Could It Get Any Worse---Of Course It Can

Not to relive the disaster of a TV falling on me last week....

I awoke Monday morning and thought I was finally getting some relief. The wife and I were going to do some last minute gift shopping, revisit the doctor's office for final checkup and perhaps have dinner. Relaxing....

My daughter calls and needs to be picked up from an auto repair shop..no problem since it was on the list of things to do. The problem started when:

I backed my truck up out of the driveway and found that my newly replaced windshield wiper had been busted off and a rear tire had been slashed. Not wanting to be too late in picking up my daughter I moved the truck back to its spot in the driveway and cleared off my wife's Saturn. As I back into the road I realized that the passenger side was sitting rather low, so I got out (yes, still in the road) and found BOTH passenger tires had been slashed. The car limped back into the driveway.

A kind neighbor took me to pick up my daughter (thanks Wally!). When I returned home I walked up to the Redford police station, filed a report and waited (and waited) for a patrol car to come to the house to investigate. Meanwhile I had contacted AAA, who was NO help whatsoever and a tow truck company.

VERY long story short, the damaged tires are under two claims and therefore two separate deductibles (thanks AAA!!!!) and AAA was too busy to handle my request to tow, so $120 out of pocket both vehicles were towed to the same repair shop that my duaghter's car was at.

Today, I have the car back, but the truck tire had to be specially ordered, and will arrive later this week.

Who could have slashed three tires and broken windshield wipers? My neighbor who was pissed because I refuse to let him panhandle, or gain entry into my house. To make it worse he also slashed my other neighbor's tire at the same time. The police, have been useless unless we see him in the act (thanks Redford 911!!!)

Hopefully 2008 will end quickly and 2009 will improve!

Addendum to the last post

Wehehehellllll....Thursday was my last day of school for the calendar year. You might say, "Wait, Friday was supposedly the last day of school." Other than the fact that we had our first snow day on Friday, I had a television fall off of it's wall mount and hit my in the shoulder and arms. I left school early and spent the afternoon in a clinic getting xrays and a HUGE ice pack (I'm still cold from it!).

I'm okay, but it could have been much worse. I'm wondering if I should pursue a law suit against the school?

Let's see, if the district is in the hole financially, and I sue and win, does that mean I get a piece of the hole?

Christmas 2008

Wow, it's hard to believe that Christmas is almost upon us. The year has flown by before my eyes, and before I realize it 2009 will be a reality. Here's my chance to take a look back at the things that have happened this year:

I got a job interview AND an offer, which I turned down.
Michelle bought a house.
Rachel returned home to get back on her feet.
Rhonda has cancer surgery on her nose, and all of the plastic surgery that followed.
Michigan's economy has fallen into the toilet, followed by the rest of the country.
Nick and Crystal are engaged.
Rhonda and I spent Thanksgiving alone, very nice, but different without the kids.
The chins are still alive!
We remodeled the living and dining rooms by painting the floors.
Had to buy a new lawnmower.
Had a new back door installed.
Had some awesome camping trips.
Saw gas hit $4.45 a gallon...later saw it fall to $1.44...all in the same year!
Barkley turned 14 this year.
Seen the stock market totally burst...losing nearly 39% of its value. Hopefully it'll go up soon!

We've been blessed with a loving family and good friends..who could ask for more?!

Merry Christmas!

Michigan Economy

Well the national, state and local elections are over, thank goodness! The economy will be the #1 priority for Pres. Elect Obama. It's not going to be an easy task for anyone, and one that will not be cleaned up quickly.

The stories of the families who have lost, or may lose, their jobs continues to devastate the news stories on TV. Sometimes both the husband and wife lose their jobs. What do these people do? Where can they turn for help?

I can't lie and say that I'm not worried about the economy, and my family's future. I have a decent job, two of them to be precise. One in education and one at a local church; jobs that I've had for over 20 years. I don't believe I'm in danger of losing either job, at least not in the near future. But I do worry about being able to retire when *I* want to, and not when I'm too old to enjoy it.

