksgiving in A Special Thanksgiving. It was a great time with all the grand kids from Ohio and one from out of the country.

I was surprised how much my grand daughter had changed since I saw her last. There is a big difference between 14 and 12. She looks a lot like her mother and fits well into the family.

It's sometimes hard to get every ones attention.


Sometimes you have to let kids be kids.


The two girls separated from the boys a lot of the time.


Here is my grand daughter with my son and daughter in position of her mother would be.

WVU moves closer to title game

LSU and Kansas lose their top spots. What a shake-up at the top.



Missouri and WVU move into the #1 and #2 spots with Ohio State at #3 in the BCS rankings.

WVU had a great game against Connecticut scoring 66 points. They have rounded into fighting form at the right time. Missouri beat undefeated Kansas and now has to play Oklahoma next. Missouri only has one loss to Oklahoma 41-31.



If WVU should beat Pittsburgh and Oklahoma can beat Missouri again then it should be WVU verses Ohio State for the National Championship. That is a game I would really like to see.



The Buckeyes are sitting at home with the only chance is for a loss of one of the top two teams. The top spots have been very hard to hold onto and an early loss was better then a late loss like the Buckeyes had.



I will watch the next games and wonder what will happen.

8 Interesting Random Things About Me

Jedi has tagged me with the “8 interesting/random things about me” meme. I don't normally like these things on regular E-mail but it seems appropriate here. This has been a busy time so it took a couple of days to get to it.

1. I'm a very open person and try to never lie to someone. What you see is what you get. This is not an advantage in the business world. Sometimes, I would rather say nothing then try to skirt around a question. Never ask me what I think about your idea because, I will let you know.

2. The only class I ever failed was Latin. I think I would have done better in a speaking language. This is one of the main reasons I ended up an Engineer. That and the fact that math and the sciences were very easy for me.

3. I could definitely lose some weight. I did pretty good over the Thanksgiving Holiday with my eating. My doctor would like me to weigh less, but I like to eat. I have no constitution to stick to a diet. I drink only diet pop because I don't need the extra calories of regular pop.

4. I plan to retire at the end of 2008 or early 2009. This is a given which I will stick to as planned. If work goes badly I will do it earlier.

5. I'm a very good friend to people. If I like you no one should ever say bad things about you to me. I will defend you to the end.

6. If I feel I've been crossed or played with I will put you on a list of people to avoid. You probably will never be my friend if you are on that list.

7. I believe in a loving God of creation. I don't believe we are an accident on this earth.

8. I never made a sports team in high school. I only weighed 143 pounds when I graduated. I would have to be deathly sick to get back to that weight.

Well, that's me randomly exposed to all of you. I hope they are interesting things but you have to be the judge.

A Special Thanksgiving

We are going to have a special Thanksgiving this year. We have three grandchildren who live in out of the USA. We don't get to see them often because of that. It's a lot different when grandchildren live out of the country. They don't have the closeness you get when you live close. We have three grandchildren who live in the same town we live. We see them every week. We have two that live an hour away in Ohio and we don't see them nearly as often. At least you do get to see them several times a year. The three that live far away we may get to see every few years.

As with all things, there are times when you wish the whole family lived closer together. You must understand that things occur that cause separation so you must take advantage of times that are available.

So our grand daughter, 14 years old, my second oldest grandchild is in the states trying to do some catching up on her education. The foreign schools aren't preparing her correctly for college so my daughter sent her to the states to increase her learning. We are taking advantage of her being in the states by flying her from Florida to be with us for Thanksgiving.

What are you thankful for:

1. I am thankful that I live in a country that gives you freedom to live as you want.

2. I am thankful for a family and the love that is shared.

3. I am thankful for the ability to have a belief in God.

4. I am thankful for friends to share my life with.

5. I am thankful for work that allows you to have choices in life.

6. I am thankful for a house to live in.

What are you thankful for during this season of thanks?

A Point for Every Decade (con't)

I would like to add a few things to my brothers story "A Point for Every Decade". There are a few facts from the hunt a year earlier that tie in.

