Here is an amusing way to waste a few minutes of your time:
Click Here
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Change is in the Wind
Just got back from my walk with Bailey. Blustery! Raining almost sideways at times. But that doesn't deter the dog, just spreads the smells around a bit more, have more bushes, trees and clumps of grass to check out. All the blossoms on the trees, well, they aren't there anymore. Now the baby leaves are showing. Another part of Ma Nature's Spring Show. The rain in Oregon, this time of year means only one thing: Spring Break. The weather people say we may have some sunshine by the end of the week. Don't get me wrong. The rain is great! We haven't had nearly enough yet this winter. We will take all we can get right about now. I was suppose to go on another fishing trip with R tomorrow but it was canceled. Not enough water in the rivers! I'm going to have to wait a bit longer before going after steelhead.
Tab heads to the coast this week, with a couple of adults and a gaggle of teenagers. You have to be young with lots of energy for the likes of that. Good Luck Tab!
Eric, Troys son is turning out to be quite handy with the tools. He made his own pinewood derby car for Cub Scouts. And he did a very good job too: his car has won every race it's been in so far. Next stop is the Regionals! (or is it the District Finals... I have a hard time keeping it all straight.) Eric has attended a number of Saturday classes at the local Home Depot and is amassing quite a tool collection. Every job is easier when you have the right tool, you know....
Along with all the kids getting the week off, I get the week off too. A shutdown week for Etec and Amat. While Amat is in the black and beat estimates last quarter, the projections for this quarter are below estimates so this is the way they choose to cut costs, reduce their accrued vacation liability and yet still keep the employees around with out laying them off and hiring them back. The new, flexible workforce... As for Etec, we are getting a lot of interest in our improved tool. Soon, soon.
All that free time on my hands is burning a hole in P's pocket, so to speak. We tackled a couple of closets today. Unearthed some things that haven't seen the light of day in years! Lots of small clothes and other interesting, miscellaneous finds. I still have my highschool LetterSweater: Class of '69, with the white L instead of the usual red one signifying that we had won the Conference Championship. Wow, that was a long time ago. I got that in 1966 for being part of the Varsity Cross Country team. To think that I could run 2 miles in under 12 minutes at one time in my life. Kind of seems like a dream right now!
Lot of memories in those closets.
So, I've made one trip to the Goodwill and anticipate a minimum of one more before the week is over. Lots of treasures for somebody. The interesting part of this exercise, cleaning/tossing/donating, are the decisions: you weren't willing to part with it last time you came across the item, yet this time you are. What changed?
That is the ultimate question as you get older isn't it, What Changed?
Well, if the weather allows, we will be changing the west side of the house. I built a shed next to it a number of years ago. We changed the house color while it was up and now that it has been torn down, that side of the house is still the old color. Going to have to clean it, put on a coat of primer and then the final coat. Of course that side of the house will look great, freshly painted. That means that the rest of the house will need some fresh paint too. This is all part of P's master plan....
Tab heads to the coast this week, with a couple of adults and a gaggle of teenagers. You have to be young with lots of energy for the likes of that. Good Luck Tab!
Eric, Troys son is turning out to be quite handy with the tools. He made his own pinewood derby car for Cub Scouts. And he did a very good job too: his car has won every race it's been in so far. Next stop is the Regionals! (or is it the District Finals... I have a hard time keeping it all straight.) Eric has attended a number of Saturday classes at the local Home Depot and is amassing quite a tool collection. Every job is easier when you have the right tool, you know....
Along with all the kids getting the week off, I get the week off too. A shutdown week for Etec and Amat. While Amat is in the black and beat estimates last quarter, the projections for this quarter are below estimates so this is the way they choose to cut costs, reduce their accrued vacation liability and yet still keep the employees around with out laying them off and hiring them back. The new, flexible workforce... As for Etec, we are getting a lot of interest in our improved tool. Soon, soon.
All that free time on my hands is burning a hole in P's pocket, so to speak. We tackled a couple of closets today. Unearthed some things that haven't seen the light of day in years! Lots of small clothes and other interesting, miscellaneous finds. I still have my highschool LetterSweater: Class of '69, with the white L instead of the usual red one signifying that we had won the Conference Championship. Wow, that was a long time ago. I got that in 1966 for being part of the Varsity Cross Country team. To think that I could run 2 miles in under 12 minutes at one time in my life. Kind of seems like a dream right now!
Lot of memories in those closets.
So, I've made one trip to the Goodwill and anticipate a minimum of one more before the week is over. Lots of treasures for somebody. The interesting part of this exercise, cleaning/tossing/donating, are the decisions: you weren't willing to part with it last time you came across the item, yet this time you are. What changed?