I know that Michigan seems to be at the bottom of the pile when it comes to other states. I remember someone saying years ago that Michigan needed to diversify it's economy and rely less on the auto makers. I guess they were right, but as it too often happens, the advice fell on deaf ears. I guess that would be John Engler, and perhaps Jim Blanchard too.

I guess I'm fortunate that I have a few dollars left at the end of the month, although not necessarily on the dates that I'd like to have the extra cash. But I also know that it could all change without any fault of my own.

Trying times for Americans! I hope for and support Mr. Obama in his endeavors for helping rebuild the economy of the USA.

Fall Camping in Michigan

What a fantastic state we live in, regardless of the financial woes in the state and country. Michigan is such a beautiful state and the state parks are a true treasure for its inhabitants!

I spent the past week camping at Tawas Point SP. I arrived Monday, shortly after noon and found the usual "Self Registration" station at the gate. My wife and I proceeded to fill up our fresh water tank. We decided to see if the site that we occupied last year was available, the one by the bay. Sure enough the spot was open and we quickly manuevered the Pilgrim 5er into the spot. There were several other campers in the area but no one on top of anyone else (one of the main things I love about fall camping!). The weather was a beautiful fall day, lots of sun and a slight breeze. We managed to build a nice campfire that evening and enjoyed ourselves, albeit wrapped in several layers of clothes and jackets.

Tuesday continued to be gorgeous. We allowed ourselves a walk on the beach and enjoyed watching someone kiteboard on the lake. It amazes me how high these people get when they're airborn! We also took a short drive into Oscoda and went along the River Road, stopping to have lunch at one of the parks. Another quiet evening around the campfire and inside to watch some new fall shows. A great evening to make sure the furnace works too!

Wednesday was overcast and a bit dreary, but that didn't stop us from another beach walk and explorations around the lighthouse. The keepers were preparing for the weekend "Haunted Lighthouse", so a cemetery suddenly appeared on the grounds. SCARRRRY!!! No campfire this night was it started to rain around 4pm and continued off and on all night. We managed to hit town for an electric heater (to help supplement the furnace in the camper) and dinner at G's Pizzeria. Awesome pizza!

Thursday was another fantastic day, weatherwise. We took several walks along the waterfront and enjoyed the waves and the fall colors. A visit up to the Lumberman's Monument gave us more gorgeous colors and views of the Au Sable river. Returning back to camp we enjoyed reading and hillbilly golf (I believe I won for the season?) and dinner on the BBQ. A final walk along the beach for the year resulted in sighting a freighter in the lake, heading upwards (north). We hadn't seen one all year, so we were thrilled. The final campfire of the year was a big one, since you have to use up ALL of your firewood. It was also the coldest night of the trip, so we were inside around 9 to watch some of our favorite shows.

A fun week that went by way too quickly, but certainly was appreciated. We can't wait until next season and the roadtrips that it may bring! Even gas is coming down, so who knows, perhaps back to da UP, eh?

Fall in Michigan

Here it is, officially Fall 2008. Just some random thoughts:

* Why are leaves (green at that) falling from my maple trees now?
* Why does September feel like it has 65 days in it? Perhaps school starting?
* Allergies SUCK
* Knowing that I'm gonna sneak in one more camping trip before winter makes me smile.
* Allergies SUCK
* Rachel's coming home soon for a visit. (Yay)
* Where do crickets go in the winter?
* Why does Redford always smell like Skunk Hollow?

Discovering New Things

Hello world!

The wife and I had a chance to go camping last week, so we jumped at the chance and travelled to Tawas Point SP, along Lake Huron. We had a wonderful time, albeit shorter than we'd like.

While walking along the beach one late afternoon we noticed that the lake level had certainly risen from the previous years, but hadn't returned to the levels that we had witnessed when we first started camping there years ago. We also saw baby seagulls. I had never seen these tiny miniature imitations along the beach before. It's a lot like baby squirrels, you know they must exist but you never see them. The parents, proud I'm sure, were watching from a safe distance and kept the flock of 12 or so babies nearby. The babies didn't seem to mind us as much as the parents did, as they were busy foraging for stuff, like a normal sized gull would do. The nice thing is that the babies didn't seem to make that annoying racket that the adults do.

