Possible Discovery For Falling Asleep

Hi all.  I am very excited about a simple method that I have discovered for falling asleep quickly.  I'm introducing it here so you can test it and let me know how well it works for you.  
It isn't hypnosis but it is part of the relaxation that precedes hypnosis.  I'm not going to type it out on the blog because anyone could read it and tell everyone else.  As a matter of fact I haven't written it yet but it's so simple I think I can do it in one medium paragraph.  I've read some other "methods" on the net and this is unique.  Most of them start getting very wordy about the subject.  If you would like to try it get in touch with me via email, the phone or whatever.  When I have your okay and an email, I'll send you the method.  I'm very curious to find out if it works for you as it has for me.  

I was lying in bed about a week ago and was ready to sleep when I noticed something I was doing.  I stopped doing it and was concentrating on calming that  (area). The next thing I knew I was waking up the next morning.  I remembered what I had been doing before I fell asleep so I tried it about three times since; It's worked every time.  Please help me test this.  There's no cost for the test.

 

The Christmas Visitor

Jman and I picked out a Christmas tree a couple of weeks ago at least.  We went to Home Depot and got a Frazer Fir.  I didn't think it was the best tree but we got it and they cut off some of it and bundled it with the netting that we all are familiar with, unless we've gone to the artificial trees.  I trimmed off a couple of low branches and fitted it into our tree stand.  We left it outdoors because it was pretty early to bring a  tree in the house.  After about 5 or more days, I thought I should bring it in because I  was afraid the water might freeze and crack my nice tree stand.  The netting was removed and the tree stood untrimmed for a few days.  I kept it watered but it would still be a while before we put on lights and then ornaments.

I came down one morning and Brooke was in the kitchen getting a lunch ready to take to work.  We were exchanging pleasantries and as I left the kitchen I noticed Zeke was very interested in something under the "Coffin" chair.  Before I could register what was happening something ran out from under the chair!  My first thought, which didn't make sense, was that it was the mouse that we had lost in that area a few months ago.  The time lapse is why it didn't make sense.  The blurred vision of the creature also was not mouselike; too big.  In another second I could see it was a chipmunk.  Dammit, I don't like them in the house.

The frightened rodent was running around in circles and I stepped on him, not to squish or kill him but to capture him with the bottom of my foot.
I pinned his tail with my Croc, which with it's rubbery consistency held the animal motionless.

Brooke asked what she could do to help me without looking or getting in the same room.  I said get me some leather gloves.  She threw them within reach and I picked up our visitor and threw him/her out into the flower garden.

The poor creature's heart was beating a mile a minute...and so was the chipmunk's, haha. I kinda overdid the throwing of our uninvited guest but it landed in a soft spot.

We wondered how it got in?  I don't think we have openings in our house so big that a chipmunk can enter.  I'm pretty sure it was in the Christmas tree.  When we brought it in the house it was like one of those people holding onto the tie down lines of an ill fated dirigible.  Can't decide to let go or hold on, then it's too late.  Your fate is sealed.  

I only hope that our Christmas visitor wasn't Jesus in the form of a chipmunk.  We treated him badly, stepping on his tail and throwing him out.  

Merry Christmas again.

Storage Auction

I've been curious about what the storage auctions in this area might be like.  I have been to a few auctions in the past and for the most part, I don't like them.  There is so much waiting around for the item or items you are interested in to come up,  you feel like it's a waste of time.  Then you may have someone bidding the price up so much that you won't  buy your item at that price.  If your emotions get involved in the process you can way over-pay.  I must admit I've had some good luck too.  I bought a great maple dresser that many people were envious of and I have really liked having for 30 years or more now.  I also bought the contents of a dusty old room for $4.00 about 35 years ago.  Very few showed up at that auction and even fewer because the weather was bad.  I would have bought more but I only had about $15.00 in my pocket.  That was when I was poorest in my life. 
There were some nice leather covered soda fountain stools in there, some rubber boots (that fit me), some display cases and a couple of other items that I don't recall.  I sold almost all of them at my Flea Market.  That may have been the only week I made money.
I happened to find the web site of the auction house that does a lot of storage auctions in Michigan.  It's named Blair Auctions.  There were several auctions scheduled for the next day.  Some not too far away.  My son and I decided we would go to one to see what it was like.  It was in Livonia, Michigan.  About 8 lockers were scheduled to be sold starting at 12:15 P.M.

