bikes and skill sets...

Skill sets are very important in ones day to day work place and at home....I often have to learn many things in order to maintain both my house and cars.Os of this past weekend my 4 yr old has no need of training wheels. I went and bought him a used bike off of Craigslist and a great deal - Schwinn for $20. Granted it needed a little brake work and well to be truthfully I have not really worked on a bicycle in over 20 years. I actually bought a book to walk me through the paces of wires and hubs.... Not too bad. I'm going to list some skills that I have as well as things I really want to learn how to do. Maybe I'll take classes (when/if time allows!!!).

Drive stick, Cook and grill, fix the basics on a motor cycle, ride a motor cycle, maintain a car, do an oil change on a car, change a tire and jump a car, install a basic outlet for a celling fan, Basic wiring, change plugs in a car, install a faucett, install an new toilet, make beer, install a new radio/cd player, know the difference between many wines, make killer ice cream, sew enought to keep clothing longer, butcher an animal, Basic medical care including emergency child birth, how to shoot a hand gun properly, archery (target not hunting), basic knots for scouting, tae kwon do (no black belt but 4 years worth), astronomy

These are things that I would love to learn how to do/make if I had the time and or money....

Dance, swim, scuba, work copper pipe for plumbing, write FLASH, cook chinesse food, learn more languages, moorse code, HAM radio, how to make a stained glass window, build a fighting robot, better woodworking  (small items), metal craft, gun smithing, skydiveing, how to draw better. There are many many more and in truth I woule love to do more with the time that I have. I guess you do really know what you do not know until you realize that you do not know it.....

****More bike updates.... A week ago I drove over my other sons bike. Crushing the wheel and goose neck. I looked at replacing the parts but a wheel for the bike ran $35 and the goose neck was about $25. FRACK the whole bike only cost $100. Craigslist to the rescue. I found a girls bike the same size for $5. Yes $5. My master plan was to take the rim and goose neck from the girls bike and replace my sons. HA... The rim fit with out problem. The goose neck was 2mm too big. So there went that idea. That alone ran me 20 minutes to undoing. So, I replaced the girls with tires with my sons black ones, the white peddals swapped for black ones, flower stickers removed, cable brakes removed, plush pink seat swapped for a black one, bike then taped and painted purple and black. So what was supposed to be a 20 minute fix wound up running me about 3 hours plus drying time to "man up" his girls bike to a boys bike.   He like it and for a $5 bike it both runs and looks great....

PEACE

Moving day, again....

Yesterday I helped a friend of mine move to a new house. I'm too old to be
doing this any more. Today my hands, back and legs are sore. From lifting,
tilting, sliding and walking up stairs. Even 10 years ago I had standards
in mving people; no jars of pennies, no weight sets and no cinder block
furnutire (sure this was pre- IKEA. Moving some one out or in there is
always dust that gets in your eyes and nose. In many cases that person is
not packed or not packed well and I always wind up taking something home.
This time it was 3 gasoline cans. 2 1 gallon jugs and 1 5 gallon jug, need
one? He moved out of a 1 bed room apt to a small house. That small apt
helt lots of crap..... Ahhhhhh!
I have moved ALL of my friends at one time or another. Boxes, tables,
bags, plants pictures, liquor, pots and pans, old computers and even food.
I always wind up tired and beat up. I think I'm done with helping friends
move. No mas. Of course this will change once I fell better an get some
rest. ...

I'm Batman

Dog Daze......

I'm online the other day and I noticed that I always have a Friend with me.
Its my dog. She is awesome! In dead silence while I read my comics she will
just lay there and relax. While I watch my bad sci-fi or cheezy horror
movies - she is there. Granted every now and then she spooks me. When there
is a dog barking on the TV or a chirp of the tele she will bark. That at 2
am will scare the bejesus out of me. She knows my routine when I decide to
go to bed. - Hard drives off, computer off the the basement light. I think
she can tell as I start to turn off the hard drives. She knows when bed
time is happening. In the morning the kids the both dogs out and once they
are done they sprint back upstairs to finish up their sleep time....
So here to you my best of friends.....Ms. Kona and Nixon.

"My god, I can see forever..."

I went to the eye Doctor yesterday. Its been awhile since I've gone.
Not because I'm afraid or don't want to wear glasses, I just do not have
time. I made time yesterday and had the whole show. The Dr looked , touch,
photoed and dilated my eyes to no end. Its official I'm getting old. I do
not need them yet bit I am on the verge of bi-focal. I'm starting to take a
minute for my eyes to focus on print. We are guessing 4-5 years from now
before they become a must. As of right now my eyes are healthy and doing
well. I ordered the new glasses and now I have to wait 7-10 days for them.
Ehhh At least they are covered by insurance.
I've been wearing glasses since fourth grade. Its been a pain in my
side. Of course I've tried contacts here and there but my eyes do not
produce enough tears to make them feel comfortable. So me, Lisa Loeb and
others are confined to having 4 eyes.... Its not so bad. At least I can see
clearly.

