Plus Est En Vous

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!

2009-06-05T19:18:00.003-04:00

Julie: can't you see he's stuck? Do something already! You're the one with opposable thumbs!!!

Blog, part Deux

2009-05-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

It's been so long since I've posted anything of substance that it feels new again. The last couple months have been a whirlwind, especially with my decision to take on the fundraising responsibilities for my Greyhound adoption group (www.greyhoundadoption.org). It's a job in and of itself.

I will do my best to keep the material fresh and original, and hopefully in abundance.

A new twist I'm going to add is landscaping by committee. I say it every year, but this time I intend to follow through with freshening the yard around Greyhound Central. In the coming posts I'll solicit the advice of the blog world at large as to what will become of our little slice of terra firma.

The trip planning for this fall is interesting. Possible destinations out West. I can't promise bear encounters and dramatic pontoon boat rescues, but I'll try to make it entertaining.

Till next time!

Mid-Spring Hibernation complete...

2009-04-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

To Emerge Under Refreshed Management Soon...

Too Bad Tim Dinh...

2009-03-30T20:44:00.007-04:00

I've never met you, and I'm quite positive you don't want to meet me.

For, you see, Tim, I'm not the gracious generous person you thought I was.

I am not sending you the new laptop you fraudulently paid for using an online account of mine. I'm not sure how you made it through, but bravo. That kind of energy redirected could bring about life changing moments for you.

Sadly, Tim, this is not one of those moments. I will be getting every last penny that you tried to take from me. You'll move on to other unsuspecting victims to try, once again, to obtain something for nothing.

So, if this post serves nothing more than a warning to my friends, family, and followers, so be it.

My advice to all of you? Go change the passwords to your critical accounts. You know which ones they are. Let me ask this rhetorical question...How many of those passwords are similar because it's convenient??

Not anymore, right? Be ever vigilant. Set a schedule. Every xx days, change your passwords. Make a point to look at your credit card and bank statements two to three times a week. It's a fact that if you commit three weeks to something, it becomes a habit. I'd love to say I'm a habitual password changer. I hope to get there someday.

Check your credit report often and please, please DO NOT go to freecreditreport.com. It is anything but free!!

Most of you in the metro ATL area have heard of Clark Howard. Second only to the Queen (aka my personal Certified Financial Panther) I refer to his site often for information and advice. Click here and it describes how to get your truly free credit report.

Don't let this happen to you. Don't rely on someone else to keep their eyes on your money. They didn't work for it....you did! Guard it fiercely!!

Sorry, Tim, go find someone else's day to ruin. This one is locked down...

Alysheba 3/3/84 - 3/27/09

2009-03-28T14:07:00.006-04:00

“AMERICA’S HORSE” ALYSHEBA EUTHANIZED

Kentucky Horse Park Loses Thoroughbred Great

LEXINGTON, KY (March 28, 2009) The great Alysheba, Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year recipient, was humanely euthanized at 11:13 pm Friday at the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Kentucky. The 25-year-old stallion was buried this morning at the Hall of Champions, across from the grave of the legendary John Henry.

Alysheba fell in his stall on Friday afternoon and was not able to get up. Dr. Nathan Slovis was immediately called to the Kentucky Horse Park, and an equine ambulance transported Alysheba to the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute directly across the road from the park. Dr. Slovis and his team treated Alysheba and evaluated his condition. By evening, it was clear that he had sustained an insurmountable injury.

“Due to a chronic degenerative spinal condition that led to ataxia and instability, Alysheba fell in his stall yesterday injuring his right hind femur,” said Kathy Hopkins, Kentucky Horse Park Director of Equine Operations. “Complicated by his advanced age, this trauma resulted in severe pain that did not respond to analgesic therapy. The resulting pain and suffering, and the inability to stand unaided, led to a joint decision for euthanasia. This very difficult decision was made by the veterinary staff of Hagyard Medical, the veterinary staff of His Majesty King Abdullah, and those who loved and cared for him at the Kentucky Horse Park.”

“Alysheba had just become part of the Kentucky Horse Park family last fall and we were looking forward to having him for many years to come,” said John Nicholson, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park. “Discussions with Dr. Slovis and King Abdullah’s team, however, led us to conclude that this was the right thing to do for Alysheba, and Hagyard’s staff performed admirably in such a difficult situation. I am grateful to His Majesty for giving us the opportunity to enjoy this special horse and share him again with his many fans, and I am happy that his last days were spent here on his native soil.”

Frank McGovern, General Manager of King Abdullah’s stables in Saudi Arabia, participated in the decision and thanked the park staff for trying to save Alysheba. He stated “his injury is one of those incidents that is not uncommon in older horses, and, unfortunately, nothing can ever be done. I am glad that he was back home and enjoying the first shoots of Spring before this happened.” He added his thanks to the Kentucky Horse Park team “for their work in making Alysheba a star again.”

Before coming to the Kentucky Horse Park, Alysheba spent the previous eight years of his life in the royal stables of His Majesty King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, after standing his first years at stud at William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. Known on the track as “America’s horse,” he was sent to the Kentucky Horse Park as a gift to the American people in October 2008.

Bred by Preston Madden at Hamburg Place in Lexington, Alysheba (Alydar-Bel Sheba, by Lt. Stevens) was sold as a yearling to Dorothy and Pam Scharbauer for $500,000. They campaigned him under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer, Jack Van Berg, who said, “He stuck out like a diamond in a rock pile.” Later, Van Berg observed, “He was so smart he knew what he was doing all the time.”

Alysheba won the 1987 Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), Super Derby (G1), and an Eclipse Award as Champion 3-year-old colt. As a 4-year-old, he was even better, winning six Grade 1 stakes: the Strub Stakes, Santa Anita Handicap, Iselin Handicap, Woodward Stakes, Meadowlands Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He was ridden in 17 consecutive starts by Hall of Fame Jockey, Chris McCarron. Alysheba is listed at #42 on The Blood-Horse magazine’s list of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century, one notch above another Kentucky Derby-winner, Northern Dancer.

His career highlights also included Horse of the Year honors and track records for 1 1/4 miles at Belmont and The Meadowlands. Along the way, he defeated Risen Star, Forty Niner, Bet Twice, Seeking the Gold, and another Kentucky Derby-winner, the ill-fated Ferdinand. Until two-time Horse of the Year Cigar came along, Alysheba was the world’s richest Thoroughbred, with earnings of $6,679,242.

A memorial service for Alysheba will be planned at a later date.

The First Saturday in May....

2009-03-18T05:04:00.006-04:00

Ahhh....May. The sun is shining. The flowers are in bloom. Life is flourishing and the Run for the Roses draws near.

I'm going out on a limb here, albeit a pretty solid one at that. I'm making my prediction for the Kentucky Derby and I'm pulling for The Pamplemousse.

I really love his high stepping gallop and his gangly stride. Kind of like the awkward kid in kickball, not really sure what he's doing, but somehow, someway, he's doing it right.

The 'Mousse is breaking from the #8 spot

He's such a monster. If he gets to the lead early watch out. You're not going to real in this runaway freight train. Beyond that, I'm pulling for his jockey, Alex Solis. A Derby win would all but guarantee his appointment to the Hall of Fame where he belongs.

I do have to have a second pick and that is Friesan Fire. He's the #9 horse:

I like the connections behind this horse. Larry Jones, the trainer, is ending is career this year. For those of you that don't know, Larry was the trainer for Eight Belles, the filly that gave Big Brown a strong run in the Derby last year. She beat 19 of the 20 colts that day. In the run out after the race, Eight Belles broke down, breaking both ankles. Sadly, she was euthanized that day. There was a whirlwind of events following this tragic moment, many of them completely and udderly ludicrous. Seriously, why, WHY, does the federal government feel they need to intervene in every single freakin' event. I can think of way too many things they should be doing instead of sticking their noses in the horse racing industry. Sorry, there is no place for that rant in this post. Larry Jones is one of the great trainers and if the 'Mousse doesn't win, I sure hope Friesan Fire finds his way to winner's circle.

Friday's Fact.....

2009-03-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

NAVAL LINT

Navel lint, or more commonly belly button lint or navel fluff, is an accumulation of fluffy fibres in one's navel. Many people find that, at the beginning and end of the day, a small lump of fluff has appeared in the navelcavity. The reasons for this have been the subject of idle speculation for many years but in 2001, Dr. Karl Kruszelnicki of the University of Sydney, Australia, undertook a systematic survey to determine the ins and outs of navel lint. His primary findings were as follows: Navel lint consists primarily of stray fibers from one's clothing, mixed with some dead skin cells and strands of body hair. Contrary to expectations, navel lint appears to migrate upwards from underwear rather than downwards from shirts or tops. The migration process is the result of the frictional drag of body hair on underwear, which drags stray fibers up into the navel.Women experience less navel lint because of their finer and shorter body hairs. Conversely, older men experience it more because of their coarser and more numerous hairs. Navel lint's characteristic blue-gray tint is likely the averaging of the colors of fibers present in clothing; the same color as clothes dryer lint. The existence of navel lint is entirely harmless, and requires no corrective action. Dr. Kruszelnicki was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in 2002.

Hey Toast, something else to be proud about!

cited from: http://users.marshall.edu/~jacobs11/

Time to Vote Again!!!!

2009-03-11T05:00:00.001-04:00

This time it's the home favorite......

Katie!

Katie is campaigning for Southeastern Greyhound Adoption this week.

Click to vote for Katie and help SEGA win $10,000!!!

And she'll clean your shower!!!

Ugh...

2009-03-10T20:00:00.002-04:00

If I had wanted a loose-joweled dog, I would have bought a Mastiff or a Bloodhound...

Julie looks like she just robbed some poor squirrel of it's winter stash. This is allergic reaction number three to ????? in the last six months. First one was a yellow jacket. I was able to see it sting her because it stung me first and I inadvertently flung it on her. Fortunately, as I sit here with her, I can see the effects of the Benadryl we just administered. The swelling's going down and she's getting very, very sleepy. We'll check her again in a couple hours and she should be fine in the morning. Don't worry too much. Her breathing and appetite are both fine!

There's something lurking here in the air. Something that is.....that is just not right. More to come.....

The People's Horse Comes Back to the People

2009-03-08T06:00:00.004-04:00

Funny Cide was officially welcomed to his new home at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions Dec. 5, becoming the second Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner and champion to take up residence there in just over a month.

Like his immediate predecessor at the Hall of Champions, Alysheba, who arrived Oct. 31, Funny Cide was known as a “people’s horse.” This was due to the fact he was a New York-bred and a gelding, but also because his owners, Sackatoga Stable, were the epitome of the “small guys” in the business who reached the top.

At the Horse Park ceremony, Jack Knowlton, managing partner of Sackatoga, stated what he felt was Funny Cide’s legacy as the horse was paraded in the pavilion in front of him.

“He represents hope for the little guy,” Knowlton told several hundred people who braved the cold to welcome Funny Cide. “People tell us all the time that they’ve gotten into this game because of him. Also, racing needs more horses like him who fans can enjoy after their Triple Crown seasons. He was a huge fan favorite because he ran as long as he did--into his 7-year-old season--and because he was an underdog. We still get emails and letters from his fans everywhere.”

Funny Cide’s popularity grew through the Triple Crown series thanks to his ownership--10 partners who were small-time players in horses, including six who went to high school together in Sackets Harbor, a small town on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario in upstate New York.
The Sackatoga Stable partners each threw in $5,000 to buy horses, and they furthered their blue-collar reputation by traveling to the Triple Crown races in a yellow school bus, the only means of transportation they could find for their large group at a reasonable rate in Louisville en route to the Derby. After winning in Kentucky, they figured why break up a good thing, and rented school buses in Baltimore and New York.

A $22,000 yearling purchase, Funny Cide, by Distorted Humor --Belle’s Good Cide, by Slewacide, was running under everyone’s radar until he finished second to the powerful Empire Maker in the 2003 Wood Memorial (gr. I).

Three weeks later at Churchill Downs, Funny Cide turned the tables, laying close throughout the Derby and holding off Empire Maker by 1 3/4 lengths. He went on to crush his field in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) before finishing third behind Empire Maker and Ten Most Wanted in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I).

New York in particular embraced Funny Cide as a hometown hero, as 101,864 patrons showed up for the Belmont Stakes, the second-highest crowd in history for the race. His popularity continued to skyrocket in Saratoga after the Triple Crown series, and a Funny Cide shop opened in town. Beer, ice cream, and souvenirs were marketed in his name.