We followed the advice on the website to 1. Dress appropriately for the outdoor weather..2. bring a flashlight..3.arrive early enough to register and 4. bring cash or credit card.
The rules vary from location to location but this place took credit cards.  You should also bring enough locks to lock up the units you buy.  I brought one, just in case.  

The weather was variably light rain, wind, sunny and all of the opposites.  People were instructed to park on one of the side streets, but a Livonia police woman was going to ticket everyone over there so all those drivers had to move inside the storage facility. We had a bit of fun commenting under our collective breaths about her. 
There were roughly 100 potential buyers and it took at least 45 minutes to register everyone.  It seemed obvious that there were quite a few "regulars" there.  
The same rules as you see on Storage Wars governed this auction.  The unit was opened and everyone paraded by checking out the contents without entering the unit or touching any contents.  The auctioneer gave any special instructions and changed into his auctioneer's voice and began.  His style was to begin at a higher level than anyone would start at and then come down until someone waved or signaled in some way that They wanted that bid.  One of his favorite sayings is,"The more you pay for it, the more you like it."  People who weren't interested in that locker were told which one was next and that they could go there and start looking.  It seemed not to work out that way.  They always waited for him to come down to the next unit before they raised the door.  One difference between the real auction we attended and those on television is that as soon as you win the bid on a locker, you had to give the auctioneer a $100.00 deposit.  You get that back when you've cleaned out the locker. You have one day to clean it out. You can't use their dumpsters to discard all the trash, so you need to find one someplace else.

We didn't buy a locker. The prices ranged from$80 to$800.  What's missing is the reveal.  What did someone find?  Why did they bid the way they did? Who was that hot chick in the white skirt? It's really interesting.  After all, I do have a minor in Sociology.

What Women Want

If you have seen the movie by that title and don't like Mel Gibson, keep reading because it's not about that.  

I thought this would be a nice name for a store here in Fenton, Michigan.  Brooke and I would sell the things that always seem to attract women shoppers.  Jewelry, purses and shoes would top the list.  I think shoes might not make the final cut though because with all the sizes you would have to have quite an inventory.  Maybe belts could be the third item.  We would sell top of the line items.  Every woman in the Lower Peninsula would want to come to our store to buy at least one item, just to get a shopping bag that says,"What Women Want".  Men, of course , would go to buy gifts with the assurance that they were doing right by their women. The sales associates would be attractive and somewhat sophisticated, only the most discreet tattoos would be allowed.


We're in the Christmas Spirit at the Lamson household.  Lights are going up, the tree is purchased and decorations are progressing to their holiday stations.  We have a big picture of Gabe up on the closet door so whenever we need a boost of joy, a reason to keep going, we look at that picture.


Happy Holidays.

 

A Nice Omelet

I rarely make an omelet any more.  Probably the perception of eggs being unhealthy with the high cholesterol.  Back when I was a young man though, omelets were somewhat exotic.  In our home kitchen my Mother never made omelets.  Eggs were scrambled or fried.  If fried, they were over-easy or rarely sunny-side-up.  The food was pretty simple, but done well and always consistent.  So, when I discovered omelets out in the big world, I thought they were very special.  I learned to make a few varieties and went through a phase where I felt I was great at making omelets.  Much like the phase many of us go through when we think we're great lovers, it was short lived.  

For Thanksgiving we brought a Caesar salad as part of the meal and we got it from our local grocery.  The salad came with many sides.  We had much of these left over and I thought I'd make an omelet before they were all thrown out.  I used bacon, chicken, onions, banana peppers, ripe olives and cheese(not part of salad).  I think that was it.  It was a nice omelet.  I also like tomato, bell pepper and mushrooms.
  A nice omelet to me these days is comfort food. One of my favorite Diner meals is an omelet.  Served with hash-browns and toast, you've got a large meal.  Good luck with your omelet preparations and Merry Christmas.