That is the ultimate question as you get older isn't it, What Changed?
Well, if the weather allows, we will be changing the west side of the house. I built a shed next to it a number of years ago. We changed the house color while it was up and now that it has been torn down, that side of the house is still the old color. Going to have to clean it, put on a coat of primer and then the final coat. Of course that side of the house will look great, freshly painted. That means that the rest of the house will need some fresh paint too. This is all part of P's master plan....
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Sunday, February 27, 2005
This is Wrong, just plain wrong!
Here it is, the end of February, and I just finished mowing the lawn for the first time this year. Not only is it sunny today, a balmy 65 degrees, it has been nice enough for long enough to cause the grass to start growing. Growing enough that it needs mowing! And Mother Nature was kind enough to schedule a beautiful day like today on a weekend for a change, just so we could work out in the yard. This shouldn't be happening for another three weeks at least! It should be raining non-stop this time of year, especially on the weekends! Unless things change drastically in the next couple of days March is going to come in like a lamb, not like a lion per its reputation.
Later-
We took advantage of the weather to crank up the bbq and burn some burgers this afternoon. I have a little grill that takes the small bottles of gas. It all fits quite nicely on a table on the deck off the dining room. Our deck is off the top floor of our tri-level so when the meat starts burning and the grill gets real smokey, that smell drifts off over the neighberhood. Everybody knows what we're having for dinner. The deck is half covered so I can cook there even when it rains. I bbq'd last Sunday for the first time this year: a couple of marinated pork tenderloins. Excellent! There's something about burning meat over a flame out of doors that makes it taste better somehow. I guess it is not my place to wonder why, just to enjoy it and burp with pleasure.
I thought I'd take the before picture of the garden today. It will be a while before I can really get started on it. I'm sure we're in for frost at least once before mid-April. So here is what I will be working with:
Before
I ran the lawnmower over the weeds when I cut the lawn. The area is covered with pine needles too. I will have to cut back the limbs of the tree just to the left of the picture. This year we will be growing more tomatoes and some corn. I tried with the corn a couple of years ago and got some stalks to grow but didn't get any ears. I want to try some carrots again too. Last time they were too close together and I hadn't rototilled the soil deep enough. We got some carrots but they were itty bitty things, no more than a couple of inches big. Yup, got big plans for the garden this year!
Later-
We took advantage of the weather to crank up the bbq and burn some burgers this afternoon. I have a little grill that takes the small bottles of gas. It all fits quite nicely on a table on the deck off the dining room. Our deck is off the top floor of our tri-level so when the meat starts burning and the grill gets real smokey, that smell drifts off over the neighberhood. Everybody knows what we're having for dinner. The deck is half covered so I can cook there even when it rains. I bbq'd last Sunday for the first time this year: a couple of marinated pork tenderloins. Excellent! There's something about burning meat over a flame out of doors that makes it taste better somehow. I guess it is not my place to wonder why, just to enjoy it and burp with pleasure.
I thought I'd take the before picture of the garden today. It will be a while before I can really get started on it. I'm sure we're in for frost at least once before mid-April. So here is what I will be working with:
Before
I ran the lawnmower over the weeds when I cut the lawn. The area is covered with pine needles too. I will have to cut back the limbs of the tree just to the left of the picture. This year we will be growing more tomatoes and some corn. I tried with the corn a couple of years ago and got some stalks to grow but didn't get any ears. I want to try some carrots again too. Last time they were too close together and I hadn't rototilled the soil deep enough. We got some carrots but they were itty bitty things, no more than a couple of inches big. Yup, got big plans for the garden this year!
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
At least it wasn't underwear
Today was Troy's birthday. Yesterday was Scotts. Birthdays are ok, but we really don't want to talk about which one it is. Not so much as to how old the boys are as to how old it means their mother is! This year the gift of choice was shoes. Both boys needed some. At least it wasn't underwear.....
At work the company came out with the last quarters results today: slightly better revenue and profit than expected by Wall Street. Unfortunately, the forecast for next quarter is down a bit more that expected also. The company announced they will be shutting down the week of 28 March, the week of spring break, as a cost saving measure. We can use vacation time or take it as unpaid. It's been all most 18 months since the last shut down week. All part of the swings the chip industry goes through. As for my portion of the company, we are making some progress on product improvements. We need to continue to make more. The sooner the better. We are the leanest we have ever been. As we have no official drafters anymore and the only other people in the company proficient with the drafting software are tied up working on product improvements, I tried my hand at some simple updates to a couple of drawings: note changes. It took me several hours to do what an experienced drafter could have done in 15 minutes. Next time, it will take me much less time! This week is my boss's last week here. He took another job with the company in Austin Texas. We're going to miss him. He was a good buffer between us and management. We're going to have to adjust to his boss until they get the ok to replace him. In the current climate they will delay as long as possible. In the mean time, we and our acting boss will be teaching each other exactly what is important to get done and what isn't. Hopefully it will continue to be a two way street....