On the preceding year Dad was directing us into the woods through some tough cover. We always go into the woods at 5AM so it is dark in the woods except for the flashlight you are using. I felt we were circling to the left and it was tough walking. We ended up coming out on the same trail on which we came in. We went a different way and ended up where we were supposed to be posted. It had been 30 years since I hunted the area so it all was new to me. I was hunting the same spot that Dad shot the special buck the next year.

The spot is wood covered but you do have some open lanes through through the trees in which to shoot. It is a slopping area and we were about half way down toward the bottom. I had seen movement toward the bottom about 100 yards away and knew it was a deer but no idea whether it was a buck or doe. It was in clear view and then it disappeared. It's amazing how a deer can be there one second and then be gone the next. It turned out the deer had bedded down. I kept watching the spot while checking around the woods. I shoot a 32 Winchester Special that is a saddle gun that was used in the Old West. After an hour the deer got up and started moving. I could see a nice rack and lined up for a shot. I shot (the $100 shot) and must of missed it cleanly. The deer started running through the woods and I never got another chance to shoot. Was this the same buck my Dad got the next year? It certainly could have been. There are not a lot of large racked bucks in that area of the mountain woods.

Now to the year that Dad did get a big buck. I had directed our way into the woods and had gone in a circle and we ended up back on the trail. We walked the trail a little ways further down and headed back into the woods. My Dad got tired and decided to post where we were rather than trying to go any further to find his spot. After it got light, he wanted to move to his regular spot. I said that was fine because I was mainly there for him. We moved over toward his spot and he stopped in my spot and said he was staying there. I said alright but it was the wrong spot and that his spot was just over the rise. (He told me later in confidence that he was just tired and didn't want to go any further.) That was a great choice he had made. I went over to his spot and never saw a thing. About an hour later, I heard the report from the 30:06 and knew Dad had shot. The 30:06 makes the largest boom you can have in the woods. I waited a short time and headed over to see how he had done. There he was getting the big deer ready to be taken out of the woods.

What a great hunt that day. One you remember for a lifetime.

Dilbert Joke

Click on cartoon to read.

Sometimes Scott Adams who writes Dilbert hits way to close to home. Being an Engineer you hear this kind of talk in the office quite often. I feel he was an Engineer in a business before he started to write the cartoon.

What's wrong with the Steelers?

How can the Steelers play great one week and then get beat 19-16 in overtime to the Jets. I don't understand the team this year. there is no consistency with there play. The defence should never have let the Jets into the game.

This type of loss leaves me confused. Thomas Jones runs for 117 yards. Roethlisberger gets sacked 7 times. I didn't get to watch the game in Ohio and maybe that's a good thing.

Cleveland let Baltimore come back from a 13 point deficit to be behind by three with time runs out. Cleveland gets in position for a tying field goal. The ball bounces off the side post, hits the back support post and bonces back through the goal post onto the field. The referees call it no good. The call was reversed after the play was reviewed by the head judge. Where were the two referees looking? They should have been able to see what happened. It looked like they were looking down the field instead of watching the ball. Cleveland went on to win with a field goal 30-27 in overtime. The Central division of the NFL is crazy this year.

Johnson Wins Nextel Cup

It certainly was expected for Johnson to win as he finishes 7th and Jeff Gordon finishes 4th at the Homestead Track. Johnson had built up a big lead in the chase with his fours straight wins. It was an emotional win for the Lowe's Chevrolet team. The Hendricks team finishes one, two in the chase. Jeff Gordon put up a valiant fight but had to big a deficit to make up.

Johnson won over 6 million for winning the Nextel Cup. He had a 10 win season for his second cup in a row. He was the better driver in the final races in the chase. Great racing Jimmie.

It was too bad he didn't win his 5th race in a row to set the record. I guess he didn't have the car to do it today.

Prostate Cancer

Here is a warning for all the Guys out there. Have your PSA (Prostate Specific Antigens) checked by a doctor after you reach the age of 40. It is a simple blood test and can be done along with your yearly physical. It gives you a warning as to whether or not you have Prostate Cancer. My dad's brother (Uncle Sam) died in his fifties from Prostate Cancer. It was a time when the medical community wasn't quite as savvy as they are today on Prostate Cancer. My father found he had Prostate Cancer in his early seventies and had radiation therapy to stop the spread of the Cancer. He lived over the ten years they had told him he would live.