Funny Cide went on to race 38 times over six seasons, winning 11, including the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) as a 4-year-old. He earned $3,529,412 for his owners and trainer Barclay Tagg. Funny Cide was named champion 3-year-old male of 2003.

After his retirement from racing in 2007, Funny Cide served as Tagg’s stable pony, but recently, infirmities from his racing career made it difficult for the horse to continue in that capacity, prompting his retirement to the Horse Park.

Knowlton thanked Tagg; Tagg’s assistant, Robin Smullen; Funny Cide’s regular jockey Jose Santos; Funny Cide’s fans; and the Horse Park.

“We are thrilled this will be his retirement home,” Knowlton said. “It is an honor to be here today. I know he’ll get the best care in the world.”

Friday's Fact: High-Level Logic in Ravens and Crows

2009-03-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm going to let the videos speak for themselves...

Even though the second one is over 9 minutes....

It's totally worth it.

2009-03-05T01:00:00.002-05:00

Well, you've seen it in the both sidebars this week....here's the post....

VOTE FOR DREW!!!!!

Drew is representing my adoption group, Southeastern Greyhound Adoption.

If he gets enough votes, he'll advance to the next round and a chance to win $10,000!!!

Be sure and tell all your friends!!

Hurry! Drew's week is up on March 10!!

Wednesday's Worst: #14

2009-03-04T06:00:00.002-05:00

Worst Sandwich

I was going to post about a random sandwich that was, by all means, not healthy for you. However, with this week being the worst sandwich, I couldn't resist to go after the burger. Let's not forget that they were initially called hamburger sandwiches. This one's bad enough that I see a repeat in it's future....

So, without further delay, I present the juggernaut to which all others are compared against and, all others whimper in it's presence....lifting the proverbial leg on health conscious eaters everywhere...

WARNING: Scantily clad waitresses ahead.

Hey, I picked the most modest one I could find!

Fighting the Surge

2009-02-28T20:35:00.003-05:00

Political soapbox post below.....you've been warned.....

Long ago my parents taught me about integrity and being honest. I know I've stumbled throughout life and I've paid the consequences. However, I'm just a middle manager in a nation-wide corporation. I'm not President of the United States. Last year, I sat and watched presidential hopefuls claim up and down that the surge in Iraq was the absolute wrong action to take. They fought it as hard as they could. Well, I came across this YouTube clip that is a compilation of speeches given by our former President, our current President (and then, Presidential candidate) and our current Vice President (and then, Presidential candidate).

For your viewing pleasure:

Friday's Fact: Bear Hibernation

2009-02-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

During late fall, bears spend less time feeding and more time preparing to den. One of the primary factors that influence the time a bear will den is its fat reserves. When inadequate, the bear will be compelled to remain active in search of food. The timing of den entrance is also influenced by the age and sex of the bear. As a rule, a pregnant female or a mother with cubs will enter the den first, followed by subadults, while adult males are generally the last to enter their dens. Den entry further depends on geographical latitude - some southern bears do not den at all.

As bears travel their home range during the summer, they may make note of potential denning sites and return in fall. During the last days before entering the den, bears often appear lethargic. Bears will rest in day beds before they actually bed down for the winter in a den. Day beds are constructed by raking together leaves, conifer needles, and small branches into a pile. Bears may have several day beds spread throughout their territory.

Hibernation is a method to conserve energy when weather conditions are unfavourable and food is scarce. Most B.C. black and brown bears den for four to six months every year, entering the den in November or December and emerging in March or April. Of course there are always stragglers going in and coming out.

Dens are usually located in sites that are dry and well drained and where snow cover is deep. Bears like to use cavities in the base of old growth trees, small caves or rock cavities; often with remarkably small entrances. Bears will excavate suitable cavities in the ground, digging a small hole big enough for the bear to twist around in and that's all. Many dens have a tunnel leading to a larger chamber, while some dens have been found with multiple chambers accommodating several bears of the same family. Dens may be used again and again or a bear may choose a different site each winter. Some dens are dug below the roots of trees using the root mass as a ceiling. Bears usually line their dens with leaves, conifer needles and bits of branches or wood shavings. Some bears have even used surface dens, open to the elements. Bears generally prefer secluded sites for denning, although they've been known to den in culverts under busy streets.

Denning generally consumes more time in a bear's life than any other activity. Hibernation is a method to conserve energy when weather conditions are unfavourable and food is scarce.

Bears are not true hibernators. If you look inside a bear den in mid-winter, the animal may lift its head and look back at you, and if the bear feels threatened it may get up and run away, although its movements would initially be slow and stiff.

Bears actually enter a state of dormancy where their heart rate drops from 40-70 beats/min. to 8-12 beats/min.; their metabolism slows down by half; and their body temperature drops by 3° to 7°C. Bears do not eat or drink during this time, nor do they eliminate waste. In fact they actually recycle the build up of urea, using its constituents to manufacture new proteins. While hibernating, the bear lives off its fat reserves, and may lose a quarter to a third of its body weight.

Wednesday's Worst - #15

2009-02-25T06:00:00.003-05:00

Worst Kid's Meal

Macaroni Grill Double Macaroni 'n' Cheese

1,210 calories

62 g fat

3,450 mg sodium

I'm not even going to denigrate Kraft's version by comparing the two. Look, your kid is only going to be as healthy as you are. Think about that when they're bypassing the salad bar and burning a path to the dessert station for extra sprinkles.

Next week: Mmmmm.....good.....NOT

The Ultimate A-Team Snag

2009-02-22T17:33:00.000-05:00

Look who I have!!

Fortified Fire, 1/23/99 - 2/18/09

2009-02-20T18:30:00.008-05:00

Please set your tails at half-mast....

My sister's first Greyhound lost her battle with osteo this week. Fire was a great hound and fit like a glove in their household. I've never seen a Greyhound at a coursing trial outrun a lure quicker than her.

I've attached her memorial below. My Sis' reads my blog so feel free to reply here and share your thoughts and condolences...

__________________________________________________________

Fire came to us on an August day in 2003. Wayne and I went to the racetrack to meet the greyhounds, and little did we know that a greyhound named, Fire, would literally dance into our lives. As soon as we told her that she would be going home with us that day, she literally asked Kevin where she could put her paw print on the piece of paper, by jumping up on his desk, so she could go home. She knew that she was leaving that day. Fire has never won any titles or any trophies, but she has played with her cousins, Julie and Stacker who have won some titles and trophies. Her Uncle Stephen has noticed her “lightning” speed and yes he did admit that Fire can and did beat his Field Champion Stacker (when they raced for the fun of it).

Fire went to some field trials and even tried to become certified, but to everyone’s dismay, she outran the lure! Her speed was just unbelievable. She will always be remembered as one very fast dog. Her remaining days were lived in the backyard playing with her adopted greyhound brother, Tornado, and a mutt named, Lucy (part whippet). Lucy would chase her ball and Tornado and Fire would chase Lucy. Lucy would be in the middle and Fire would be on the right and Tornado would be on the left. Would it be a squeeze play?

Unfortunately, Fire had a case of “Happy Tail” and she lost a good six inches of her tail in November 2008. However, that wasn’t the worse thing that would happen to her. Fire started limping on January 8, 2009. She went to the vet on January 12 and our worst fears were confirmed. Fire was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) and due to her age, we chose the best route of medication for her. She will be on pain medication until it is no longer enough. Why her? She is such a sweet and gentle girl with a great personality. She takes food out of your hand so gently and you can actually take food from her, but why would you want to? She gives you that sweet innocent look that makes you just melt inside. Why did cancer have to come to her? She turned 10 on January 23rd! She made it to her 10th birthday and she got a new stuffed bear. Another stuffie to tease her dad with! Sorry, Wayne. She got all the treats she could eat that day plus an extra chicken back. Hey, you only turn 10 once, right?

We have noticed that Fire is getting worse. Cancer is really beginning to take a hold of her. She can’t play in the backyard with Tornado and Lucy anymore and her long neighborhood walks are over with now as well. She still loves to play with her toys and she still loves to eat.

On February 17, 2009, her left leg looks so bad right now. Friday and Saturday were the last two days that she really used it. Sunday night when we got home from church, I noticed the protruding shoulder and the knot in the joint. The cancer had taken over her leg. We were told it could take 1 - 4 months and it took a little over a month for Fire. Maybe if she had rested more? Not my Fire. She didn't know the word rest. She wanted to stay active and that is what she loved, an active life style. So, not to copy you Jen, but Travis and Fire loved the active life....she played hard, she lived hard, and she fought this disease hard, now her fight is over.

Fire passed away on February 18, 2009. She loved life and she loved everyone that she met. She will be sadly missed. Our house just won't be the same without her around. Thank you for noticing her when you would come for a visit. Thank you for taking care of her when her parents went off on vacation somewhere. Seems like everyone who met her fell in love with her and she also fell in love with them. She will be missed by all who knew and loved her.

Rest in peace sweet girl, run in joy.

Forever Fire's Mom,
Anna

Wednesday's Worst - #16

2009-02-18T06:00:00.003-05:00

Worst Mexican Entree

Chipotle Mexican Grilled Chicken Burrito

Bring burritos to America and, like most waistlines, they expand to a ginormous size. These seemingly innocent harbingers of myocardial infarctions pack a major wallop. Let's see the havoc they release:

1,179 calories

47 g fat

125 g carbs

2,656 mg sodium

Sodium? Here's a reality check for you. A regular (not family) size box of Kraft Mac 'N Cheese will, according to the nutrition label, serve 3 people. PER PERSON, the sodium serving from our childhood favorite is 580mg. How does that rock you? You could eat one and a half boxes of macaroni and cheese and still not hit the amount of sodium in this one burrito.

My average daily caloric intake is around 1200-1300 calories. Again, I'll use Kraft for a comparison. Calories, per person, in one box is 260. You do the math on this one.

Let's not forget that we just consumed more than twice the amount of carbs we're supposed to have per meal.

Saving the best - worst - for last: FAT

A single serving of Mac 'N Cheese will waylay 3.5g of fat on your body.

Are you ready for this?

You would have to eat almost FOUR AND A HALF BOXES of Mac 'N Cheese to reach the equivalent of this border crossing obesity inducer.

You'll notice I'm counting this list down from twenty. Stick with me and, at the end, I'll tell you why every single one of these on the list is ok to eat.

Ha, I've got you hooked now, yeah?

Next week: Is that a child by your side or did a hippo escape from the zoo?

Tales From the Tail

2009-02-17T16:40:00.001-05:00

Stack: Is my nose really that big?

Julie: They say if your paw is the same size as your nose it means you're exceptionally smart and highly intellectual. Hold it up and I'll show you...

Stack: Oh boy, Ok.

*THWACK*

Friday's Fact: Biggest Living Organism

2009-02-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

Armillaria ostoyae

People have known about the "honey mushroom" for some time, but were not aware of how large and invasive this species of fungus could be. The fungus was investigated more closely by researchers when they realized that it was responsible for killing large groves of evergreen trees. When foresters cut into an infected tree they would find spreading white filaments, mycelia, which draw water and carbohydrates from the tree to feed the fungus. Researchers collected samples of the fungus from a widespread area and analyzed the DNA. A large sample of the specimens they collected turned out to be from a single organism.

Until August of 2000 it was thought that the largest living organism was a fungus of the same species (Armillaria ostoyae) that covered 1,500 acres (600 hectares) found living in the state of Washington. But then mycology experts surmised that if an Armillaria that large could be found in Washington, then perhaps one just as large could be responsible for the trees dying in the Malheur National Forest in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. Researchers were astonished at the sheer magnitude of the find. This most recent find was estimated to cover over 2,200 acres (890 hectares) and be at least 2,400 years old, possibly older.

Wednesday's Worst - #17

2009-02-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

Worst "Healthy" Burger

Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger

"Healthy" and "Burger" have never gone hand in hand. Oh, but they want you to believe that this Turkey burger is sooooo healthly. It's good for you! Look, there's something that resembles a tomato. They care so much about your livelihood and ability to see your feet while standing, don't they?

I doubt it.....check out how this behometh weighs in:

1,145 calories

71 g fat

56 g carbs

Do you remember what I told you about carb intake? That's the least of your concerns. How many restaurants like this will serve just a burger? Gotta have those fries, yeah? How 'bout a Coke and smile? And a few more chins while your're at it.

Next week: Burrito de la Muerte!

Autopilot

2009-02-10T08:30:00.001-05:00

The blog has been on cruise control while I rally the troops in my head. There's been a lot of things going on lately that pulled me away for one reason or another.

Although, it may just be the Sloth in me.

Curse you fourth deadly sin. Curse you...