Of course I didn't have my camera with me, so just imagine for a moment a dozen seagulls, but pint-sized ones, running along the beach.

Last trip postponed

Well due to some personal matters that are quite serious we've had to cancel our last camping trip for the summer. Originally scheduled to go to Brimley SP, near Sault Ste. Marie. We are going to miss seeing Mustard's Retreat, our favorite folk group, who will be performing at Paradise for the Wild Blueberry Festival. All I can do is sigh and hope that this isn't the signal for how the remainder of summer will go. Let's hope not! ;-)

July Travels

Yes, I know it's August, but I've been busy...
Here are some pictures from our recent trip to see our daughter, Rachel, in Bowling Green, KY.

We had a great time at the Lost River Cave, and their Underground Boat Tour. The day was in the low to mid 90s, so the 58 degree temps in the cave were a great relief. Sorry the pictures from inside the cave didn't turn out.

July Camping

Just returned from a week at Hoeft SP, north of Rodgers City, Michigan. It's always great to return to this quiet park on the shores of Lk. Huron. The temps and humidity were wonderful, and the walks along the shore and through the grounds were relaxing. The evening campfires and home-cooked meals (by me I might add) are always a highlight. The bugs weren't bad at all, and gas prices not that much higher than they were down here (with the exception of Rodgers City itself that was $.25 a gallon higher than anywhere we'd seen).

July Happenings

Hello World!

We had a great 4th of July weekend, great weather and a visit from our daughter in North Carolina. In addition to the usual 4th fun it's also Rhonda's birthday (I'm not allowed by law to say which one, but it's almost a BIG one.)


Here's one of Michelle, Mom and Dad



And one of Chelle, Mom, Nick and Krystal

The Latest News!

Camping in Michigan

Well, now that the wife has had her final surgery we're planning our camping trips to some of our favorite Michigan State Parks, namely Hoeft SP and Brimley SP. With gas prices going up we're hopeful that we don't break the bank.

30 Years!

Well folks, it's official! The wife and I have been married 30 years (and to each other too!)

Breakfast and flowers, maybe coffee this afternoon!

Here's to 30 more!

How I'm Spending Summer Vacation

* Update blog and wiki page
* Go through all the neat pages I've bookmarked
* Play computer games until my wrist is aching
* Read my journals that I've neglected all year
* Create my To Do list on 30 boxes
* Watch the Tonight Show
* Get off the PC to actually start working on my To Do list

Hey, I actually did create the list and accomplish one thing on it today. It took me about 3.5 hours, so I feel I've actually done something today! Tomorrow is another day tho...I may need to rest from all that work!

Summer Break

WoooHooooo....we made it. School is officially OUT for da summer! Now come the plans to see the kids and go camping.

We're going to go out of the ordinary favorite spots, and this summer head to Brimley SP in Brimley, MI and Hoeft SP north of Rogers City. It's been awhile since we've been to these two parks so we're excited.

We'll also go south to Bowling Green, KY to see a daughter, and hopefully see another daughter over the 4th of July when she comes north from NC.

Now, where did I put that "Honey DO" list?

Humidity

Will someone PLEASE turn off the humidity here in Michigan?!!!!?

School Is Almost Out

Here we are in the first week of June, with only two days left of school, then exams. It has been a good year overall, with the usual challenges. The weather has been unusually cooperative this spring, with nice cool temperatures to help keep the warm school buildings comfortable. The next two days will be a challenge with temps reaching the upper 80s with high humidity. Fortunately the high school choir room is air conditioned and bearable!

We're going to have to wait to see about camping and visiting Rachel in the next few weeks. Rhonda's doctor's appointment was rescheduled to next Wednesday, so plans will have to wait.