Currently on my night stand:
Durant's History of Civilization, Volume III: Ceasar and Christ
Volume 1 of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
The American Scholar Magazine, Winter 2005
Sounds kind of heavy. I guess I'm still in my history phase.
At work the company came out with the last quarters results today: slightly better revenue and profit than expected by Wall Street. Unfortunately, the forecast for next quarter is down a bit more that expected also. The company announced they will be shutting down the week of 28 March, the week of spring break, as a cost saving measure. We can use vacation time or take it as unpaid. It's been all most 18 months since the last shut down week. All part of the swings the chip industry goes through. As for my portion of the company, we are making some progress on product improvements. We need to continue to make more. The sooner the better. We are the leanest we have ever been. As we have no official drafters anymore and the only other people in the company proficient with the drafting software are tied up working on product improvements, I tried my hand at some simple updates to a couple of drawings: note changes. It took me several hours to do what an experienced drafter could have done in 15 minutes. Next time, it will take me much less time! This week is my boss's last week here. He took another job with the company in Austin Texas. We're going to miss him. He was a good buffer between us and management. We're going to have to adjust to his boss until they get the ok to replace him. In the current climate they will delay as long as possible. In the mean time, we and our acting boss will be teaching each other exactly what is important to get done and what isn't. Hopefully it will continue to be a two way street....
Currently on my night stand:
Durant's History of Civilization, Volume III: Ceasar and Christ
Volume 1 of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
The American Scholar Magazine, Winter 2005
Sounds kind of heavy. I guess I'm still in my history phase.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
The Big Game
About an hour to the big game start. We're just about ready. Lots of snacks, plenty of beverages and the TV has been warming up for an hour or so. I'm thinking of Tivo'ing the whole game just so I can back it up to all the commercials if need be. Ratine these commercials is serious stuff. I'm sure there will be several web sites dedicated to rating them based on internet votes. I don't have a laptop that I can surf on while I watch the game and my desktop is in another section of the house from the biggest TV we have. I know, I know.... deprived... We will be rooting for Philly, just because they are the underdogs. Most of all, we want it to be a good game!
We watched the movie Ray last night. Good film! Jamie Foxx did a very good job. Very believable. Ray Charles was a creative genius with some ghosts. It was the music. The music kept him going. Exploring, creating, always working for something new, fresh, inovative, entertaining. We enjoyed the movie.
We watched the movie Ray last night. Good film! Jamie Foxx did a very good job. Very believable. Ray Charles was a creative genius with some ghosts. It was the music. The music kept him going. Exploring, creating, always working for something new, fresh, inovative, entertaining. We enjoyed the movie.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Is it spring yet?
Just got back from our Sunday walk with P & Bailey. A beautiful day today: partly cloudy, low 50's. A number of bushes are starting show their buds. Spring can't be too far? Next Wednesday is Groundhogs day afterall. Paula Fritchie's birthday. I haven't seen her since we left Michigan 50 years ago, but I've never forgotten that her birthday is on Groundhogs Day. Funny what sort of things get imprinted on your mind when you're four years old.
It was only a matter of time before this became the subject of academic inquiry: Click Here.
Thanks to Scripting News for the link.
My boss has given notice. He's found another job within the parent company. He has three week before he has to report to work in Texas. There goes my buffer. I don't know if his boss will be able to replace him. I'm going to have to train someone regardless: what I do and why it is important to the well being of the company. Have to make sure someone in authority knows. I'm the one in between Engineering and Manufacturing, trying to make sure that they each know what the other needs, that the information transfer is orderly, authorized and complete. Getting a brand new boss will depend on what sort of progress the engineers make on improving the latest tool. Consensus says we have 6 to 8 weeks to come up with something to show the (one particular) customer that we do know what we are doing and can come through with a machine that meets their needs. In the mean time, my engineering change work load has dropped off (but it will pick up as soon as the engineering experiments yield positive results.) It's not like I no longer have anything to do.... all those second and third tier tasks are finally making their way to the top of my To-Do list. Can't ignore them any longer!
Now, just because I can, I'm putting in a picture of one of my pens. It's one of my current favorites: a Pelikan 150 with a medium nib ground down to a .06mm stub. This means that it's a little like a nib used for caligraphy. Depending on the way you hold it and the direction of the stroke you will get a wider or narrower line. I have a journal I write in almost daily. This is the pen I've been using most for that task as of late.
pelikan 150
In future posts I will include pictures of some of my other pens. Hopefully I will get better an the display, presentation and photography of them. Just another trail on the path of discovery....