Eight years ago I had a test for my PSA number during a yearly physical. A reading of less then four on the PSA scale is considered good depending on your age. I had a reading of 12. This did not mean that I had Prostate Cancer but it did mean that further testing would be required. The first thing I did was call my sister, who is a nurse and My Angel to me on medical issues, to talk out all the options. I then used the Internet (Web MD) to get further information. My wife has been a rock through this whole procedure.

I have a self directed medical health insurance so I ended up going to the Cleveland Clinic to do further testing. Through other patient recommendations, I found one of the top Urologist in the country at the clinic, Dr. Craig Zippe. The next thing you have to do is to get a biopsy of the Prostate. I'll be honest with you this is a painful procedure that is done while you are awake. You definitely know each time a sample is taken of the Prostate. That test turned out positive and meant I needed a procedure to eliminate the Cancer. I chose a Radical Prostatectomy which means the Prostate is removed and and the Cancer goes with the Prostate. Dr. Zippe told me he took an extra 2 mm around the Prostate and testing showed there was no cancer outside the Prostate. The Cancer had gone into the 2mm section around the cancer. I'm thankful Dr. Zippe took the extra cut. This was good news and meant that there would be no radiation therapy required to complete the job. If the cancer had gone out of the Prostate it could cause bone cancer. I had a close call during the operation and Dr. Zippe told me I had veins where there shouldn't have been veins. I lost a lot of blood and coming out of the operation was tough and I was definitely in the danger zone. I did make it and other then problems that come from the operation I am fairly healthy.

It has been 7 years since the operation and the further PSA testing has shown that there is no longer any Cancer in my system. Dr. Zippe said he had added on ten years to my normal life span with the operation. He was saying I would live an extra ten years past what I could have with the Cancer because I had the operation.

All of you that are getting close to 40 talk to your doctors about having your PSA checked.

Ohio State 14 Michigan 3

Ohio State wins the Big Ten Title against Michigan and goes to the Rose Bowl. Ohio State has a record of 6 wins verses one defeat against their main rival Michigan. It was a great game for Ohio state and there were a couple of outstanding performances.

Chris "Beanie" Wells had 39 caries for 222 yards. He had more then double the yardage that the Michigan offence had.

The Ohio state Defence holds Michigan to less then 100 Yards of total offence. If they had played this way last week Ohio State would have gone to the BCS Championship Game.

It was a good season for Ohio State going through the Big Ten with only one loss last week to Illinois. Let's see if they can win the Rose Bowl.

Go Buckeyes beat the PAC 10 winner.

When Bowling rocks.

On November 14th my friend Hoyt made a post on things that rock and that made me remember back when.
I had a bowling averaged of 175 in the different leagues I bowled. I was considered good bowler but there were lots of better bowlers in the leagues. I have bowled some good games through the years having a high games in two different leagues in the 1982-83 season. I bowled a 266 in a work lunchtime league. Bob was my partner in the league and we went on to win first place in the league.
I was also bowling an evening mixed doubles league that season with my daughter Jodi and two of her college friends. One night I bowled a high game of 290. You have to bowl a spare on the first ball and string 11 strikes in a row to bowl a 290 game. You win a belt buckle with 290 on the buckle for that achievement. I always thought that would be my highest bowling honor. We won both halves of that league and also won the first place trophy. These achievements rocked.

I want to share with you the time that really rocked. There was a time back in the 1987-88 bowling season when everything went right for one game. There were two bowlers on the team that were better then me. Bob had gotten me in the league and gave me some great advise on bowling through the years. He was there when I bowled the 266 so he knew I could string strikes. Bob had been working on my hand position and starting position on the alleys. He was a great teacher and was willing to share his expertise. I have always been coordinated so just through practice I could repeat actions. I had been working on a no push away swing of the ball and a stiff elbow which got my hand in a great position to throw the ball.
The evening started out with a 173 game and then in the second game I finished with three strikes in a row to bowl a 193. I wasn't happy, we were losing the other team and my finish in the second game was to little to late. I then proceeded to continue the string strikes and bowled 12 strikes in a row for my 300 game. Yes, the total was 666 but I didn't think of it as a bad omen even though it's a bad number. Our team shot 1013 for the game.

Here are the trophies for 290 on left 300 in the middle and 266 on the right.