The Case of the Missing Bicycle

Before it gets away from me, I thought I should tell you about a theft in Fenton.  I had returned from voting and noticed that one of the three bicycles that I have parked in the driveway for the summer months was missing.  In it's place, lying on the cement was a gazing globe (like you find decorating a garden).

I was shocked at the spectacle.  Did someone actually steal a bike?  My son wasn't home at the time so I thought he may have taken it for a ride, but that would be a first for that.  And that also wouldn't explain the gazing globe.  Was there a "Pack-rat thief" at large in Fenton?  Another question (or observation) why did they take the worst bike of the three?

Later on I quizzed J-man.  He was out running.  I wondered if anything else had been taken.  It looked to me like everything was where it belonged.  I called the police department just to let them know what had happened.  I said they didn't have to send anyone up to the house.  The lady said there had been some recent things going on.  She said it would be a good idea to keep my cars locked.  

About a half hour later a police SUV pulled in the drive and I showed the officer the globe.  He took it so they could photograph it and put it on line where victims can identify and claim their stolen goods.  As I thought about it I think I saw that globe in my neighbor's back yard.  Anyway, now the cops have it.

About three hours later,  the cop is back with my bike.  Someone had left it leaning against Police Headquarters that morning.  It made for an interesting day and I interacted with the department. 

A Familiar Situation

Wow.  I've been playing some online scrabble for a couple of days.  So as I wrote the word familiar I thought, Wow.  Family is in there and also liar.  These have much to do with what I was going to write about.  You might have to read between the lines though because family members read this blog and there are certain sensitivities that must be maintained.  
Every now and then circumstances arise and I make a decision on my own.  Usually it is minor in the estimation of almost anyone who would hear of it.  I am a man after all.  It's not something that would put my family in jeopardy.  Nothing illegal or immoral.  The fact that there is or could be disapproval of my decisions kinda hurts.  I recall when Brooke's grandfather was showing signs of Alzheimers and everyone was upset when he would do something like start cutting floor-boards in the attic.  They were right to worry, but am I perceived to be heading in that direction?   I request some respect and confidence in my decisions.  I don't make them lightly.

A friend of mine came across a good deal on an airplane.  He knew the value, he had the knowledge and he made the decision.  His wife was unhappy.  That is a pretty big decision, but those are the very times when It's most important to stand by your man.  When someone tells me they did something and I can tell they are thinking maybe they went too far on their own cognizance,  I say I think it was a great and brave decision.  If it's an airplane, I want to see it-I want to fly in it.  If it's a new car etc.,

You bought a What? 

Michigan Football

I got on Twitter last Friday because I had quit Facebook and thought I'd at least give it a try.
I had been watching a lot of the press conferences leading up to the Michigan Iowa game that was coming up on Saturday.  I thought I could use Twitter to follow some of the Michigan fans and writers to get a little insight into the behind the scenes.  There were two Detroit News writers (Wojnowski and Chengelis) and the announcer Jim Brandstatter.  Please forgive me not looking up the spelling.  It was kinda interesting as things unfolded.  Brandstatter tweets quite a bit and that's what's fun to me.  He tweeted a little about traveling on a chartered plane out to Iowa.  

Wojo keeps his tweets pretty much on message regarding Detroit area sports.  Chengelis only became active at game-time.  I think her tweets are job/career related.

Well, I watched the entire game and was very disappointed in Michigan's performance.  Not in the players' efforts nor their desire.  I think the problem lies in the coaching approach.  Look, these coaches have been at this game for many years so maybe my opinion is worthless.  None the less, that's what sports is all about and I'm so happy I can express my opinion on my Blog.  