The good weather last weekend allowed me to get back on the van pimping project I started last month. I finally cut the last panel for the remaining section of the wall. I also have the "rough draft" of a platform to store our extra crates and x-pens. Couple of tweaks here and there and it's ready for finishing. I have one gripe, though. I wish I owned a planer/jointer. It is so hard to find the right material to build everything straight and true. It would be nice to have something with straight edges and corners once in a while. Lowe's sure isn't helping me, though. They just kicked a nugget to me in the form of a gift card, although they left a couple zero's off of it. Just enough to draw me into the store (like that's hard) but not enough to realize the dream. I hope to get back to it this weekend, but we may be rather busy.

On a more painful note, my Volvo, Ingrid, as been admitted once again to the Grim Reaper's La Casa automotora de Separación Financiera. She's been hemorrhaging black gold for the past week and the diagnosis isn't good. As soon as I heard, "The leak seems to be coming from a sealed component", my heart sank. Why can't it be, "Hey it looks like the drain plug was loose", or something like that? I may have to take her for a long drive out to the middle of nowhere one of these days...

Finally, to end on a finishing note similar to nails on chalkboard.....yeah, you just imagined that, didn't you? My portable hard drive is now a bona-fide Illinois Governor. Yep, it's corrupt. I'm hoping to find an unconventional (cheap) way to recover some important pictures and files off of it, so I'm open to any suggestions you might have. I've already done an inquiry at the local nerd brigade and the recovery fee is mighty steep.

Friday's Fact: Greenland

2009-02-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

Because the coastline is made up almost entirely of numerous fjords, the Greenland coastline is approximately 24,430 mi (39,330 km) long, which is about the same length as the Earth's circumference at the Equator.

The weight of the massive Greenlandic ice cap, which covers over 80% of the surface, has depressed the central land area to form a basin lying more than 300 m (1,000 ft) below sea level. If this ice sheet were to completely melt, sea levels would rise more than 7 m (23 ft) and Greenland would most likely become an archipelago of islands with the central area completely under water.

The Look Of Eagles...

2009-02-05T17:08:00.000-05:00

With a freak flag ear kicker...

Wednesday's Worst - #18

2009-02-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

#18

WORST SUPERMARKET MEAL

Pepperidge Farm Roasted Chicken Pot Pie

1,020 calories

64 g fat

86 g carbs

I've seen my fair share of destructive food items in the freezer section. The Hungry Man series immediately comes to mind.

This box says it'll handle two, but let's be real. Who here has ever divided a small pot pie in half?? As soon as that crust is compromised, there's no holding back, right? Just a friendly health note. You shouldn't exceed 60 grams of carbohydrates in any one meal. 86? Ever been called, "Hey Big'un?"

Pot Pie = BAD

Next week: Isn't "Healthy Burger" a contradiction?

Rush Hour Calm

2009-02-03T17:20:00.001-05:00

Friday's Fact: Scratch and Sniff

2009-01-30T06:30:00.001-05:00

How do scratch-and-sniff stickers work?

Scratch-and-sniff stickers are one of those novelty technologies that sound like such a good idea... But they never really caught on except in children's books and the occasional perfume strip in a magazine. Why shouldn't nasal information be just as important audio and visual information? Perhaps because no one has figured out how to encode language in smells.

Nonetheless, if you have kids, you probably have a scratch-and-sniff book around the house. And even if the book is 20 years old, it still works! The reason the stickers last so long is because of the microencapsulation technology used to create them. The basic idea behind scratch-and-sniff is to take the aroma-generating chemical and encapsulate it in gelatin or plastic spheres that are incredibly small -- on the order of a few microns in diameter. When you scratch the sticker, you rupture some of these spheres and release the smell. The smell is essentially held in millions of tiny bottles, and you break a few of the bottles every time you scratch the sticker. The tiny bottles preserve the fragrance for years.

It turns out that the microencapsulation technology used in scratch-and-sniff was first developed to create carbonless copy paper. The top sheet of paper is coated with microcapsules containing a colorless ink. When you write on the paper, it breaks the capsules and releases the ink. The ink mixes with a developer chemical on the next sheet of paper to create a dark color.

"How do scratch-and-sniff stickers work?." 01 April 2000. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/question274.htm> 29 January 2009.

Say What You Will....

2009-01-29T06:30:00.002-05:00

From the mind of Michael Ramirez, Editorial Cartoonist for Investor's Business Daily.

A pig is a pig whether you take it into town, or to the trough...

I guess the reason it didn't work last year was that there wasn't enough money in it. Yeah, that's it.

What's the old rambling about repeating something over and over again, hoping for different results?

Oh yeah, now I remember.....insanity.

Wednesday's Worst - #19

2009-01-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

#19

WORST DRINK

Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie

30 fl oz

900 calories

10 g fat

183 g carbs

(166 g sugars)

This is a smoothie???? Well, Jamba Juice thinks so. Ready for a pop quiz? Here we go. What has more sugar: One (1) Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie or Two (2) pints of Ben and Jerry's Butter Pecan ice cream?

Ready to finish off that Michelin midsection? How about that third and fourth chin you've been dreaming about. Look no further. 75% of this chain's power smoothies are in excess of 100 grams of sugar. Their fruit smoothies are the only items with no added sugar. Do yourself another favor and order the small while you're at it.

Next week: Just how bad can bad be at your local grocer's freezer? I'll tell you!

What A Relief...It's Just A Virus!

2009-01-26T06:45:00.002-05:00

And here I thought diet and exercise were the most effective. Looks like just keeping my hands clean, using Clorox wipes, and Lysol spray were all I had to do...sheesh

Here's your link.

______________________________________________________

Obesity can be "caught" as easily as a common cold from other people's coughs, sneezes and dirty hands, scientists are set to declare today. The condition has been linked to a highly-infectious virus which causes sniffles and sore throats. Professor Nikhil Dhurandhar said the virus, known as AD-36, infects the lungs then whisks around the body, forcing fat cells to multiply and also causing sore throats.
"When this virus goes to fat tissue it replicates, making more copies of itself and in the process increases the number of new fat cells, which may explain why the fat tissue expands and why people get fat when they are infected with this virus," Dhurandhar said. In one test, a third of obese people had the rare and highly contagious virus compared to just 11 percent of thinner people. Weight gain can last three months until the body has built up resistance to the bug. New research supports earlier theories from studies on weight gain; evidence in tests on mice and chickens shows the bug could cause overweight people to gain weight. "People could be fat for reasons other than viral infections, so it’s pointless for fat people to try to
avoid infection," said Dhurandhar. The study also reveals research claiming dieters always feel hungry because humans have a "natural body weight" and they will always suffer hunger pangs.

Look, He's Domesticated!

2009-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

And almost housebroken...

One thing I really love to do is cook...

First comes the veggie pasta recipe I just found, courtesy of the

Proud Italian Cook

Use a vegetable peeler to cut the vegetables into slivers, similar to the fettucinni.

Then cook both until they are al dente, drain the pasta and combine with the vegetables.

Once combined, stir in a mixture of parsley, basil and grated lemon peel.

For the Queen I chose fresh salmon with a bourbon glaze...

And for me?

Why, meat of course!

I'll admit, the Queen keeps us alive, but I get to add a spark every now and then!

Disclaimer: Those that are knowledgeable know good and well that the Queen's father cooks $40 quality steaks at his castle while my father is the hands down King of Salmon, especially at Thanksgiving!

Friday's Fact: Drinking Ice Water to Burn calories

2009-01-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

For anyone trying to lose weight, this question is an exciting one! If you simply want to know if your body burns calories warming up the water, the answer is yes. But if you want to know if drinking a lot of ice water can help you lose weight, or keep weight off, this "yes" needs to be qualified with some calculations.

Ice water won't replace a healthy diet, but it will burn a few extra Calories.First of all, calories are case-sensitive. There are calories and then there are Calories. Calories with a big "c" are the ones used to describe the amount of energy contained in foods. A calorie with a little "c" is defined as the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.

What most people think of as a Calorie is actually a kilo-calorie: It takes one Calorie to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius. So when you drink a 140-Calorie can of cola, you are ingesting 140,000 calories. There is no cause for alarm, because the conversion applies across the board. When you burn 100 Calories jogging a mile, you are burning 100,000 calories.

So, considering that the definition of a calorie is based on raising the temperature of water, it is safe to say that your body burns calories when it has to raise the temperature of ice water to your body temperature. And unless your urine is coming out ice cold, your body must be raising the temperature of the water. So calories are being burned.

Let's figure out exactly what you're burning when you drink a 16-ounce (0.5 liter) glass of ice water:

The temperature of ice water can be estimated at zero degrees Celsius.
Body temperature can be estimated at 37 degrees Celsius.
It takes 1 calorie to raise 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius.
There are 473.18 grams in 16 fluid ounces of water.

So in the case of a 16-ounce glass of ice water, your body must raise the temperature of 473.18 grams of water from zero to 37 degrees C. In doing so, your body burns 17,508 calories. But that's calories with a little "c." Your body only burns 17.5 Calories, and in the grand scheme of a 2,000-Calorie diet, that 17.5 isn't very significant.

But let's say you adhere to the "eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day" nutritional recommendation. In 64 ounces of water, there are 1,892.72 grams. So to warm up all that water in the course of a day, your body burns 70,030 calories, or 70 Calories. And over time, that 70 Calories a day adds up. So, while you definitely shouldn't depend on ice water consumption to replace exercise or a healthy diet, drinking cold water instead of warm water does, in fact, burn some extra Calories!

sourced from How Stuff Works

Keep You're Head on a Swivel

2009-01-21T17:14:00.004-05:00

Keep both eyes and ears out for news involving Cass Sunstein. I usually don't jump on the conspiracy theory train, but this guy's background and his recent appointment to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in Obama's administration make him pretty dangerous if he chooses to implement his animal-rights ideals.

Here's the article.

Kudos to Todd for getting on this quickly.

Light the proverbial match and start spreading the fire.

Wednesday's Worst - #20

2009-01-21T06:00:00.003-05:00

So here we go. Every Wednesday will feature a new worst in the realm of eating out, whether it be fast food or sit down. We all know it's out there, but did you really know what's in it???

#20

WORST FAST-FOOD CHICKEN

Did anyone say KFC or Popeye's?? Maybe Church's? El Pollo Loco??? You're all wrong!

830 calories

55g fat

(4.5g trans fat)

48 g carbs

This is none other than the Golden Arches' Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips w/ creamy Ranch sauce. The only thing premium about this is the caloric assault on your body. At that rate, you can eat 20 McNuggets and receive the same wallop on your diet. That's just the meal, folks. Want large fries and Coke with that? Sure you do. Why don't we go ahead and bump that to 1700+ calories shall we? A semi-reasonable solution? Get the six-piece with BBQ sauce and you've just slashed 530 calories. Hooray! That means you actually have a spot in the day to eat again! I say semi-reasonable because if you were really wary you wascally wabbit (sorry, I was channeling Elmer Fudd and Barbara Walters at the same time).....you wouldn't eat there.

So, now you get the idea of what I'm going to be putting up on this thread. Is your favorite dish going to be on the list?

Next week: Is it a Smoothie or is it diabetes in a cup??

President Bush

2009-01-20T19:30:00.001-05:00

Never before in this modern era has a President been challenged as much as you have. I want to thank you for keeping us safe for the past eight years. I have come close to feeling as safe as I did on 9/10/01...not because I've forgotten, but because through the strength of your actions and courage, you have kept me safe, often at the expense of your own reputation.

Thank you for keeping my wife, my family, my friends and neighbors safe under your watch. Please relax and enjoy the private life. If anyone deserves it, it's you and Laura.

President Roosevelt said it best...
It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat -
Theodore Roosevelt, 1910

President Obama

2009-01-20T13:00:00.002-05:00

Congratulations.

You have forever left your mark in history as our next President. Furthermore, you have also accomplished what no other man in any modern country has done; won the Presidency as a man of color.

I will admit I didn't vote for you and, if given the chance, would not vote for you again. I have too much pride and respect for what makes this country great. The personal freedoms we enjoy are second to none. But, with that freedom comes responsibility. Not from the government, but from the individual. I fear both of these qualities will be greatly diminished under your leadership. You were quoted recently saying "Only Government can get us out of this", when giving a press conference regarding our economy. I don't know if you'll change this country or not, but I'm afraid we're in for four years that will yield no noticeable improvements.

Your job's a tough one. However, you knew exactly what you were getting into. You knew you were being handed a turd and polishing cloth. You ran anyway. No excuses going forward.