----------------------------------
Summer is about half way over and I have not done too much. Just
working. The company may send me back to Ohio to work for a week or two.
That would be fun. Cincinnati or Cleveland. I'd have to drive again,
because my friend/co-worker is unable to fly. No hes not on the "no fly
list" he just has issued with closed in places..... The last time I went to
Ohio I had Dominos and little fuggys on my birthday..... Wow there a
birthday to remember.

You can teach an old dog...

God I love a good hotdog. In Chicago and the near West Burbs when you order a dog it comes with fries.. Some chain places only sell you a dog. That pi$$es me off to no end. Its a tradition that hold had all the way from the lake shore to about rt 53 (about 25 miles West of the city) after that the rules fall apart. I'm even willing to forgive ketchup on a dog for adults as well as kids, but NO FRIES and still charge me $3.00 for a dog- your nutz....My own dog is a typical Chicago style -Pickle spear, relish, mustard, tomato, mustard, sport peppers and celery salt. I just can't do raw onion. I also do not mind 'kraut and mustard.
I did find a place near me that does give fries with the dog for $2.65 and they even go a very odd style dog- the GYRO dog. Bun, gyro sauce, tomato and onion, the wiener and gyro meat. I have to say it was not a bad dog. You can teach an old dog new tricks...
     So with this weekend being the Fourth of July , spark up the grill and get some dogs cooking.... Peace.

Reprinted with out permission from the Daily Herald. 7/2/08 ... (I'll be happy to remove if asked)


All dressed up

Mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickle, celery salt and sport peppers. I learned that mantra my first day working at Fratello's, a now-closed hot dog stand in Palatine.

While fanatics continue to debate the merits of neon green relish versus the dark green variety and the necessity of poppyseeds on the bun, that lineup of garnishes tops an official Chicago hot dog.

Here's a look at how folks in other parts of this great land dress their dogs.

Atlanta: Buy a hot dog at Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, and you'll end up with your dog topped with the usual condiments and a heap of coleslaw.

Boston: Ketchup, mustard, relish, picalilli and chopped onions are Beantown's most common toppings.

Cincinatti: The town's famous chili as well as mild cheddar, mustard and diced onion top dogs in this Ohio berg.

Kansas City, Mo.: You'll need mints after eating a hot dog served with sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese on a sesame seed bun.

New York City: From downtown Manhattan to Coney Island, when you buy a hot dog in the Big Apple, it will come with steamed onions and a pale, deli-style yellow mustard.

The Rockie Dog: Served at Coors Field in Denver, the home of the Colorado Rockies, this footlong dog comes with grilled peppers, kraut and onions.

The Texas Dog: Chili, cheese and jalapenos make this a favored item in the Houston area.

- Deborah Pankey

good bye blue skies.....

love for life....

So much is wrong with the world right now. Money, wars, gas, food and the environment blah blagh blagh. Today I am not going to post about any of those things but instead 100 things that I love. This is my list and no one Else's list. Make your own and enjoy it. I can guess that many of these will be food items as I love to cook and be cooked for. Some will be repeated as I go along, again this is an informal list. I think I love some things that you may also , that is because some loves are universal......

In no particular order ......

Hugs from my sons as I leave the house to go to work.
The 100% trust I get from my dogs as the walk up to me to say hello or a scratch behind the ears.
The softness of a womans kiss.
Fresh cut fries.
The burning sensation of real Coca Cola on the first sip.
Sleeping with the windows open and feeling the night air.
the quiet of the very early morning or late night.
a smoke as I'm in the washroom.
A fresh shave (non rushed) with lather
Coffee ; double cream double sugar
The 10 minutes after I mow the lawn. its a sense of pride of something looking good.
hand washing the car.
fixing something the kids broke. To see how happy they are after I fix it.
A cold beer in the evening.
putting on warm underwear out of the dryer.
a slow snowfall at night - the kind with big fluffy snowflakes
a good scary movie or a well written sci fi movie. (geek)
comic books (mega geek)
Cartoons on adult swim (ultra mega geek)
waking up and knowing you can still sleep for another hour
a thunderstorm
burning leaves/a bonfire
going for a walk
my leather jacket
------------------------------
Hotlinks
grilling for friends
having the kids fall asleep on me as I watch a movie with them.
waking up and having one of my boys sleeping next to me.