I felt the same way I did when Michigan was Playing Michigan State.  Didn't we prepare for them to have some strategy to use against us?  They had a bye week to prepare for us!  Did we really think we could just adjust to what they were doing "On the fly"?  Well Iowa didn't have a bye week, but if they just listened to the pregame press conferences they would have known we were expecting them to be pretty one dimentional in their approach.  It was going to be a slugging contest.  To some degree that was right but I think they had a plan on defense that we never did catch on to.  I think our approach needs to be more aggressive.  We need to go out on the field and make things happen.  Make them adjust to us.  Take the initiative.  Our defense played well enough to win.  Our offense was just too predictable.  I believe the offensive team is not being motivated properly.  We need to get our lead early in the game Execute, Execute, Execute.  Take the fight out of them and their fans.  We need to Blitzkrieg these people. 
Bo was a great motivator and I would bet all of the great coaches were great motivators.  If that's missing at Michigan, someone needs to step up.  If nothing else, have the team watch the movie,"Patton" before each game.

What not to wear

For a while now, it has come to mind that I should change my style of dress.  I want to look presentable and age appropriate.  I found a blog on which someone had laid out how a man should dress. How To Dress Like a Man by Jeffrey A. Tucker I assume he is a fashion expert of some kind and the ideas he expressed are sensible and struck me well.  Of course I may be easily led.  

One thing he said is that there are only two brands of shoes that are worth buying, Allen Edwards or Aldens.  I am relying on memory so those may be off a little.  He said all others are junk.  When it comes to socks, you just go with solid colors.  Green, blue, brown etc. no argyle or multicolor patterns.  Also,  don't choose a color that is lighter than the jacket you'll be wearing.
Old men should wear suits at all times and always with a tie.  That's the only thing an old man looks good in.  

Advice for finding acceptable suits?  You can get good buys on Ebay or thrift stores(difficult) but if you have to go retail you need to spend at least $450 for a suit.  

An entire man's wardrobe need only take up 12 to 18 inches in a closet.  It was nice to find this information.  It is certainly a good place to start.  The idea is to dress in a way that makes you feel good about yourself, doesn't draw attention and is consistent.  You are a man, you are dependable and you don't change.   I might try some of these ideas and see how I like it.  You may have to get used to seeing me in a suit.

I'm going clothes shopping!

John is eating an Apple

What's that you say?  I watched a show on the human brain last night, while we were waiting for the Good Wife to begin.  These things are usually interesting to me but a little uncomfortable.  To me they confirm how feeble my mind is.  I would guess most of us feel that our minds are not what we'd like them to be and we're embarrassed when something comes up to prove it.  Well forget about it.
This show demonstrates just how poorly the human brain functions.  Just some random facts from the show.  1. Your brain uses about 12 watts of electricity.(dim bulb)  2. Confirmed, Multitasking is really just jumping your attention from one task to another.  We can only concentrate on one thing at a time.  3. The parts of the brain can confuse one another.  Example: If you are shown the word PINK, but you are directed to identify the color of the ink the word is printed in, let's say green, it takes a second for your brain to disregard the word.  Under hypnosis, the hypnotees did much better when told the words were written in a foreign language.  4. Our minds fill in a lot of information and tend to make us think we're seeing more than what is there.  


I found the show well done and interesting.  It is a series on National Geographic.  So the next show in the series is about memory.  John is eating an Apple was my way of memorizing J and A the letters on the serial number of a dollar bill I was trying to memorize.  Here is what else I used to memorize the numbers.  In the side bedroom on my desk there is a bicycle with a cootie sitting on it.  On top of the TV there is a hand("Thing?") with a cootie on top of it.  On the treadmill there is a hand with a ring on it. On the love seat there is a Four-square court with a bicycle on it.  Thus I have memorized the serial number and will be able to amaze someone who doesn't know the method behind it.

 

Country Boys Can Survive

Maybe the title is Country Folks instead of country boys but same difference.  I'm watching the Detroit Tigers playing the Yankees and I got tired of muting out the same commercials over and over, so I put on Pandora.  I have a country music station called,"George Jones Radio".  I really enjoy listening to the older country singers once in a while.  I heard that Hank Williams Junior was banned from singing on Monday Night Football because of a comment he made on Fox TV.  The way things are going with this kind of stuff I'd advise my clients not to go on these shows if I were an agent.  This is why when you hear athletes and others interviewed they all say the same things.  Just trying to help the team.  Taking it one game at a time.  Not interesting.