It was only a matter of time before this became the subject of academic inquiry: Click Here.
Thanks to Scripting News for the link.
My boss has given notice. He's found another job within the parent company. He has three week before he has to report to work in Texas. There goes my buffer. I don't know if his boss will be able to replace him. I'm going to have to train someone regardless: what I do and why it is important to the well being of the company. Have to make sure someone in authority knows. I'm the one in between Engineering and Manufacturing, trying to make sure that they each know what the other needs, that the information transfer is orderly, authorized and complete. Getting a brand new boss will depend on what sort of progress the engineers make on improving the latest tool. Consensus says we have 6 to 8 weeks to come up with something to show the (one particular) customer that we do know what we are doing and can come through with a machine that meets their needs. In the mean time, my engineering change work load has dropped off (but it will pick up as soon as the engineering experiments yield positive results.) It's not like I no longer have anything to do.... all those second and third tier tasks are finally making their way to the top of my To-Do list. Can't ignore them any longer!
Now, just because I can, I'm putting in a picture of one of my pens. It's one of my current favorites: a Pelikan 150 with a medium nib ground down to a .06mm stub. This means that it's a little like a nib used for caligraphy. Depending on the way you hold it and the direction of the stroke you will get a wider or narrower line. I have a journal I write in almost daily. This is the pen I've been using most for that task as of late.
pelikan 150
In future posts I will include pictures of some of my other pens. Hopefully I will get better an the display, presentation and photography of them. Just another trail on the path of discovery....
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Two weeks ago, Troy slipped on some snow and rebroke the arm he broke last September. The doctor put a plate in his arm back then to facilitate the healing of the bone. Troy bent the plate when he fell this time. The doctor had to replace the plate. Here is why:
Here's another picture of it with a quarter so you can get some idea just how big this thing is. I was supprised how small it was. I mean, it was holding an adults arm bone together, for goodness sakes.
Eric, Troys son, got to take it to school for Show and Tell. Pretty neat show and tell item! Troys arm is in a split cast until tomorrow. The swelling will be down by then and he will get a hard cast to last the next eight weeks.
Here's another picture of it with a quarter so you can get some idea just how big this thing is. I was supprised how small it was. I mean, it was holding an adults arm bone together, for goodness sakes.
Eric, Troys son, got to take it to school for Show and Tell. Pretty neat show and tell item! Troys arm is in a split cast until tomorrow. The swelling will be down by then and he will get a hard cast to last the next eight weeks.
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Winter
It's a good thing its a weekend, thats all I have to say.
We are experiencing a wet warm front moving in from the south and a cold front coming down from the north. They are meeting in our little section of the world. The rain from the warm front is falling through the cold front and if not freezing on the way down, freezing as soon as it hit the ground that is at or below 32 degrees. There's a nice coat of ice on just about everything. I darn near fell on my butt just getting the paper at the end of the driveway! Even the squirrels are having a hard time because the feeders are coated too. The roads are skating rinks. Lots of accidents. By the way, the US National Skating Championships are being held in Portland this week with the finals this weekend. More than a coincidence????
I'm happy to report that Troy underwent surgery this past Wednesday and all went well. He'd bent the metal plate put in when he broke his arm in September. The doctor had to remove the bent plate, set the broken bone and put a new plate in. Troy is home, feeling much better. If the weather permits he may even go to work early next week.
In other news, the company I work for announced a new program Tuesday: The Talent Mobility Program. Apparently this is something Intel does. When a design project winds down to completion the Engineers on the project are given 60 days to find work elsewhere in the company or be terminated. Well, Wednesday, 25 to 30 people were placed in this program. They have two weeks to decide if they want to go into the Talent Mobility Pool or terminate voluntarily. The company is counting on everyone to be "professional" and work to smooth the transition of duties and responsibilities to the remaining regular employees. If they decide to leave at the end of the two weeks they get a nice severance package: two months pay plus two weeks pay for every year they'd been with the company. If they decide to go into the Talent Mobility Pool they have the company resources: their workspace, computer and email access for the 60 days, to look for jobs elsewhere in the company. If they can't find anything suitable or if they do but aren't chosen for position they've applied for, they will be terminated with the same package: two months plus two weeks for every year of service. They just get it 60 days later.
I'm happy to report that I am still among the regular employees, but there are darn few of us left. Apparently they put the lone documentation person in Hayward on this program. I'm trying to find out what management has in mind for supporting the 30 or so R & D engineers left down there. What, if anything, I might be expected to do.
May we live in interesting times, eh?