You are my President for the next 1400+ days. When you do well, I'll recognize it. "Good for him. He got this one", I'll tell people. When you are wrong, I will voice my disagreement. However, I will not resort to the antics displayed by the left for nearly the last decade. I will not hold you responsible for every problem that exists in the world and I will not stomp my feet and hold my breath, demanding your resignation and impeachment every time you do something I don't like.

You've been handed the keys to the greatest nation in the world, maybe in history.

Don't drive it like a rental.

Obama the next Reagan??

2009-01-20T11:30:00.002-05:00

Bet you will never find this in any major media outlet:

---------------------------------------------------------------
New Poll: Reagan, FDR Lead Presidential Role Models
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
When American voters were asked which past President of the United States they believe Barack Obama should model his new presidency after, they did not pick Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy, or even George Washington as their top choice. They picked Ronald Reagan.

According to a nationwide survey conducted by Clarus Research Group this past week, Reagan was the top choice among all voters with 26 percent, followed by Franklin Roosevelt with 18%, Kennedy with 17% and Lincoln with 13%.

"Reagan was the overwhelming favorite among Republican voters," said Dr. Ron Faucheux, President of Clarus.

"He received 59 percent as the President GOP voters want Obama to emulate. Nobody else came close."

"Democrats scattered their choices more," Faucheux noted. "FDR was their top pick at 27 percent and was closely followed by Kennedy, with 26 percent. Lincoln, a Republican, ranked third among Democrats."

Other findings:
Independents favored Reagan, followed by FDR, Lincoln and Kennedy.
Younger voters (under 30) selected JFK as their favorite. Reagan and Lincoln followed.
Older voters (over 65) put Roosevelt first. Reagan was second.
White voters picked Reagan as their top choice with FDR in second place.
African American voters favored Kennedy by a wide margin. Lincoln, the Great Emancipator, came in second.
Home regions of past Presidents can still have political impact. Reagan, from California, did the best in the West (30 percent) and the worst in the Northeast (22 percent). FDR, a New Yorker, scored highest in the Northeast (26 percent) and lowest in the Midwest (15 percent).
Reagan dominated small town and rural America, winning 31 percent.
Among urban voters, FDR led with 23 percent.
Reagan was also favored among suburbanites, capturing 28 percent.
Reagan won high-income voters (over $100,000 a year) with 33 percent
followed by FDR with 21 percent. JFK and Reagan, at 21 percent, tied among voters with incomes under $50,000 a year.
Education was a factor in some cases. FDR received 14 percent among
voters without a college degree but 25 percent among those with graduate degrees. Kennedy won 27 percent of voters with high school educations and 14 percent among college graduates.
Presidents among the Founding Fathers
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson received 4 and 3 percent, respectively.
Cold War Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower also received 4 and 3 percent among all voters.
Theodore Roosevelt, a progressive Republican, captured 4 percent.
The Hero of the Battle of New Orleans, Democrat Andrew Jackson, received 1 percent.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T07:30:00.001-05:00

In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. From time to time we've been tempted to believe that society has become too complex to be managed by self-rule, that government by an elite group is superior to government for, by, and of the people. Well, if no one among us is capable of governing himself, then who among us has the capacity to govern someone else? All of us together, in and out of government, must bear the burden. The solutions we seek must be equitable, with no one group singled out to pay a higher price.

So, as we begin, let us take inventory. We are a nation that has a government - not the other way around. And this makes us special among the nations of the earth. Our government has no power except that granted it by the people. It is time to check and reverse the growth of government, which shows signs of having grown beyond the consent of the governed.

We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look. You can see heroes every day going in and out of factory gates. Others, a handful in number, produce enough food to feed all of us and then the world beyond. You meet heroes across a counter, and they're on both sides of that counter. There are entrepreneurs with faith in themselves and faith in an idea who create new jobs, new wealth and opportunity. They're individuals and families whose taxes support the government and whose voluntary gifts support church, charity, culture, art, and education. Their patriotism is quiet, but deep. Their values sustain our national life.

"They" are you.

I wonder if we'll ever hear a speech like this again...

Friday's Fact: Whale Falls

2009-01-16T07:30:00.001-05:00

I've emerged from my cave.

It was refreshing to drop this for a while and enjoy something other than staring at my blog updates page like the fat kid staring at the microwave , waiting for that beep so he can score his next plate of pizza bagels.

I'm going to start posting random (mostly useless) facts each Friday. If anything, it will help you become masters in Trivial Pursuit...

Today's Fact: Whale Fall (sourced from Wikipedia)

Whale fall is the term used for a whale carcass that has fallen to the ocean floor. When a whale dies in shallow water, its carcass is typically devoured by scavengers over a relatively short period of time - within several months. However, in deeper water (depths of 2000m or greater), fewer scavenger species exist, and the carcass can provide sustenance for a complex localized ecosystem over periods of decades, or possibly centuries.

Some of the organisms that have been observed at whale falls are squat lobsters, Osedax (bone-eating worms), crabs, sea cucumbers, octopuses, clams, and even deep-sea sleeper sharks. Whale falls are often inhabited by large colonies of tubeworms. Over 30 previously unknown species have been discovered at whale falls.

Given that whale deaths occur at locations that are largely random, carcasses are believed to exist at many locations on the seabed, like oases in the nutrient-poor abyssal plain, with average spacings estimated at 25 km.

Marine biologists sometimes transport dead whales that have washed up on coastlines, towing them offshore to create a whale fall at a known location that can then be studied over a long period of time.

Stay tuned, next Wednesday will start a lengthy segment on eating out, and why you shouldn't.

Stay warm! It's 13 on the mercury this morning...

Freakin' Hate Storm Troopers

2009-01-06T07:15:00.001-05:00

You know, the Death Star would be a little more tolerable if there were some brighter Storm Troopers running around. Seriously people, if you walk into a room and hear the tell-tale sound of stepping in water, WOULDN'T YOU THINK TO TELL SOMEONE THAT SOMETHING'S WRONG?????

Heck no, not here. We's got busy Storm Trooper work to do. Forget that it smells like somebody's thriving chicken farm/paper mill operation with a side business making liver treats in the dehydrator (nothin' but love GBD!).

0900 hours - I stroll down the main corridor at the D.S. Keep in mind that I've reported to my post 3 hours prior to this moment of reflection and there have been two dozen or so Storm Troopers milling about in that time. The aforementioned "ambrosia" fills my nostrils and warns of the meltdown that awaits me behind the door with the little man on it. Oh little man. If you could only speak I would not have witnessed the cataclysmic cauldron brewing behind your emotionless facade. I made the call to Mission Control and ordered the Level 5 HazMat special with a side of hurry-the-%^&$-up.

1300 hours - Not one single Storm Trooper has approached to even suggest that something is different today. Not one. ~sigh~

1320 hours - Level 5 HazMat team arrives and secures a containment perimeter around the biohazard. One hour later all biohazard has been removed. One mop was martyred in the process.

I honestly think the Storm Troopers would wither and die if there weren't any Trooperettes to maintain order at homebase. Fortunately for me, the Queen is quite adept at reminding me of the shortcomings of my previous living arrangements and the fallacy in thinking that my interpretation of "status quo" was how things actually were supposed to be. For that, I am grateful...

Stealing Away

2009-01-02T08:01:00.002-05:00

There's something exciting about heading off for an adventure in the pre-dawn hours, especially on a day normally reserved for laboring at the Death Star.

Previously, I alluded to a future rambling simply titled "Close In, Far Out". Pardon the cliche, the future is now.

I'm hoping to keep a series going that details my hikes to show what is close enough to fit into a day trip.

Congratulations to the Poole's Pooches (poolie and ykngld) for correctly guessing the location of our adventure. However, I'm highly disappointed that you have not visited this location yet and you are hearby signed up for the next trip. Nevertheless, keep an eye on your mailbox. There's a $10,000 third party, out of state check heading your way! You'll notice that it's considerably more than the prize amount. All you need to do is deposit the check and send back the difference to cover promotional and advertising costs...

I love being the first out on the trail which is why we left before dawn to get up there as soon as the gates opened. Cloudland Canyon is about a 1.5-2 hr drive from home base (30 mins from ATL proper). There is one main trail that loops the east and west rim of the canyon. I think it's 4-6 miles. The majority of the hike is level ground, but there are also some sections with large rocks to traverse and the descent/ascent through the gorge can be steep.

The views are totally worth the effort...

The recent rain made for better waterfalls this time!

Had Riley not been with me I would have gone down to the falls for some better pictures. However, the path to the gorge floor is mostly man-made and there are several staircases with metal expansion steps. We've learned that it's a no-go for the hounds. They don't even try it and we'd rather not watch a toe go through one of the gaps in the steps.

When you abscond with an A-team hound you'd better bring your A game because this is the only view you're going to have through the entire trip.

Riley, you're welcome on my hikes anytime!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T10:08:00.001-05:00

Clues...

2008-12-31T08:01:00.001-05:00

A-Team Abduction

2008-12-29T23:59:00.002-05:00

There is something wrong with me....

What happens to Riley????

FLUMMOXED

2008-12-28T13:00:00.000-05:00

Ever find yourself in a complete lull, with nothing coming to mind? I know it's easier being a man to have an empty mind but bear with me, I don't know where this is going. Lately I've been self-deprecating towards my future posts. Whether they were good, decent, or otherwise, I trashed them. What's wrong here? Is my sub-conscious telling me to stop trying? Is my overly-procrastinating id sabotaging my psyche, preventing me from conjuring up new tales of woe or revelations of joy? I can't even get on a rant lately. Am I trying too hard? I'm doing this for me, or for the benefit of others? Obviously I don't know all those answers. I'll tell you what part of it is. It's that holiday-lard-butt-eat-too-much-don't-exercise-get-fat-get-depressed-get-mad-eat-more virus that comes out every time this year. If I don't get the blood flowing with regular outdoor adventures and gym trips, then I become an ornery, stubborn, cynical "fill-in-the-blank". Another symptom of this virus is a short-tempered behavior coupled with an overwhelming lazy-care-less attitude. So, until I get other things back on track, I may take a break for a while. Then again, I may not. Who knows?

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T16:30:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas from the B team! Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays and, hopefully, some well-deserved vacation from work!

So 'Long Old Friends...

2008-12-21T17:20:00.001-05:00

30+ years. That's a long time. However, for two of my travelling companions, we will never share another moment together. No more wild adventures. No longer will we enjoy trips to locations new or old.

Sad indeed. But, I feel it's for the best. For you see, these two had deteriorated in health for quite some time. They were barely hanging on to life. I could see the distress in one of them. The other, though, took me by surprise. A glimmer of hope suggested that they might pull through and live to see another day.

Alas, it was not to be.

A little over two months ago, our bond with each other was set on a path in which there was no shimmer of light awaiting us. Only the harsh reality of death greeted us at the end of our journey. Too soon......too soon.

I take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions at that time. I had no idea this was going to happen, but nevertheless, they trusted me to make the right decision and I let them down.

So, on Saturday, December 21, 2008, I made the heartfelt decision to say goodbye to two of my toenails. At this point I can realistically assume that I will be reduced to 50% of my original nail coverage by the time this is all over. This is a result of wearing shoes that were comfortable and broken-in, but not suitable for a three day, 30 mile trek in Hazel Creek. Live and learn, right?

Denise, I have made the tasteful decision to not attach pictures to this. Rest easy.

Hug your toes tonight and reflect on how special they are with attached nails.

Yar, there be new posts a'comin'

2008-12-19T06:45:00.004-05:00

Ahoy, I dedicate the beginning of this post t' Addie, whose expectations o' my prior blog fell brutally short, causin' her water heater t' break which, in turn, flattened a tire on Ott' Von Crapp. Arrr, ne'er in my wildest imaginations would Me suspect one seemin'ly innocent rant about irresponsible pet owners o' spiralin' out o' control and wreakin' ha'oc in the uni'erse. Aye.

There you go, Addie. A partial pirate post. Happy now? I hope to have a creative handful of musings for all of you over the holidays. Greyhound Bus, part deux, makes the first long distance trip this weekend to visit my parents for their 46th anniversary and Christmas festivities. Other insightful snippets coming to a computer screen near you: "The Surplus of Pepè", "You're Paying to do What??", "Close in, Far Out".

So, to everyone traveling over the holidays, relax, stay safe. There are going to be stressed out people doing idiotic things out there. Don't be one of them, yar!

What did YOU do this weekend?

2008-12-15T10:15:00.002-05:00

Did you wake up and think, "Brrrr, it's pretty cold out today. I think I'll just kick it on the couch in front of the TV." Or did you get out and do something? If so, was it because you had to or because you wanted to?

I wanted to....

