Just thinking today. I know its hard to believe but the steam has been rolling out of the ears all morning. I had to do my CE for my insurance licsense. I have to remind myself that some insurance can be helpful. I can not stop thinking that insurance is just another form of legalized gambling. The house, ie the insurance company, is going to win and we are going to lose. If we don't use it then the company keeps all the money. If we do use it then they lose some but the still have gotten the rake, earlier premiums. I am just working on life and casuality not my health CE. This is a broken system going back to a bunch of drunks in a bar called Lloyds in old London town. They were betting on if a ship would make it to China and back. We need to find a better way to limit risk in out society. Thanks all for letting me rant.

Happy birthday Gman

Just a fast post this morning.  My oldest turned 10 this morning. The day of his birth started very early and ended very late.  Beth did a wonderful job.  Gman spent his first couple of days in the NICU but has not slowed down since.  He is a great kid and I hope he has a great day, including cupcakes for his class today.

I do not want to be old.

In 10 days my oldest kid will be in double digits in age.  Gman turns 10 this year.  I know lots of friends and family that started younger and have older kids but it just kind of hit me today.

I was reading an article about why the Millenniums went out to the streets to celebrate the death of Osama Bin Laden.   The article states they went to the street to party as much as to be patriotic.  I then remembered the sights and sounds I saw coming from the Phillies game when the announcement was made.  The vibrant but refined response in the stadium as the news spread.  Older crowd at the game some with younger kids etc.  I found that I fit in the baseball crowd much more than the people in the streets.  I have no problem with the celebration but it is not how I responded.

I now see the generation gap.  I want to think of myself as a young person.  My aches and pains tell me that I am not that young.  My kids remind me I am not that young.   Gman was a baby and I was working as the General Manager at a Hampton Inn.  Now he is going to be 10 and I am taking over another office as the boss.  I hope the 10 years of age will help me to a better job.

I hope everyone is having a good week.  I am worried and praying for everyone down home with all of the flooding and storms.  I have seen a lot of the pictures and hope everyone is safe and sound.  Things can be replaced but you can not be so remember to be careful.

June and Tim had a tree fall on their house during the storms in Murray last week.  Mom and Lynn had to go the long way around to Dorothy's due to high water in Livingston county.  I got to see pictures of Cammie Jo and Erick going to their proms.  It is very hard to think they are both juniors this year.  I would try to find pictures from our wedding of them way back when but not sure its a good idea.  Cammie Jo was just a mess and now Erick may not be really happy about being made fun of.

Baseball is in full swing finally.  Gman's team keeps losing by 1 run and it is getting kinda old.  E's team is doing very well with a couple of wins and a couple of loses.  E is doing much better in his 2nd year at t-ball.  Gman just can't seem to stay in the batters box.  Got to get him hitting.

I put up a couple of new barn pictures on FB.  These are around the new office in Paris.  Mainly Bourbon and Harrison counties.  I need to link them back to this site as well.  Its been a while since I updated the pictures in the viewer.

Well lunch is almost over.  Fried bologna sandwich at a place in Paris.  It is kinda nice to be in a small town during the day again.

Spring Weather

With all of the bad weather we have been having this week I am take this chance to tell one of my favorite stories about Granddad  

Every spring, during the Quilt Show, a large part of my family would go camping and fishing on Lake Barkley.  I am not sure which was more important, the crappie run or getting Uncle Wayne out of Paducah during the show, but the fact both happened at the same time worked out well.  Not everyone would stay the whole time at the lake but for about a month 3-4 campers would be set up and anyone who had time off would go up to fish and relax.  I remember these trips fondly.  I was so happy that Gman got to go 1 time with me and Granddad to the camp and had a chance to fish a little.  But back to the story.

Spring weather in Kentucky usually means storms followed by hot and humid and the more storms.  One morning a large storm came up and kept us from fishing early in the day.  The storm gave way to sunshine and Granddad said lets go fishing.  He had put in a new brush pile a couple of bays over from the camp site and wanted to try it out after all the rain.  So off we went from Carmack Bay to Demumbers Bay.



View Larger Map

After a few hours fishing the weather took a turn for the worse.  We put on our rain gear and decided it was time to head to camp.  Just then it started to pour down.  Granddad took over driving the boat as we left the bay and entered the main lake.  The wind and rain was terrible.  I looked back over my shoulder at the sound behind us.  What I saw was just about the most frightening things in my life.  A tornado came out of no were near Willow Bay.  It hit the lake and did not stop.  It crossed over and headed toward Eddyville.  Granddad held me down in the boat as low as I could go.  We made it back to camp very wet and wind blown.

We later learned that the storm had hit Calvert City taking off part of the roof from the Church of Christ and damaging the screen at the Calvert Drive-In..  I will always remember the sight and sound of that tornado and Granddad keeping me as safe as he could.

Vivian thanks for reminding me to write down these stories.  I will try to do more of them.

Another round of thunderstorms and bad weather last night.  I hope everyone got through it ok. 

Week three at the new office is going better than week 1.  The office itself has been OK but my attitude was terrible the first week.  I hope the ladies in the office did not notice.  I have to keep reminding myself that I can only control my actions and not the actions of others.  I tell this the E almost everyday.  He has my temper. He gets mad at things he can not control.  I am trying to teach him to let it go and just worry about what he can control.  I need to keep this in my own mind.  It is tough for both of us but I can not be lazy with it while trying to teach him to do it now.  

E won his first game last night.  It was the make up game from Saturday.  Gman is 0-2 with the coaches costing them the first win.  The second game we only hit for 1 out of the 5 innings.  Got to get them all in the game early and we will get the win.  

Everyone have a great day. 

Opening Day

Opening Day at SWL Pony League is here and its rainy and cold.  T ball games have been cancelled and E is not real  happy.  Gman got his game in.  It was a true ABC Wide World of Sports moment.  The thrill victory and the agony of defeat for the Orioles.  Bottom of the 5th and 2 outs.  7 to 5 lead over the Diamondbacks. We get the strike out and think the game is over.  Blue says 2 mins to go play ball.

Needless to say Diamondbacks score 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th.  We have suffered out first lose of the season.  Coaches cost the boys their first win by not watching the clock.  They played great with a great effort on both sides.  Gman was a little rusty at third but did at least swing and had a stolen base.  No hits but he did swing and looked better at the plate.  

More later when I have time to think about it more.