We are experiencing a wet warm front moving in from the south and a cold front coming down from the north. They are meeting in our little section of the world. The rain from the warm front is falling through the cold front and if not freezing on the way down, freezing as soon as it hit the ground that is at or below 32 degrees. There's a nice coat of ice on just about everything. I darn near fell on my butt just getting the paper at the end of the driveway! Even the squirrels are having a hard time because the feeders are coated too. The roads are skating rinks. Lots of accidents. By the way, the US National Skating Championships are being held in Portland this week with the finals this weekend. More than a coincidence????
I'm happy to report that Troy underwent surgery this past Wednesday and all went well. He'd bent the metal plate put in when he broke his arm in September. The doctor had to remove the bent plate, set the broken bone and put a new plate in. Troy is home, feeling much better. If the weather permits he may even go to work early next week.
In other news, the company I work for announced a new program Tuesday: The Talent Mobility Program. Apparently this is something Intel does. When a design project winds down to completion the Engineers on the project are given 60 days to find work elsewhere in the company or be terminated. Well, Wednesday, 25 to 30 people were placed in this program. They have two weeks to decide if they want to go into the Talent Mobility Pool or terminate voluntarily. The company is counting on everyone to be "professional" and work to smooth the transition of duties and responsibilities to the remaining regular employees. If they decide to leave at the end of the two weeks they get a nice severance package: two months pay plus two weeks pay for every year they'd been with the company. If they decide to go into the Talent Mobility Pool they have the company resources: their workspace, computer and email access for the 60 days, to look for jobs elsewhere in the company. If they can't find anything suitable or if they do but aren't chosen for position they've applied for, they will be terminated with the same package: two months plus two weeks for every year of service. They just get it 60 days later.
I'm happy to report that I am still among the regular employees, but there are darn few of us left. Apparently they put the lone documentation person in Hayward on this program. I'm trying to find out what management has in mind for supporting the 30 or so R & D engineers left down there. What, if anything, I might be expected to do.
May we live in interesting times, eh?
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Back to work......
I survived the first work week of the new year. Seemed like it was touch and go there for a while until I finally caught up on my sleep around Wednesday.... back into the routine. Start of the new year, lots of report to write, lots of numbers to compile, lots of charts to create.
The state sent me a reminder that my birthday is next month. It's time to renew my drivers license. I didn't realize how old I will be until this reminder informed me that I can not simpley renew by mail, as I have done ever since I got my license in this state some 28 years ago. NOOooooooo. I have to actually go into a DMV office and take a vision test!
Now, granted, I do need a little help with the fine print these days, but for distance, I can see just as good as or better than most. I guess its just that I've gotten to the age where society feels the need to make sure that I'm OK for some activities. It's kind of like when you get to the "Greater Than 35" age bracket for auto insurance, except in reverse. I will be getting a brand new license, with a new picture too. Have to get a hair cut this weekend. That always makes me look younger...
In other, more somber news: Troy slipped on some snow out side a grocery store last night, fell on the wrist/arm he broke about 4 months ago. He has a metal plate in that arm used to keep the bones aligned while they grew back together. The doctor just left it in rather than do a second surgery. Apparently Troy fell on the same arm and the x-rays show that the arm is broken again and the metal plate is bent. I don't know how much. The doctor who initially put the plate in is on vacation until Monday. Troy's going to have to wait until then to see about getting it fixed. It's going to take more surgery and probably replacing the metal plate. In the mean time he's got some GOOD drugs.
The state sent me a reminder that my birthday is next month. It's time to renew my drivers license. I didn't realize how old I will be until this reminder informed me that I can not simpley renew by mail, as I have done ever since I got my license in this state some 28 years ago. NOOooooooo. I have to actually go into a DMV office and take a vision test!
Now, granted, I do need a little help with the fine print these days, but for distance, I can see just as good as or better than most. I guess its just that I've gotten to the age where society feels the need to make sure that I'm OK for some activities. It's kind of like when you get to the "Greater Than 35" age bracket for auto insurance, except in reverse. I will be getting a brand new license, with a new picture too. Have to get a hair cut this weekend. That always makes me look younger...
In other, more somber news: Troy slipped on some snow out side a grocery store last night, fell on the wrist/arm he broke about 4 months ago. He has a metal plate in that arm used to keep the bones aligned while they grew back together. The doctor just left it in rather than do a second surgery. Apparently Troy fell on the same arm and the x-rays show that the arm is broken again and the metal plate is bent. I don't know how much. The doctor who initially put the plate in is on vacation until Monday. Troy's going to have to wait until then to see about getting it fixed. It's going to take more surgery and probably replacing the metal plate. In the mean time he's got some GOOD drugs.