A fresh hair cut

Feeling your teeth right after a dentist visit

72 degrees

driving for fun and with out direction

fireworks in the sky

glow sticks

teva sandals

the leaves turning colors

the first frost

Holland Michigan

DA Bears

blue jeans and doc martins

all dogs

and a few cats

popcorn

hawks

nerdy books and movies

fishing

iced tea

a note from a loved one

handyman magazine

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"stumble upon"

popping my spine into place

new car smell

homemade chocolate chip cookies

a belly laugh

quiet time at night

playing poker for cheap stakes

naps

watching old TV (quantum leap and old shows)

black and white movies (Marx brothers)

going to a museum

boxer briefs

an unexpected text message from a friend

Chicago style hot dogs (no raw onions)

going to the pool and just sitting in the water

getting a manicure/pedicure

a rough back massage

clouds

cardinals and blue jays

the smell of old books

new socks

roses

tools (Craftsman work best)

Calvin Klein , One, Be, Obsession , Polo Blue, and yes Old Spice..

curry chicken and rice. (tandoori)

having breakfast as a family

---------------------------------------------

Monte Blanc pens /fountain pens

stationary

antiques

grave yards

most music from the 1980's

daydreaming about winning the lotto

pizza with friends

watching kids open Christmas presents

the roar of a muscle car

reading Science magazine

the zoo

Thanksgiving day

taking a hot shower until the water runs out (without the kids knocking on the door!!!)

lifting weights and seeing progress

Secretly being smarter than my co workers

the style of a bungalow hosue

brownies (fuggy ones not the cakey ones)

bumble bees (i think they are klutzy like me)

being larger than life

dark beers (if they are done well)

archery

hand guns and antique rifles

plain black t shirts

tattoos

PHO (its a soup)

---------------------------

knowing 2 languages (I wish I knew more)

flying a kite

a home made hamburger (you can taste the love)

Gyros (again no onion!!!)

going to an ethnic market

the invention known as the internet

midnight

horses

a well made italian beef

ww2 propaganda posters

Bacon (not overly crisp)

meatloaf and gravy

jean jackets

1972 Buick rivera

a sunshower

old rotory phones

salted cashews

air conditioning

acoustic guitar

watching Star Trek and knowing most of the lines

Rum

a basic egg and potato taco

I like making jelly/jams from fresh fruit

country ham

the lakeshore

grilled mushrooms on a steak (without asking!!)

-------------------------------------------

blue cheese

sun dresses

old buildings (with character)

pineapple

pudding

real coke

watching candels burn

home made ice cream

shrimp cocktails

buffallo wings

leather seats in cars

high heals and nylons

Seattle Wa

my mammas tacos

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I went over by a few , but so what. Read comment and enjoy....... Peace

the cool wind...

The bet was simple; The Cubs win their first series the other three guys
have to shave their heads, The Sox lose we have to shave ours. Well Here I
am with the cool breeze on my head. Shaved down to the scalp. While some
were kind and said "Its a good look", I know better. I look like Uncle
Fester from the Adams family. Its not a bad look, its just a look that is
not me. No wavy black hair, no salt and pepper sides.... I do have to grab
some sunblock to make sure I don't burn the top of my mellon. The color
difference between my scalp and skin was not too bad so it won't take me
too long to get a tan head.
It was 1992 the last time I fully shaved my head. It was odd then having
the wind blow across your head. The funny part is that I spooked my self
in the mirror this morning when I got up. I forgot that I did it.

Anyways the Cubs and Sox play three more this weekend. I do hope the win
this round. As of today I did not bet anything...

Death in the family.

I had to downstate again last weekend. We had a death in the family. The
weather on Sunday did not help. We left in the middle of a pretty brutal
morning storm. We arrived in a few hours and got settled in to the routine
of preparing food. I took the kids to the wake and they did really well
with the coffin and saying goodbye to Uncle Bob. I'm still an outsider to
my wifes family. Not because I'm unlikeable but because they life all over.
Peoria, Atlanta, Indiana and other places. They know of me but most have
only met my in the major family functions. After that we had them over to
the house and fed them all. Country ham and potato salad. It almost seemed
like a country picnic, but the tension was there. We all had an obligation
to do the next day. I did not attend the funeral at all instead I decided
to hang out and play with the kids. After that we just packed up and went
home. It was a lot of driving for me on very short notice. The drive was
long after not spending a night in your own bed.
I often think of my own mortality and wonder what things I want done
(if any). I often joke about doing a Viking funeral and setting a boat a
flame and dropping it in to the lake. In truth I think I'll just be
cremated in simple attire. A plain pine box and wrapped in a white sheet.
Simple as I have lived. No headstone, no fancy box, no big magic show just
friends and family telling stories. I'll provide a bottle of Scotch and you
all tell a story about me. Remember me in life and at least one good thing
I did for you. If I was able to make you smile at least once then my job
was complete. .....

peace.