I spent the better part of Sunday on the Etowah River, just below Allatoona Dam. Even with the intrusion of residential and commercial properties, it's very peaceful. Very relaxing.

The Army Corps of Engineers typically does not generate electricity on the weekends, so the water level was normal. In the next picture the water mark on the bottom is at generating levels and the top mark is flood stage.

Hey Alabama, look how much more water you get during the days electricity is generated! For those of you not indigenous to the Southeast U.S.A., the Etowah River drains the Etowah Watershed and, along with the Oostanaula Watershed, make up the Upper Coosa Watershed which brings water into the Eastern portion of Alabama via Lake Weiss.

Here's some of the local wildlife.

You may have to squint, but in the middle of the picture is one of the biggest blue herons I've ever seen.

Below is one of the many fishing birds that I encountered. I could never sneak closer to get a better picture. I even tried moving to the opposite bank from them but it never worked. They have beautiful blue and white plumage and spook easily.

These pilings near the US Hwy 41 bridge are original railroad pilings built in the 1800's. Very cool.

Highway 293 Bridge w/Red Barn on right

This is, by far, the most dangerous part of the entire trip. Can you see the water forming a straight line near the old red building? Do you know why?

Lowhead Dam!!

This keeps the trip interesting. This is the Thompson/Weinman Dam. It was built in the early 1900's for the process of mining barite from the surrounding area. There's a portage route around the dam that's not too bad, especially considering there are no alternatives. That's a full-size, can't get your arms around it, tree in the middle of the spill-over. This lowhead dam is dangerous because once you go over it there's a concrete ledge ready to break you and your boat in half. Other dams of this type have such a powerful hydraulic (circulating) current at the base of it that it can entrap boats and not let go.

The last part of my trip took me by the Etowah Indian Mounds

Another river feature that has withstood time is the fish weir.

These fish weirs are an arrangement of rocks in the shape of "V" with the bottom point of the "V" pointing downstream. This creates a pool in the river where fish will naturally collect due to the current. Native Americans would wade out and collect the fish in baskets. These weirs are all over the Etowah River.

Today's takeout is the bridge at Douthit Ferry Road, just behind this old iron bridge. It was a cold, windy trip, but I had the entire river to myself. No fishermen along the banks. No boats to manuver around. Ah, peaceful bliss!!

ARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!

2008-12-11T06:30:00.005-05:00

Why do I find so many news articles that shine the white hot light of irresponsibility on people? Shelters all over the country are reporting a massive influx of surrendered pets. However, more concerning than that, they are finding pets abandoned on foreclosed properties, often without food or water. Left behind. Seriously folks, if this is your idea of responsible pet ownership then I have the perfect pet for you.

Or how about this?

These might be more your speed because it's blatantly obvious you don't know how to take care of anything more advanced. You're probably the same ones that missed a mortgage payment here and there just so you could become delinquent and receive government assistance. Did that change your habits at all? Nope. Not one bit, because you looked for the handout you didn't deserve. You took the easy way out. Look, I understand times are tough and most of us can only read about the economic hardships faced by our parents and grandparents that endured The Great Depression, or skyrocketing inflation rates of the 70's. However, there is absolutely no excuse for not making provisions for any living creature in your charge when you can no longer care for it.

"I'm too embarrassed to take them to the shelter. What will people think?"

BOVINE MANURE!

I have ten times the respect for someone that has realized they've gotten themselves in trouble and does the responsible thing arranging for their pet(s) to receive the adequate care they can no longer provide than for someone that is worried what people will think of them. If you are worried what others will think you need to get your head out of whatever cloud it's in and realize that you need some serious re-adjustment in your life.

Change comes from within, not from a campaign slogan...

Bring it On!

2008-12-10T10:20:00.000-05:00

Choose your mood. Can you appreciate nature in all its forms? It's raining hard today, probably tomorrow too. One forecast calls for 1"-6" of the white stuff. Bring it on! With a rainfall deficit this year of 10" we could use all we can get. As I watch the rain drive through in sheets my thoughts drift off to full watersheds and navigable rivers and streams. More reasons I need to get back in my boat this winter.

Today is also chicken day. Jennifer and the new bus are coming home with 400lbs of chicken backs and necks. Thank goodness I polyurethaned the walls I put in! I usually like restocking our supply during this time of year because the flies are gone. With it being warm today I don't know what to expect.

Speaking of the new bus, I finally finished enough of it so we could move out of the old van. I still have some finishing work on the walls before I start on the shelves and the center console. I'll put some pictures together soon.

So, what about you? How do you take your weather? Hot and steamy? Cold and frigid? Somewhere in between?

Money Shot

2008-12-08T06:30:00.003-05:00

EDWARDS POINT - CUMBERLAND TRAIL

Stowe and Maria recently asked me about the main picture on my blog. I completely agree with them that it's a great picture. But, what makes it great to me is you can't drive up, point-click-shoot, then get back in the car. Depending on the direction you take it's a minimum six mile round trip hike, and the only flat ground is where you left your car. I took this picture while on a winter hike with my friends, Mike and Cooper.

This little slice of the world is in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and is part of the Cumberland Trail. This past Spring, Jennifer and I went back there again. Jennifer wrote about our trip and included some of the pictures we took. On her post the first picture on the right is Edwards Point (uppermost rock formation) as it is seen from Signal Point. I personally love this trail and it's on my short list for my next overnight trip. The terrain can be classified as moderate to challenging. During the Spring hike, I wanted to push and make it to Edwards Point to recreate the picture. However, after the second suspension bridge, Jennifer decided that was enough for her dogs.

MIDDLE CREEK BRIDGE

I don't blame her one bit. Travis was on the cusp of his second MACH title and Reagan is the up and comer with lots of potential. The terrain is rocky and steep in a lot of places. Recent rainfall had also made the bridges rather slick. I think I enjoy hiking with my dogs more than anything else. The girls (Allie and Julie) seem to really enjoy it and can be rather ornery if we haven't gotten out in a couple days. Our trips are much shorter now as flare-ups from old coursing injuries make it impractical to attempt anything farther. I'd say that's my regret with coursing. I find myself tempering my desire for hiking everywhere with the dogs to cherry picking short, easy trips so they can come along, too.

The history behind this area is interesting as well. The "points" along the Tennessee River were used by Union forces to signal messages back and forth from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Bridgeport, Alabama. Earlier than that, Native Americans used these advantageous points to pick off settlers floating down the Tennessee.

Hazel Creek - Part 4 - Final Chapter

2008-12-06T05:51:00.009-05:00

My last trip post stopped in the middle of day three of our trip. We were heading for the lake to follow the shoreline back to our boats because our feet (Smith's especially) were not up for the ridge traverse. We made it down to Fontana Lake around noon.

We were rather discouraged at the daunting trip ahead, but remained optimistic. We were dealt another bad hand when we discovered that, ironically, the Lakeshore trail did not follow any kind of shore. It was ridge after ridge after ridge. Great. Just great. Forget making good time anymore. This was going to be a grunt-fest. We stopped to rest and collect water about two hours later. Smith pulled out his cellphone. I joked at him. We couldn't get a signal at the lodge on the inhabited side of the lake. What makes him think he's going to get a signal in the park?

Well, he did, somehow. That seriously changed the rest of the trip. After a very brief discussion which involved nothing more than a glance, Smith called his girlfriend who, in turn, called the marina to see if they could meet us with the pontoon boat. Hooray! They agreed to meet us at the next campsite, just two miles away.

So, onward we hiked, and hiked, and hiked, and hiked. Something wasn't right. We should have been at the campsite by now. The next time we stopped on a ridge so I tried to get a signal on my GPS unit. Great! (sigh) We overshot the campsite by about two miles. Later, we figured out that the campsite was only accessible by boat. The trail was some 200' higher up on the ridge. We were in between campsites and had to make a decision. First things first, we attempted another call on the phone. Amazingly enough, it worked again. We knew from talking to some people earlier that the campsite ahead of us was on the water and the trail went right by it. So, through a relay of phone calls the plan was changed to meet us at the campsite 98 ahead. Coincidentally, earlier we had determined we would stop for the day at site 98. After another handful or two of gorp and a couple slugs of H20, we set off again. After a while the ridges became indistinguishable. However, somewhere between two of them I finally got what I had been looking for the entire trip.

I had the good fortune of spotting this fellow well before he made it onto the trail. To give you an idea of how fast these bruins are, that slope he just motored up was a little less than 45 degrees. Again, no noise in sprint mode. I can't figure it out. I could hear him when he was foraging down the creek below me, but not when he ran off. This was the biggest one on the entire trip.

As we closed in on site 98 we descended the last hill and a cove from the lake appeared off on the left. Good, the site can't be that much farther ahead. About halfway down the hill I could see the entire cove and I saw something that stopped me in my tracks. Now, you've heard the stories of people that have been stranded in the desert or other harsh conditions and hallucinate, envisioning something or someone that's not really there. Well, we weren't in that type of condition by far, but I reacted the same nonetheless. There it was, floating out in the cove, a pontoon boat! I hustle-imped (that's hustling and limping) down the hill, throwing my pack on the bridge and heading out to the shore of the cove. I'm thinking if we can at least get over to our boats, we can make the trip back to the marina. Fortunately the boat was headed into the cove so they saw me and headed my way. After some negotiating and discussion back and forth, they agreed to take us over to our boats in Hazel Creek.

Moving at 15mph, it took 45 minutes to get from the cove over to our boats. We graciously thanked them for the ride, then pulled the boats down to the water and loaded them up for the trip to the marina. Smith went ahead of me since he had the slower boat. As he was coming to the second bend in the creek a small fishing boat came up the creek, made a wide circle, then headed back to the lake out of sight. Then it came back and stopped. Smith paddled over to them. I figured they were just being friendly. Then I saw him hand his paddle over to them. Is this possible? I picked up my pace and caught up to them. The man in the boat looked at me and said, "How'd you like a ride to the marina?" Hmmmm...let me think about that. 8 miles back to the marina. It's getting dark. We have no lights on either boat. I think we may just have to take him up on that offer.

To top it off, we made it back to the marina, loaded the car, and made it back to the lodge just as they were closing the dining room. They made an exception for us and let us eat. It was so nice to sleep in a bed that night. It was really amazing that we came across the couple with the pontoon boat who happened to drop us off at our boats when this fishing boat was in the creek. The next morning, we headed for Smith's house in Athens, TN via Deal's Gap. Anyone with a knowledge of the area, or a motorcycle for that matter, knows that Deal's Gap is the top of the Tail of the Dragon, an 11 mile stretch of US 129 consisting of 318 turns. Unfortunately, there are no signs in North Carolina that suggest that this section of 129 is impassable by semi.

This semi is not moving forward. He is backing up. I took this picture a little after 9am. According to what we heard, he had been stuck since 1 or 2 in the morning. Fortunately for us, we only had to wait 5-10 minutes for him to get clear for traffic to move through.

This was, by far, one of the most memorable trips of my life. I learned a lot, too. Black bears, at least in this area, are cautious around humans and would rather run away than be curious. No matter how long you let your pocket shower "warm-up" it's still going to be freezing cold when you're standing under it, naked, in 40 degree temp with the wind blowing. Don't mix freeze dried red beans and rice with macaroni and cheese shells. Just don't. I think this trip would have been better if we had allowed more time and traveled less each day. I was concerned about making it back because I had told Jennifer that if she hadn't heard from us by Friday evening she should contact the park ranger's office the next morning. The remaining section of the trip would probably have meant two additional nights out there which would have put us past the cutoff time.

Hmmm.....the only thing left is to start planning the next trip.

Huzzah!

2008-12-04T06:00:00.002-05:00

The Death Star has deemed me worthy of a role-addition. While I've been quite accustomed to playing the part of scapegoat (total responsibility and no control), this new "opportunity" is the perfect setting for breeding hate and discontent amongst my peers. Hooray! (sigh)

In addition to all the other "hats" I wear, it has been determined by the powers that be that I should also handle the interior/exterior, hydrological, electrical, material, ingress/egress and overall perimeter integrity of the property I work at.

I, AM, BUILDING MANAGER!

Doesn't sound as impressive or awe inspiring as "Gladiator", huh?

To steal a line, "If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet I wouldn't be more surprised than I am right now."

If anything, anything, goes wrong, I'm the one who is called.

The biggest problem is the local meth-head du jour who sees dollar signs where the copper sits in the yard. Undeterred by the barb-wire topped fencing surrounding the compound, they've resorted to ladders or even cutting straight through to get at our provisions. It's been quiet recently, but I'm sure they are regrouping and comparing strategies for their next siege.