Saturday, January 01, 2005
2005, The Year of the ?
Happy New Year! Hope it will be safe and prosperous for all. And eventful and interesting....
Once again the neighborhood outdid itself last night. There were some fireworks in our cul de sac but the cul de sac behind us REALLY did it up good. We have a tri-level house, the deck off the dining room has a nice view over most of the houses in the area. It was almost better than the Fourth of July display they put on last summer. And there was some one in the distance who had a bunch of M-80's (equal to a quarter stick of dynamite). VERY loud booms. Bailey stuck to us like glue the whole time. And no such celebration would be complete without the sounds of the fire truck sirens. There is a fire station about a mile away from our house. We can hear them any time they are called out. They were called out a couple of times last night.
One of the thing I did recently that wasn't reported here is the fishing trip I took after Thanksgiving with Randy, my brother-in-law. He is an avid fisherman. It was the first time I've gone fishing in the 20-some years I've been in Oregon. Oh yes, there was that ill-fated deep sea fishing expedition. I don't count that as I was toooooo seasick to even hold a fishing pole. We drove a couple hundred miles to the coastal town of Port Orford the Friday after Thanksgiving. Saturday we were up at 4:30 to meet Vernon, the guide at the Sixes River at 6 am, well before daylight. Apparently you cannot start fishing until there is a certain amount of daylight. And when it does get light, you want to be at your spot, ready to go. Vernon had a light on his hat, like a miner, to keep us off the banks and shallow spots as we made our way down the river. We were in a 15' rowboat, Randy and I in seats in the front, Vernon had the oars and all the rest of the gear behind us. It was about 35 degrees with a bit of wind. Kind of cool. I had on sweats and coats and rain gear and gloves and a couple pair of socks to keep me warm and dry. At least it kept me dry. We got to the spot we were heading for, a bend in the river about 7. There were up to 35 other fishermen in the same area through out the day. Some in a couple of boats but nearly all of them were fishing off the bank or in the river using waders. There were a number of fly fishermen (as opposed to lures and bait) and even one fly fisherwoman. Because the river was low, we were "bobber fishing" as opposed to "trolling". This mean that we anchored the boat, plunked our bait into a pool right at the bend in the river, sat back and watched the bobbers, waiting for them to disappear. There were fish all over that pool, roiling the water, jumping out of the water, catching the line on their fins as they swam by (the bait (fresh salmon eggs) was just above the bottom of the river.) We sat there, feeding the fish nearly the whole day. There were guys not more than 30 feet away from us catching so many that they had to pick and choose which ones (limit two per day) to keep. We got one strike around noon. The fish played with us for about 30 seconds before throwing the hook (he kept the bait....) We sat there.... through the morning mist, some early sunshine, clouds, rain, more wind, more sunshine, more rain. You get the picture. It wasn't until after three when I hooked one. It took a while to land, they tell me. It had a lot of fight in it. Very exhilarating. I think it was worth the eight hours of wind and rain and cold, don't you think?
Once again the neighborhood outdid itself last night. There were some fireworks in our cul de sac but the cul de sac behind us REALLY did it up good. We have a tri-level house, the deck off the dining room has a nice view over most of the houses in the area. It was almost better than the Fourth of July display they put on last summer. And there was some one in the distance who had a bunch of M-80's (equal to a quarter stick of dynamite). VERY loud booms. Bailey stuck to us like glue the whole time. And no such celebration would be complete without the sounds of the fire truck sirens. There is a fire station about a mile away from our house. We can hear them any time they are called out. They were called out a couple of times last night.