Michelle returned from China this weekend and hopefully will bring pictures when she visits us around the 4th of July!

No leads or interviews for administration positions...frustrating!!! Will I be doomed to try and get a position in the RU Schools???? Speaking of RU Schools, the RUEA voted down an illegally proposed contract by the score of 191 - 4. Hear this: "A bad contract is NOT better than NO contract!!)

Enough ranting for tonight...the RedWings are playing!

Summer Plans 2008

Wow, school is almost out and summer is right around the corner! What are we going to do this summer?

Gas has finally topped $4 per gallon this past week, with projections of it going even higher throughout the summer. Perhaps we should camp earlier in the summer to avoid higher prices? Should we stay closer to home, or should we camp longer and conserve gas costs.

I'm hopeful that we'll still make it to Kentucky to see Rachel this summer! The Saturn gets 32 mpg on the highway and gas is cheaper the further south we go, so that's promising. Michelle and Steve will be coming north to Michigan around the 4th of July, so we won't be making a trip to N.C. this summer (that will save a few dollars).

The other consideration is what will Rhonda's plastic surgeon want to work on next? Her next appointment is June 3. I guess many things will hinge on what he wants to accomplish and when the work begins.

Meanwhile, the weather is finally turning nice this weekend (low to mid 70s) so I'm going to work on the trailer and continue (albeit slowly) the prep work to take it out on the road. We're hopeful to get to Rogers City, and/or Brimley this summer. We're also looking ahead to maybe a fall trip to Tawas after Labor Day. Again, everything is up in the air.

I've finished!!

Howdy all! I've completed the 23 Things sponsored by Wayne County RESA. There have been loads of things that I've learned that I can and will apply to this blog. Some great sites that I've learned about include: Zamzar, Flickr, Wikispaces, some image generators, RSS feeds, Bloglines, deli.cio.us, and many others. I've learned how to embed videos into my blogs and posts, I've created a blog and wikispace to use at school, I've built a network of educational websites that allows teachers to share sites - not just teachers from a building or department but from around the world. I've also learned about podcasting and hope to attempt some over the summer.

By completing the course I'll win a $15 gift card but am hoping to get a larger award from a random drawing of people who have completed the process. I've checked others' blogs and there are many who aren't close to being finished...hopefully they'll be able to catch up and complete the neat things that are out here in Web 2.0.

Well, just a few more performances and we can wrap up this school year! Then it's on to camping and visiting the kids in N.C. and KY! Look out girls, here we come!

23 Things

Hello there,

I've been taking an online class about the internet, blogs, wikis, etc. so that's where I've been lately.

Choir Corner Blog will take you to my new site and you can see what I've been upto.

More to come!

Do You Need a Dresser?

I forgot to include this great photo in the last post. If you don't know, High Point is the furniture capitol of the U.S. Most of the largest US furniture manufacturers are located in North Carolina. One of the "sites" to see is the Dresser Bldg, located in downtown High Point. Here are Michelle and Rhonda, trying to put away the clean socks!

How I Spent My Spring Break

Rhonda and I spent four wonderful days and nights visiting Michelle in High Point, NC over spring break. The weather was great, with temps in the mid 60s to mid 70s and sunny.

Some of the highlights included a trip to Old Salem to see some 17th and 18th century buildings and furniture from that part of the country. We also had a great lunch in the Tavern.

The following day we spent with Michelle at the NC Zoo. This is a great place with two main sections: North America and Africa. Both sections had large exhibits and the animals were well taken care of.

We can highly recommend visiting one or both of these tremendous venues!

a Weigh I go

About 8 weeks ago I started with Weight Watchers to try and shed some pounds that have been adding up, little by little, and sometimes all at once.

So far, so good! I'm down a bit over 16 pounds in these first 8 weeks. I'm shooting for my 10% loss, or a total of 24 pounds. That means I need to lose an average of 2 pounds per week for the next four weeks. We'll see if I can manage to keep going in the right direction (even after a visit to see Michelle in March) and the Easter holiday.