When I worked in Atlanta, there was an office that was more secure than most prisons. Two rows of perimeter fencing with razor wire topping each fence AND in between. They needed it, though. Before the upgrades, thieves made off with the transmissions and batteries from two work trucks. Transmissions for crying out loud! How flippin' motivated do you have to be for that?!

My friend and co-worker that bore this illustrious title before me has geared me up for what's to come when the weather is warm.

Most common complaint?

"Water don't taste no good"

I only wish I was paraphrasing, but, a quote is a quote. No reason to break out the Scrabble board. No chance of any exquisite verbal jousting. My only solace is that I've learned from my mistakes. Never lock horns with an individual of this caliber. They will only drag you down to their level and proceed to beat you with experience.

Alas, an opportunity beckons from within this otherwise oppressive addition to my daily grind. Whenever an uninvited entrepreneur makes off with our bronze gold, the representative from the security division of the Death Star arrives to personally take in the loss. I'm not ashamed to say I've always been intrigued by the work he does. I know that this division hires from within and, according to my co-worker, all it takes to get a foot in the proverbial door is to show a smidge of interest. That's all well and good, but, unless it is a promotion, my Imperial Leader is not obligated to sign me over. Any attempt at a lateral defection would receive an immediate kebash, but I will maintain my optimism.

Thought for the Day

2008-12-02T07:50:00.001-05:00

Kick this around in your cranium today.....

President-elect Obama goes on record during the primaries saying Senator Clinton's suggested foreign policy experience equates to nothing more than tea parties with foreign dignitaries.

Senator Clinton's rebuttal, in part, states Obama is weak and is not ready to be Commander in Chief.

Now we have Barack Obama as our next Commander in Chief and, gee whiz, Senator Clinton is the top pick for Secretary of State.

One of the obvious questions to President-elect Obama that came up in a round of exchanges with reporters yesterday:

"You talked about the importance just now of having different voices and robust debate within your administration, but again going back to the campaign, you were asked and talked about the qualifications of the -- now your nominee for secretary of state and you belittled her travels around the world, equated it to having teas with foreign leaders. And your new White House counsel said her resume was grossly exaggerated when it came to foreign policy. I'm wondering if you can talk about the evolution of your views of her credentials since the spring?"

Our Commander's response...(sigh)

"I think this is fun for the press to try to stir up whatever quotes were generated during the course of the campaign. No, I understand, and you're having fun."

Translated:

How darest thou insult thee with such pithy inquisitions. As ruler, I chooseth not to answer thine inquiry. Instead, I shalt find jest and amusement in belittling thee.

Guess he really didn't mean what he said time and time again during the primaries. I wonder if there was anything else he really didn't mean...

Now you just go and have yourself a terrific day!

The thoughts and ideas expressed in this blog posting are in no way consistent with the thoughts and ideas expressed by Barack Obama or the Democrat party. Therefore, you have been notified that any thoughts and ideas expressed in this blog posting are the equivalent of hate speech as defined by any mainstream media news outlet. Furthermore, aforementioned thoughts and ideas may cause offense to Democrats, liberals, non-achievers, those afflicted with wealth-envy, and any and all followers of the "Chosen One"...

Frankenstack Update

2008-11-29T16:30:00.001-05:00

To update all of you, Stacker had his stitches removed this week. Everything looks great! He celebrated by cavorting with his harem in the backyard and traveling to see the parental units for Thanksgiving. We've put the "I AM A MORON" sign back in the drawer. Hopefully it will stay there for a while. So, with another event behind us, I have added, yet again, to Stacker's name. He shall now be known as Baron Frankenstack von Chikkenfut.

INGRID MÅNNEITRÅP - Part Två

2008-11-27T07:00:00.002-05:00

Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous day here. I took Ingrid out to pick up scrap cardboard so I could make forms to cut the paneling for the new van. She needed a bath and the new quickie wash just opened down the street. Perfect! After the quick $4 spritz we were off. A brand new windshield is certainly noticeable. Everything is clear and crisp. It's as if I'm in a new automobile.

However, all was not well in Swedesville.

Ingrid minced no words and brought the calamity of the situation to my attention immediately. There it was, glaring at me. The sharp contrast of orange on black left nothing to chance. The message that means everything yet divulges nothing at the same time. The feared "Check Engine Light".

I quickly ran through possible scenarios and their closely related financial vacuums. I opted for the quasi-expertise of the code reader at the auto parts store. I had a doomsday event percolating in the back of my mind, hoping not to be proven correct. The last two times I stopped by to donate to his kid's college fund, my mechanic (aka Grim Reaper) alluded to the fact that there was an overbearing evil lurking in Ingrid's shadows. The code reader's findings washed the juggernaut of despair across my bright and cheery facade, reducing it to rubble.

Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold

So, Monday morning I paid a visit to the Grim Reaper who confirmed my misfortune and that Ingrid would need a new catalytic converter. Unfortunately for me, Ingrid's composition does not allow for inferior product. No, she would need a replacement from the land of OEM. I felt my wallet cry a little inside. The only silver tint to the dark cloud of monetary reduction was the labor cost, a paltry $112.50. I took Ingrid home on Tuesday. Don't you hate having work done that improves neither the performance nor the appearance? Such an empty, hollow feeling.

So, where does that leave me? Well, I'm waiting for problem number three to show itself. I'm holding out hope that I can start a new trend where trouble comes in twos.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to eat myself into a tryptophan-induced coma. Wish me luck!

INGRID MÅNNEITRÅP

2008-11-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

Did you get that? Translated, it says "Ingrid Moneytrap", otherwise known as my Volvo. Just when everything seemed right, the power of three has reared it's ugly head and paid a visit, bringing tragedy, contempt, and hatred with it. Nearly Armageddon-Esq in size.

Here's Part One:
Last Tuesday we ventured over to the local oil change establishment. Against my better judgement, I allowed them to replace the wiper blades.
As I was relaxing in the lobby watching "Cars" for the third time this year (it's on a continuous loop - I feel so sorry for the employees - water boarding pales in comparison) I glance over to see Captain Courageous attempting to replace the wiper blade. Had he had aforementioned hero's powers (even just a little) he would have not dropped the wiper assembly sans blade onto the windshield. An unholy thud emanated from the garage. Upon quick inspection, Captain Courageous determined that nothing happened and continued on his mission; two more blades to go. I basked in the false sense of security that flowed forth.
I paid for the yet unknown indiscretion and proceeded on my journey. As I pulled onto the road, the golden hue of the afternoon sun filling my field of vision as I merrily made my way home. Wait, what the????!!!!! Is that? Is that a CRACK!! U-TURN! I feel my blood pressure rise as, again, I pull into the local oil change establishment (nka La isla de los Imbéciles). I eyeball Captain Courageous who, surprisingly, is already making his way to me. I describe to him how life as I know it was going in a positive direction that day and that it had been forever tarnished and stained by his ineptitude at such a menial task. The young Captain's response, "I didn't know if that was there before or not" would have reduced a lesser individual to violence.
As I waited outside pondering the meaning of justifiable homicide, the good Captain returned to inform me that Mission Control would have my windshield replaced at no cost to me (duh). Learn from my misfortune. If it's advertised as an oil change establishment do not take them up on any offer for anything else. You'll only end up disappointed.

Stay tuned for Part Two...

New Link! New Link!

2008-11-25T08:10:00.004-05:00

Any and every body with an ounce of interest in horses be sure to check out the new link I added over there ---> ---> ---> ---> --->

The world games are coming to Lexington in 2010. For two weeks the best horses in the world will converge on the Kentucky Horse Park to compete in a variety of disciplines from Dressage to Eventing, Endurance to Reigning and more. Definitely the place for the equine junkie!!

Jennifer and I are definitely going and I'm pretty sure Denise and Matt (are you two ever getting married?) will go with us. Who else? It's going to be great!

If Money Flowed

2008-11-24T12:30:00.003-05:00

I was recently tagged to list six things I would do if money were no object. I'm going to opt to reduce my list by excluding the obvious (new home, quit job, travel, etc). So here it goes.

1. I'd buy Jefferson County Kennel Club, then close it. I believe there is a place for the NGA Greyhound. However, it's not at this track, nor any other armpit track like it.

2. I would establish a Greyhound refuge, similar to Best Friends Animal Society and other canine rehabilitation centers. I would staff it with enough people (including those that truely cared for their Greyhounds at the tracks I close) to handle every Greyhound waiting for a new home.

3. Same as number two, except it would apply to any breed of horse. This would also include purchasing and closing all slaughterhouses in North America (for starters). I'd name the refuge after Ferdinand.

4. I would lobby tirelessly to help create laws that make any act of animal cruelty a felony. Personally, I'd like to see a variation Hammurabi's Code come into play, but that might be a little unrealistic. Although, it would leave a lasting first impression...

Sorry if you were looking for this to be an a-typical, self-serving list with a dash of philanthropy. I've been outside my box lately...

Pa's Flash Allie FCh

2008-11-21T14:20:00.007-05:00

The final installment of team B is none other than Allie, aka The Mule. She comes by that nickname honestly. She's stubbornly slow around the house. Call others' names and they usually come with a little pep in their step. Allie? Not a chance. That is, unless you know how to turn on her switch. Some dogs are low drive, some are medium, some high. Allie is either low or high. There is nothing in between. Put food in the equation and it's on!

Allie came home to stay in 2004. She had a brief career in lure coursing, achieving her Field Champion title and 3rd place finish in the 2005 International Invitational. Due to her inability to overcome her desire to run into other dogs on course, I opted to finish her career in Singles. One particular course of note was run in Cartersville with two Greyhounds, The Colonel and Icy, both belonging to a good friend of mine. Coming through the final turn, Colonel had the lead. Allie looked at him and thought, "I'm going to plow into him". Now, keep in mind, Colonel has 10lb easy over Allie. He shrugged off her advances, causing her to break stride. Here comes Icy. Icy ran right over Allie and spun her around. It was scary to watch, but with no injuries resulting, I thought it was good lesson learned. Don't mess with kennel mates, they stick together!

We moved on from coursing to tracking. Allie took to it quickly and we still enjoy it to this day. Lot less impact and, in my opinion, more fun. How cool is it to walk around for 300-400 yards, drop a glove, come back and get your dog and watch her find it?

While Stacker and Julie brought me into the Greyhound fold, Allie has opened my eyes to doing more with them. She was able to pass Jen's clicker class and earn her Canine Good Citizen award. It was Jen's class that got the two of us talking. Funny how things work out, huh? As I'm typing this, Allie is enjoying the coveted sun-soaked spot on the bed behind me. I feel truely blessed that throughout life's nooks and crannies I've managed to end up where I am.

So there you have it. My dogs, the B squad. Those that are cursed under muffled breath for being too slow, too unresponsive, or "no good". It's tough living in a house with an A team like this!

Last but not Least!

2008-11-18T06:55:00.005-05:00

I've been strongly reminded that I have yet to post about Allie, my third dog. Sorry, I've been dragging my feet on this. I'll get it together this week, promise!

First Taste!

2008-11-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

You all know what it's like. That first bite of your favorite meal. The first sip of water when you're dying of thirst. This is right up there with them all.

By now, most of you know that Jennifer and I took delivery on our new dog van. We're in the process of getting it accessorized and broken in properly. In the meantime we are still carting the teams around in the old van....that is, except for today!!

Jennifer went out to teach a private obedience lesson and took the A team in the old van. I was going to take the new van and run some errands. Imagine my surprise when it was suggested that I take the B team out in the new van! You don't have to ask me twice!

First trip in the new van belongs to the B squad!!! Yeah! The rear heater kicks like kung fu! In no time at all, we were all nice and toasty. The pilot's seat is a night and day difference from the older cockpit. No longer will we suffer knee and back pain from long trips. With a six-way adjustable seat and tilt-wheel, this is quite possibly the most comfortable cargo van ever! I love having the blank slate to work with. It's going to be fun to build in the shelves and compartments.

Have You Tried Moving?

2008-11-14T01:00:00.001-05:00

While I'm not in sales, one of my job functions puts me face to face with our customers. It's inevitable. I'm usually standing on the side of the road staring at a utility pole, deep in thought. Out of the corner of my eye I see a vehicle pull in behind my work truck. I do a quick check of the area. Am I in someone's yard? Did I eat onions for lunch? Will someone hear me if I scream? Working in a rural area it's not out of the equation to be turned into fertilizer and deposited in the pasture across the road. Are cows big fans of Soylent Green? I don't really want to find out. I can typically expect only a handful of conversations:

1. What are you doing here?

2. You're not putting that on my property.

3. Public don't own this, I DO! *spit* (actual grammar used in this re-creation)

4. We'll see about that.

5. My neighbor has it, why can't I?

6. My personal favorite - The life story - How did they know that was exactly the reason I drove all the way out here??

So, I wasn't surprised to have a visitor yesterday while I was pre-surveying a job. It was in the morning (breath relatively minty fresh) and a quick look around assured me that my screams would be heard. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy talking with most of our customers, but you always have an exit strategy.