One of the thing I did recently that wasn't reported here is the fishing trip I took after Thanksgiving with Randy, my brother-in-law. He is an avid fisherman. It was the first time I've gone fishing in the 20-some years I've been in Oregon. Oh yes, there was that ill-fated deep sea fishing expedition. I don't count that as I was toooooo seasick to even hold a fishing pole. We drove a couple hundred miles to the coastal town of Port Orford the Friday after Thanksgiving. Saturday we were up at 4:30 to meet Vernon, the guide at the Sixes River at 6 am, well before daylight. Apparently you cannot start fishing until there is a certain amount of daylight. And when it does get light, you want to be at your spot, ready to go. Vernon had a light on his hat, like a miner, to keep us off the banks and shallow spots as we made our way down the river. We were in a 15' rowboat, Randy and I in seats in the front, Vernon had the oars and all the rest of the gear behind us. It was about 35 degrees with a bit of wind. Kind of cool. I had on sweats and coats and rain gear and gloves and a couple pair of socks to keep me warm and dry. At least it kept me dry. We got to the spot we were heading for, a bend in the river about 7. There were up to 35 other fishermen in the same area through out the day. Some in a couple of boats but nearly all of them were fishing off the bank or in the river using waders. There were a number of fly fishermen (as opposed to lures and bait) and even one fly fisherwoman. Because the river was low, we were "bobber fishing" as opposed to "trolling". This mean that we anchored the boat, plunked our bait into a pool right at the bend in the river, sat back and watched the bobbers, waiting for them to disappear. There were fish all over that pool, roiling the water, jumping out of the water, catching the line on their fins as they swam by (the bait (fresh salmon eggs) was just above the bottom of the river.) We sat there, feeding the fish nearly the whole day. There were guys not more than 30 feet away from us catching so many that they had to pick and choose which ones (limit two per day) to keep. We got one strike around noon. The fish played with us for about 30 seconds before throwing the hook (he kept the bait....) We sat there.... through the morning mist, some early sunshine, clouds, rain, more wind, more sunshine, more rain. You get the picture. It wasn't until after three when I hooked one. It took a while to land, they tell me. It had a lot of fight in it. Very exhilarating. I think it was worth the eight hours of wind and rain and cold, don't you think?
A nice example of a Chinook Salmon.
That's Pat's brother Randy with me. He taught me all I know about fishing.......
Vernon and Randy pointed out that there should be a second fin on it's back. That means that it came from one of the hatcheries (where the fin was clipped) and released into the wild. I must have caught it on its way back upstream to spawn. The Vernon estimated it to be about 25 lbs. Not bad for a first fish! And, as it turned out, the only fish of the day for us. We got caught in a down pour on the way back. Got thoroughly drenched. So, I've got a lot of salmon in the freezer right now. Tabetha's significant other has a smoker. We'll turn the fish over to them to smoke it. We're negotiating how much salmon it will cost us for this service.... The whole experience was pretty much fun, but would have been better if it had been warmer. I caught a nice head cold too that weekend. The next time I go fishing, it will be warmer, if nothing else.
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Big Water
Found this link at BuzzMachine.com to some before and after satellite photos of Sri Lanka.
It is amazing that this type of photos are available, to the public and on-line!
These are similar to the pictures I used to make maps while in the Air Force so many years ago.
They even caught a picture of some of the waves too.
The before and after give some notion of the size of the waves and the damage done.
It is amazing that this type of photos are available, to the public and on-line!
These are similar to the pictures I used to make maps while in the Air Force so many years ago.
They even caught a picture of some of the waves too.
The before and after give some notion of the size of the waves and the damage done.
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Harry Colmery
So, its been a while. Christmas is over, looking forward to 2005. Starting to think about the coming year and it's potential. And the obligatory Resolutions.
But first: While I was in the shower this morning (I know, too much information, what a visual....) I was thinking about the 60 Minutes segment on the "Echo Generation". It is loosely defined as the off spring of the Baby Boom Generation. The segment asked who they are and what do they want? So, while I was in the shower my mind moved backwards to the Baby Boomers. (Note: I am a Baby Boomer, born 1951.)
An Aside: I was talking to one of my coworkers about a vacation he will be taking in February. I jokingly made sure that he would be back to work in time for my birthday. He innocently asked how old I would be. He was a little supprised when I told him I would be 54. His reply was "My DAD's 55!"
At any rate, there I was, in the shower, thinking about Echo Boomers. They have never known a world without space travel, without cable tv (or should I say MTV), without microwave ovens, without personal computers (not just computers, without PERSONAL computers), without cell phones. That led to thinking about all those things that were invented or at least productized (read "engineered for the masses") during my life time. A lot of it was done by my parents generation. The ones that fought the war (WWII), came back having saved the world for the "Good Guys" and started getting on with their lives, having familys (the Baby Boom) and going to school courtesy of the Government via the GI Bill. In the first seven years about 8 million people received benifits costing the US Government close to 15 Billion dollars. Quite an investment. Educating all those minds..... something was going to happen! In a very short time they created a much larger base of knowledge for subsequent generations to build on and expand even more. And look where we are now! Was it all for the better? Most would say yes, I think. Even if the ramafications of a lot of the technological advances haven't been worked out, or experienced. But there are the Nay Sayers, the ones who don't believe the scientists and policy makers when they say, "Trust us! What could POSSIBLY happen?" For good or bad, it has sure made our times "interesting"
Harry Colmery? He was a World War I vet, a lawyer and a member of the Americal Legion who wrote the first draft of the GI Bill, signed into law by FDR on 22 June 1944.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am a veteren, served in the Air Force. I earned my college degree, finally, in 1986. It was paid for by the GI Bill.