Customer: "I'm tired of dial-up and I've been trying for months to get DSL and "they" keep telling me I can't get it. They have it across the street." - Aha, good old number 5!

Good, I say to myself. He said "they" and not "you". He's not ready to place the blame on my shoulders, yet. Better not come back with my sarcastic response of "Have you tried moving across the street??".

Does everybody remember the hot new thing decades ago? Dial-up Internet!! Yeah, the sound of raccoons fighting off a pack marauding hyenas reverberating through your Caleco every time you fired up that modem. Ah, memories...

Remember that tv show The Land That Time Forgot? He lived in the neighborhood that technology bypassed. Almost everyone that didn't live on his street could get anything better than what he had. Now, when I make the follow-up phone call to break the bad news, I usually don't deliver that gem to them. I got tired of the profanity-laden onslaught that ensues. However, this man was in luck. We're going to see if we can include his neighborhood on an upgrade we have on the schedule.

Who knows, maybe we'll actually deliver someone's world after all.

FrankenStack

2008-11-12T21:50:00.003-05:00

A couple years ago Stacker was unfortunate enough to push Travis to the breaking point. The signs were all there. Muzzle punches to the head and neck were the obvious ones, along with body posturing and psychotic barking episodes. Well, that "final straw" put Stacker in the ER clinic to get his face stitched back together. Travis had one superficial scratch. Stacker is a wuss. My sister, Beth, appropriately coined the term FrankenStack after that event. Very fitting. Swollen head, lines of stitches here and there across his face. All we needed was the mob of angry villagers and we'd be set.

It has been suggested he's bipolar. Maybe he is suffering from folie à deux all on his own?

Last Thursday we removed his bandages to see if he had full range of motion in his toe. No such luck. Time for that toe to go. The following morning I called Lake City Animal Hospital to set up a surgery appointment with Dr. Toby Carmichael. The adoption group I volunteer with, Southeastern Greyhound Adoption (SEGA), leases ten kennel runs from Toby in the back of his clinic to keep recent track retirees until they are adopted. He's also been our on-call vet when we've held lure coursing trials nearby in Cartersville. To say he knows Greyhound toes is a gross understatement.

To my surprise, Toby was available that Friday. I dropped Stacker off just before lunch and picked him up mid-afternoon. Everything went very well.

Hey Peanut, tell your Mom that this is the part where she may get a little squeamish...

Time for post-op pics!!

Dr. Carmichael did a great job. Stacker has been putting weight on this foot for the past few days now. We have a few more weeks to go before the stitches come out. My sister has decided that Stacker needs a new name, or at least an addition.

She is convinced that Stacker is the equivalent of Mr. Potato Head, complete with removable parts. She further proved her point when our sister, Anna, emailed to let us know she's having to amp another part of her Greyhound's tail due to another episode of happy tail.

No experience like this would be complete without some tragedy. Unfortunately, despite a sliding economy, I could not convince one single taxidermist to preserve his toe so I could turn it into a keychain.

Stand By Your Man

2008-11-10T19:50:00.001-05:00

LISTEN UP!

I think I need to be the one to clear the air about my brother. You see, between Dad and I, we have invested the most time in trying to understand Stacker. First, let me say that Riley has it all wrong, I am NOT stuck in an abusive relationship. What would a teenager know about this? She wasn't even born when the one and only "incident" occurred.

I honestly believe that Stacker is bipolar. He's talked often about these headaches that he has and how he blacks out. Well, I've been keeping track of these blackouts and they coincide very closely with moments where his "darker" psyche steps out. His first incident with me was right before a thunderstorm. Did I mention he's FREAKED OUT (yeah, those ears are his trademark!) by thunderstorms? We were at Dad's old apartment getting our walk in before the rain came. There was an enormous clap of thunder that echoed perfectly through the complex. I was admiring it when out of nowhere a set of canines descended upon my head. OUCH! Fortunately, there was a little bite inhibition there. No scars. All was well. That was the only time Stacker has crossed the line with me. But, that moment opened my eyes to the fact that he may not know what he's doing when he acts out. I've seen it all. He's pretty bad when there's any kind of movement. Lure coursing was the worst! Dad had to muzzle him from the truck to the start. He had no problem on course, but get within five feet of him pre-course and watch out!! Stacker has mellowed a little as he's gotten older, but I know that evil lurks within. You can see it in his eyes, whether he knows it's there or not.

EVIL EYE GLOW

LOTS OF EVIL HERE - BOTH EYES GLOWING, AND MAKING ONE OF MINE GLOW THROUGH OSMOSIS...

Stacker doesn't know he's done anything wrong so please have compassion for the poor man, for he knows not what he does. He's a troubled soul. I feel pity for him and try to comfort him whenever I can. If he had known he ran right in front of Peanut he would feel HORRIBLE. So, on behalf of Stacker, I apologize to Peanut. Dad also wants me to let everyone know that he's going to update you on Stacker soon (even though mom kinda scooped the story!) and detail his progress. That's all for now!

From the Soapbox

2008-11-07T04:00:00.005-05:00

WAKE UP!

It's time to LEARN, or at least Re-Educate Yourself!

So it’s official. One of the most left-leaning candidates in the history of the United States has emerged victorious. Around the country people are rejoicing that “change” will sweep across the land and the “evil, greedy” rich will get there comeuppance and justice will prevail! Sounds pretty good, huh?

FAIRNESS

These are the newest catch-words and they are gaining momentum

EQUALITY

POP QUIZ!

To which brand of government or type of society would you attach “equality”?

If you guessed Egalitarianism (triple word score in Scrabble!) then you are correct!!

Egalitarianism is “a belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political, and economic rights and privileges” and “a social philosophy advocating the removal of inequalities among people.”

Did you see that?

Removal of inequalities, or, in other words, equality of results.

Can anyone tell me which society/government has “equality of results” as one of its prime objectives?

Did I hear socialism from the back of the blog?

Correct again!!

Is that what people really want? Individuality is naturally human. Each and every one of us has different wants and needs. These wants and needs are expressed through jobs, hobbies, clothes, cars, lifestyles, etc. What happens when you apply equality across individuality? Suffocating at best. Think of a non-necessity purchase you made recently. How many different brands, models, colors, etc did you have to choose from??

History has shown that “equality of results” is impractical. It has failed to raise the standards of those it intended to benefit. Instead, it has only lowered them.

Go plant you a row or two of “equality” in your backyard.

You’ll have a bumper crop of poverty and famine.

Egalitarianism is an attempt at utopia. In their mad dash to create equality in results, Egalitarians often use the power of the government to pass laws that conflict with the natural laws of economics and individual expression. This level of belief is the real enemy of the individual and freedom. To reach "equality of results" individual wants and needs have to be ignored, along with sacrificing one's self-determination. The only equality we need is the freedom for each person to live their life as they choose.

Capitalism is the uneven distribution of wealth

Socialism is the even distribution of poverty

Ok, let’s take a break and do a little fairness role-playing.

Let’s base our exercise on imputed income:

Dan and Barbara have owned their home for several years. They enjoy a modest mortgage payment of $900 a month. They live in a neighborhood where several houses are available for rent. Average rental price, per month, is $2000. The powers that be (yeah, the IRS) come and tell you that since you are living in your home for less than your neighbors, that difference is considered income and you should pay income taxes on it, because it's not fair that your neighbors pay more. Add it up. That’s an additional $13,200 a year. Would that be enough to push you into a higher tax bracket?? Some of you are saying, “This could never happen”. Maybe you’re right, but this idea is not an old one. The Clinton administration was working on the concept of imputed income when the Republicans took over.

I don’t think the next four years are going to be as bad as some are making it out to be. With the economy being in such dire straits the Obama administration, along with Congress, are not going to have a lot of wiggle room to bring in sweeping changes and reform. President-elect Obama was voted in largely because of his “blank slate” platform and good intentions. Good intentions do not always guarantee good results. Now, I’m not old enough to remember this personally, but those of you out there who are wiser than me will remember back in the 70’s someone who was voted in on good intentions and yielded poor results.

Reality has a way of grounding lofty idealists. Think of it as someone running through the forest with their head in the clouds, not seeing the fallen trees of reality ahead of them.

Those that are not “drunk on the Kool-Aid” will see the fallacies and stumblings of any administration while those “blinded by the light” will see their leader as being “ham stringed” by the opposing party who “refuses” to work with him/her.

In closing I leave you with a quote from Barry Goldwater:

“A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all way.”

Class dismissed…

The thoughts and ideas expressed in this blog posting are in no way consistent with the thoughts and ideas expressed by Barack Obama or the Democrat party. Therefore, you have been notified that any thoughts and ideas expressed in this blog posting are the equivalent of hate speech as defined by any mainstream media news outlet. Furthermore, aforementioned thoughts and ideas may cause offense to Democrats, liberals,non-achievers, those afflicted with wealth-envy, and any and all followers of the "Chosen One"...

No Passing Sones - Julie

2008-11-06T04:00:00.010-05:00

No, no, it's not Stones. She wasn't named by someone with a fear of kidney ailments...

Julie came home with me the same day as Stacker. They were having a two for one sale ;-) She is probably my clingiest dog. She's usually at my side (or anyone else's for that matter) soliciting (demanding) an ear scratch.

She's also my zoomiest dog. I've worked with all my dogs and they have good recalls. We enjoy hiking on a private piece of property nearby. The trails are rather closed in on either side with overgrown bushes, trees, etc. We were hiking one day and came down to a clearing by the lake. Julie started doing laps around us, getting farther and farther out. Well, the real estate ran out and she went flying off the bank and into the creek! I'd like to point out that this location is the exception to the rule. In unfamiliar areas they stay on lead with me.

She really is a crazy dog sometimes. The apartment where I used to live in Atlanta had it's own driveway and garage. I drove a full-size truck at the time so it stayed in the driveway. It did fit in the garage, but I had to make sure I had enough clean laundry because it blocked the laundry room (and pretty much everything else). I would always back up to the garage so I could load the dogs when it was time to go out. I customized it specifically for them, adding a camper shell and carpeted bedliner. I took out the back glass and sealed the cab with the bed so I could heat and cool the back and keep them comfortable. I also built shelves and elevated the floor so I could haul everything I needed with me without hoisting it onto the roof.

So, I would call up to Julie and Stacker to have them come down the stairs, through the garage and into the back of the truck. Julie became so programmed that she didn't think through the process anymore. She took two steps through the garage and jumped into the truck. Well, one day I had pulled into the driveway instead of backing into it. I figured the dogs would follow me to the back of the truck and then jump in. Well, remember Julie's programming? She took two steps, jumped, freaked, then jumped again. End result? Greyhound on roof.

St. Louis, MO - 2003 - Photograph by Ken Standerford

Cartersville, GA - 2006 - Photograph by Shot On Site

I tried her at lure coursing and she did very well. However, during a run in St. Louis, Missouri, she hyper extended her front leg during a turn causing some soft tissue damage. That was over 5 years ago. That injury still turns up in the form of a limp if she's hiking for long periods or races around the yard for a long time.

Julie & Allie in the Narrows of Green River Gorge, NC - 2007

I like hiking with her because she doesn't get far away on our local hikes and she's generally easy to keep with me. However, with her recurring limp, I have to make sure the hikes aren't too long for her.

Signal Point, Chattanooga, TN - 2008

I've learned a lot from her and, because of that (and Jen-thanks hon!), it will only make me more successful with those that follow in her steps. If it weren't for Julie (and Stacker) I wouldn't be where I am now. Adopting these two introduced to me to the great people in the Southeastern Greyhound Club (SEGC). I ended up marrying one of those people and I couldn't be happier. I honestly can say that my life changed completely because of these dogs.

Stacker's Open Apology Response

2008-11-05T17:20:00.002-05:00

At this time I am struggling to accept the open apology offered by Go Peanut Go (aka Nut). This malicious, unprovoked attack has left me battered and bruised. In no way did I "get what was coming to me" as some have already suggested. Nobody knows the true reason behind why I did what I did. Well, it's time the truth is told!

Ever since the "incident" I've been lying awake at night crying over what happened. You see, I really am a nice guy.

I happily share my space with others

Ladies First!