But first: While I was in the shower this morning (I know, too much information, what a visual....) I was thinking about the 60 Minutes segment on the "Echo Generation". It is loosely defined as the off spring of the Baby Boom Generation. The segment asked who they are and what do they want? So, while I was in the shower my mind moved backwards to the Baby Boomers. (Note: I am a Baby Boomer, born 1951.)
An Aside: I was talking to one of my coworkers about a vacation he will be taking in February. I jokingly made sure that he would be back to work in time for my birthday. He innocently asked how old I would be. He was a little supprised when I told him I would be 54. His reply was "My DAD's 55!"
At any rate, there I was, in the shower, thinking about Echo Boomers. They have never known a world without space travel, without cable tv (or should I say MTV), without microwave ovens, without personal computers (not just computers, without PERSONAL computers), without cell phones. That led to thinking about all those things that were invented or at least productized (read "engineered for the masses") during my life time. A lot of it was done by my parents generation. The ones that fought the war (WWII), came back having saved the world for the "Good Guys" and started getting on with their lives, having familys (the Baby Boom) and going to school courtesy of the Government via the GI Bill. In the first seven years about 8 million people received benifits costing the US Government close to 15 Billion dollars. Quite an investment. Educating all those minds..... something was going to happen! In a very short time they created a much larger base of knowledge for subsequent generations to build on and expand even more. And look where we are now! Was it all for the better? Most would say yes, I think. Even if the ramafications of a lot of the technological advances haven't been worked out, or experienced. But there are the Nay Sayers, the ones who don't believe the scientists and policy makers when they say, "Trust us! What could POSSIBLY happen?" For good or bad, it has sure made our times "interesting"
Harry Colmery? He was a World War I vet, a lawyer and a member of the Americal Legion who wrote the first draft of the GI Bill, signed into law by FDR on 22 June 1944.
In the interest of full disclosure, I am a veteren, served in the Air Force. I earned my college degree, finally, in 1986. It was paid for by the GI Bill.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Monday, November 08, 2004
Fall
Haven't had a lot going on lately, just keeping the head down, trying to keep from having too high a profile. Don't want to be one of those nails sticking up. You never know when a hammer will come along...
Finished our fiscal year last month. Not as spactacular as we had hoped, but not quite as bad as we feared either. Now, the real challange will be to build on what little momentum we created. I've been tasked with tweeking the old company web page. We use the corporate web page for most things, but our old one still has some useful information on it. With all the downsizing the last couple of years, all the people responsible for maintenance and up keep have been laid off or suck into the corporate IT rehlm. They couldn't find anyone to tag with ownership. I own a small portion of the web site. Apparently a highly visable portion. I'm responsible for the links to the product and business procedures. Any time new procedures are released or existing ones modified, I make sure they get published on my portion of the web sight, but I also send out a global email telling everyone that changes have occured, go check them out! It's this that lead the powers that be to me. I have to make sure the "Company Confidential" mark is on the main web page. And, I think my name has been listed as site owner now, for lack of anyone better. I do have the tool that allows me to edit the files that eventually become the web pages, and I even know how to do a few simple, basic things with it. This is going to be a challange.
Spent some time in the crisp cool fall air yesterday taking care of the first of the leafs our huge maple tree has finally let go of. For all the leaves I blew around and raked up there seems to be at least three times as many still on the tree! At this rate I will be raking leafs well into December! Bailey had fun trying to help me when I was using the leaf blower running around, chasing all the flying leafs.
Finished our fiscal year last month. Not as spactacular as we had hoped, but not quite as bad as we feared either. Now, the real challange will be to build on what little momentum we created. I've been tasked with tweeking the old company web page. We use the corporate web page for most things, but our old one still has some useful information on it. With all the downsizing the last couple of years, all the people responsible for maintenance and up keep have been laid off or suck into the corporate IT rehlm. They couldn't find anyone to tag with ownership. I own a small portion of the web site. Apparently a highly visable portion. I'm responsible for the links to the product and business procedures. Any time new procedures are released or existing ones modified, I make sure they get published on my portion of the web sight, but I also send out a global email telling everyone that changes have occured, go check them out! It's this that lead the powers that be to me. I have to make sure the "Company Confidential" mark is on the main web page. And, I think my name has been listed as site owner now, for lack of anyone better. I do have the tool that allows me to edit the files that eventually become the web pages, and I even know how to do a few simple, basic things with it. This is going to be a challange.
Spent some time in the crisp cool fall air yesterday taking care of the first of the leafs our huge maple tree has finally let go of. For all the leaves I blew around and raked up there seems to be at least three times as many still on the tree! At this rate I will be raking leafs well into December! Bailey had fun trying to help me when I was using the leaf blower running around, chasing all the flying leafs.
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