I'm also the night watchman when we sleep over at Mom and Dad's

So, when I saw Riley running with the Nut I was immediately afraid for my little sister.

The Nut is no stranger to violence.

She even tried to end my mom's agility career.

Whenever I would approach her and ask her to play nice she would just laugh in my face.

So you see, I didn't want to see my sister become another Nut statistic. She's too young to have her career cut short. Me on the other hand:

I'm gettin' old.

I'm not as fast as I used to be.

Riley has so much left ahead of her. I felt the only thing I could do was to step in the way and keep an aspiring agility star's career from tragically being cut short.

So now I wait to see the outcome of my chivalrous deed. I may lose my toe as a result. But I'm here to tell you I'd do it all over again if it saved one more family member from becoming another victim of the Nut.

History Lesson Coming Soon!

2008-11-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

Stay tuned for a stroll through history.

Study up on your "forms of government" chapter!

TIME TO VOTE!!

2008-11-03T21:15:00.000-05:00

If you're waiting until tomorrow, I hope you brought comfortable shoes!!

Is it just coincidence the street sign suggests not going left??????

Hazel Creek - Part 3

2008-11-03T04:00:00.002-05:00

Lucky for me, I wasn't the one who woke up with enough bear fur under their hammock to make a rug! Nothing seemed distrubed so I'm sure we weren't visited overnight.

Day three will take us down Forney Creek to Fontana Lake. Our original plan was to hike back over Welch Ridge via Bear Creek Trail to Hazel Creek and hike out to the boats. Smith was suffering from blisters and I was developing a problem with my right instep so covering that much elevation (up and down) didn't sound like a good idea. Looking at the map we could bypass crossing the ridge by following the lake via the Lakeshore Trail.

At the next campsite we saw a group that had come in on horseback from the other direction. Smith and I decided next time we come out here we would bring horses.

Welcome Home!!

2008-11-01T12:25:00.000-04:00

Guess who showed up at the Kentucky Horse Park yesterday???????

ALYSHEBA

The 24 year old settled into John Henry's stall, across from Cigar. Interesting note. Before Cigar came around and set the all-time money earning record, that title belonged to Alysheba.

He spent the last eight years in Saudia Arabia in HRH King Abdullah's royal stables.

John Nicholson, the Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park stated:

"His Royal Highness King Abdullah realized how much Alysheba means to the American racing fans and we are grateful for this magnanimous gift of one of his favorite horses to our country. We are grateful as well for the great care His Majesty has provided for Alysheba."

While winning the 1987 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, AND Eclipse Award (Horse of the Year), Alysheba was even better as a 4-year-old, winning six Grade 1 stakes, including the 1988 Breeder's Cup Classic. He's listed as #42 out of the top 100 U.S. racehorses of the 20th Century.

This is a tremendous gift to the Horse Park. If you haven't been in a while or have never been, go now. Go see this wonderful horse, along with the others that are still there: Cigar, Da Hoss, Kona Gold, Western Dreamer and the others. Their former owners have been so gracious to send them to the Park so the fans of the sport, new and old, can enjoy them again, or for the very first time.

Horse Racing

2008-11-01T05:00:00.001-04:00

This past year I've become more interested in horse racing, beyond the Triple Crown races. Jennifer and I took a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington last year with her sister and fiance and had a great time. It was a wonderful experience to see the legends like Cigar and John Henry (RIP).

By no means do I consider myself a student of the game, but I've enjoyed following a number of horses this year and watching them run in the Breeder's Cup last weekend.

CURLIN

I followed Curlin through his sensational season as a four year old. I applaud Jess Jackson for allowing the fans to see one more year of him before he goes to stud.

BIG BROWN

I think Big Brown is a great horse with bad feet. However, I'm thrilled to see him leave the likes of IEAH and Dutrow and head for Three Chimneys where another favorite, Smarty Jones, is standing.

ZENYATTA

Zenyatta, in her undefeated season culminating with a win in the Ladies' Classic, is a strong contender for Horse of The Year. I hope she or Curlin gets it.

I was amazed at how well the European horses ran this year, but given their typical training, I can see their advantage. If the pace is slow enough, they can practically canter around to the top of the stretch, then explode.

Most importantly, this year saw tracks take on anti-slaughter measures to prevent throughbreds from being sent off to auction. Nick Zito publicly applauded Suffolk Downs for leading the way.

Stacker

2008-10-31T18:45:00.003-04:00

Well, here we are, back at Allatoona Animal Hospital. Stacker has been putting his foot down more frequently so the pain and swelling seem to be going away. We're back to see Denise and Dr. Hiland to see if we can get some better x-rays.

Stacker seems ready for it.

Dr. Hiland still was not able to get a good picture and came back to let me know they were going to give him a mild sedative so they could position him to get a better picture. Bring on the Propofol!

As with any sedative, the results are obvious.

This time the x-ray definitely ruled out a fracture.

Pending a consult with the orthopedist, it's possible that Stacker damaged a ligament (maybe the dorsal elastic ligament) in his toe. The joint between P2 and P3 looks a little abnormal in comparison with the surrounding joints. A fractured toe would be much easier to deal with. The bone could be allowed to calcify and heal and he'd probably be fine. Soft tissue injuries are always suspect. Amputation is an option. I don't like the fact that the injury is on a load-bearing toes, but I've talked to friends who have had a load-bearing toe removed and the dog has been fine afterward.

So now we're in a new splint and will wait to hear back from Dr. Hiland after she has talked to the orthopedist.

TRICK OR TREAT!??!??!

2008-10-31T06:00:00.005-04:00

Hazel Creek - Part 2

2008-10-30T22:00:00.000-04:00

After a good night's sleep, Smith and I set off for day two's destination, the confluence of Forney and Jonas Creek on the opposite side of Welch Ridge.

We were fortunate on day one and part of day two that the trail is also used by horses, so it is wide and clear. Horses are allowed on the first 8 miles or so of Hazel Creek. For the entirety of the trip we did not see one other backpacker. Everyone we came across had come in on horseback.

The climb to Welch Ridge from Hazel Creek was tough. Lots of switch backs and a lot of elevation gained. Up to this point every step we had taken was uphill. We reached the Welch Ridge Trail a lot later than we had anticipated.

We started down the Jonas Creek Trail which would take us down to the confluence with Forney Creek and our campsite for the night.

We reached the bottom of the ridge and it was getting darker on us. It didn't help the fact that we were on the East side of the ridge either.

Shortly after this picture, I saw bear number three. About 200 feet ahead of me on the trail it raced across and out of sight. One thing I've been noticing about these bruins is they are deceptively quiet, even when they're running. Very disturbing. I waited for Smith to catch up before I went ahead. He's been suffering from blisters and wasn't moving as fast as I was.

We hiked the last hour in the dark, crossing Jonas Creek at least three times. We came across a clearing and decided we were staying there whether it was the campsite or not. Well, to our good fortune, it was the campsite. We set up camp and got some much needed rest.

P's Stacker FCh

2008-10-28T07:33:00.027-04:00

I was going to wait until a later time to introduce the "B" team to you. However, recent events compelled me to post about one of them now. The "B" team are my three Greyhounds, Stacker, Allie and Julie. If you have ever seen my wife's Greyhounds you already understand why mine are not on any "A" team in our house.

Stacker is my 9 year old former racer, former lure courser, former phantom crapper (ever found "something" and wonder who did it and when?). I've had him for almost 6 years now. I adopted him on a Thanksgiving weekend from GPA Birmingham. Stacker ran over 100 races at Gulf Greyhound Park in Texas and the track in Birmingham. He was originally adopted out to a person who lived in Cullman, AL. I don't know the full story, but I believe they had more animals than they could deal with and brought him to their vet to have him put down. When the vet asked why, they said that the track was going to do it anyway if they sent him back so they wanted it done on their terms. Well, first, the adoption kennel at the track would not have put him down, period. Secondly, these people didn't stay long enough to see the vet, instead of euthanizing him, sending him BACK to GPA Birmingham. He hung around for a couple months until I showed up and brought him home.

Stacker had a relatively successful (and safe) ASFA lure coursing career for about two years. He achieved the title of Field Champion and was the top Greyhound at the Region 7 Invitational in 2004. This was also the same year that he won my club's trophy which is awarded to the highest scoring Greyhound in his/her rookie coursing season.

This past weekend, my club, Southeastern Greyhound Club, hosted the 3rd running of the ASFA Greyhound National Specialty in conjunction with our all-breed Fullerton Cup coursing trial at Bear Creek Farm in Moreland, GA.

Since this is on the other side of Atlanta from us, we usually bring all the dogs down and take advantage of our good friends' property, SummerWind Farm. There's a nice 12-14 acre fenced pasture at the back of the farm just for the dogs. On Sunday my wife, Jen, took all six to SummerWind while I went to work at the trial. She let them explore the pasture one more time before packing up and heading home.

That would be his new little sister, Riley, and my sister-in-law's Greyhound, Peanut, teaching my boy the painful lesson of standing in front of a head-strong, determined woman (or two).

He got up fine and continued on for the remainder of the walk. Afterwards he appeared a little lame and Jen noticed some swelling on his back left foot. When I came home that evening from the trial, his foot was swollen and he was not bearing any weight on it. By Monday afternoon, his foot was completely swollen. We decided to get x-rays to see if he had a fractured or dislocated toe. Here are the results:

This image is looking down on his back left foot. The toe in question is second from right, or third from left depending on how your brain works. Due to the swelling, the toe is contracted so you cannot get a clear image of the P2 bone. Dr. Hiland at Allatoona Animal Hospital is going to try again on Friday after the swelling has subsided. So, for now, Stacker gets to three-leg it around the house.

Hazel Creek - Part 1

2008-10-27T15:00:00.002-04:00

By Spring of this year I had read my third or fourth article about Hazel Creek and the solitude and remoteness it offered. It looked like a great place to me. Being that it is in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it is relatively close by. I started to loosely pull a trip together, wondering if I'd ever go on it. I have a bad habit of coming up with great trips or projects and never following through with it.

In July my wife and I let go of one of the greatest Greyhounds I've ever known. One of the things I learned from this experience is that life can and will pass you by if you let it. From that point on I've made a more determined effort to see my ideas develop into reality. The trip was on!

I contacted a close friend of mine (Smith) to see if he was interested in going. Absolutely was his response. We finalized the trip. We estimated the trip would take between three to four days. The following covers the first two days of the trip.

Sunday, September 28th, Smith and I met at Fontana Village Lodge to get our gear situated and to make sure we had everything we needed.

Monday morning, we drove down to the marina which would be our launch point for the first part of the trip.

This is Smith with our boats and gear. Notice the partially submerged police boat. It was recovered from the bottom of Fontana Lake two days earlier.

We paddled out of the marina cove and went east across Fontana Lake to Hazel Creek and then up Hazel Creek to a point where the park service had placed a barricade across the creek preventing further upstream travel.

I had read that this particular part of GSMNP had higher concentrations of black bears than in other areas of the park. I had seen one drinking at the lakeshore as we paddled up Hazel Creek. When we got out of our boats on Hazel Creek, we saw this:

Guess they were right! Within an hour of that picture we encountered our second black bear as he came onto the trail from the creek. He was about 30-40 feet in front of us. With the sound of the creek and us being down wind, he never knew we were there until he made it on the trail. Sorry, but I thought safety before photo-op and yelled "Hey Bear!". He promptly sprinted up the hill and out of sight. The rest of the day was scenic, but not as eventful.

Here are some buildings from what used to be a community (I believe it was Proctor)

We continually gained elevation as we headed for a the last campsite on Hazel Creek. We covered almost 9 miles that day, arriving to camp a couple hours before dark.

The Man Behind the Keyboard

2008-10-27T09:48:00.005-04:00

First off, a little about myself. I'm a 31 year-old living just outside Atlanta, GA. I work (that should be the last time I mention it because I didn't create this blog to talk about work). So, what does that pay for? Well, my wife and I own six greyhounds. She competes in AKC agility and obedience trials and does very well. I'll post in greater depth on my hounds, but I've done some lure coursing several years ago and recently have been working on tracking. My other pursuits are hiking and boating (kayaking, rafting). I was recently able to combine these two into a rather interesting trip with a great friend of mine. I'm putting the trip report together this week and will post it soon.

Get Up and Go!

2008-10-27T09:39:00.003-04:00

This has been a long time coming. I knew eventually I'd have to do it. The urge was too strong. After seeing how easy it is to go to my wife's blog and read about things I have long since forgotten, I decided it's time to start my own. Too late? Maybe, but the sooner I start the less I'll forget.