Hank Junior sings,"A Country Boy Can Survive".  I looked up the title.  These country songs resonate with a lot of the population.  Songs about daily life.  Kiss an Angel Good Morning.  Take this Job an Shove It. He Stopped Loving Her Today. I wouldn't want to listen to them every day, but once every couple of months or so they strike me right.

Looks like the Tigers are going to lose this one.  I'm not a big fan just when they go to the post season.  

I finally got my lawn mower back together.  I cleaned up the mower deck and painted it to help slow the rust down.  I sharpened the blades and now when the battery is charged enough, I'll mow the lawn tomorrow.  The weather this week is just the way I hope it will be for a week or so at this time of year.  It gives one a chance to finish up those tasks of Summer.  There's a good song playing right now,"Are the Good Times Really Over" by Merle Haggard.  I'm thinking that soon Brooke and I should get a place that doesn't take the maintenance that this one does.  If we lived in a retirement community there would be a lot of things to do and when you get good weather you'd play golf, not work on a lawn mower or paint something.  
That's all for now.  Hope you are well.     

Hi Emma

Hi Emma.  Hope you are well.  It's 5:30 AM and I woke up and lay there thinking about things.  How does one keep one's son or daughter from running off while shopping or otherwise in a large crowd?  That was the main one.  I haven't Googled it yet.  Remember the lady at Crossroads Village that thought it was a good idea to put your cell phone number on the child's arm?  That could help but what of people who want to kidnap the kid?  We don't want to scare the bejesus out of Gabe, but there are a few bad people out there.  The Christain Right, eh?
I know we had the same fears with you and J getting lost.  We probably just yelled at you to stay nearby.  We were lucky to keep you.  We are lucky to have you.  

I saw someone just outside that coffee shop on Queen Street who had their child on a "leash".  I'm sure there is another term for it that makes it sound more appealing.  Maybe baby tender, eh?  The item had some kind of stuffed animal incorporated in its design so the kid might not mind it as much.  I think it would be okay to use such a device.  Gabe would probably be pulling on it as much as Luke does when on a walk.

Well I will research this a little and if I find anything useful, I'll let you know.  Thanks for reading my blog, sweetie.  If you put it on an RSS you'll know if I've written something.  Go Blue, eh?

Hey, I googled it, and it is a big problem.  Walmart and other places have these backpack, harness, animal items that seem to work well.  Don't let other people's opinions regarding the use of these deter you.  If Gabe could carry something in the backpack and feel he was helping you, that would be great.

Maybe I can sleep now. Goodnight. 

Youtube inspiration

This could be about you.  I heard about this guy on the radio about a year ago.  The host said to go and see him if he was ever in your area.  The young man is a motivational speaker who was born without arms or legs.  I just came across this on Youtube and would like you to take the time to watch it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc4HGQHgeFE&feature=related 

Hope that link works. Just before I watched that one, I watched Steve Jobs address to the graduating class of Stanford in (I believe) 2007.  That was good, too.  There is a lot of junk on Youtube.  I'm even on there Flowbeeing Kleeman's hair.  Very little redeeming value but as Jobs says you have to trust that the dots will connect in the future.  There are also some odd videos with Furbeys. There could be a fun competition done with furbys on Youtube.  These toys/robots are truly under used.
Did I mention that I'm selling mine on Ebay.  As soon as I come up with the shipping cost, they'll be listed.  Hoping to get about $20.00 for the pair.





  

Dreams

I just wanted to write something this morning, anything.  As said in previous blogs, this is more about me than it is about you.  Last sleep cycle I had some kinda fun dreams. In one, I was watching golf on TV and the golfers had to hit their Tee shots from an elevated tee and then "ski-jump" from the tee down to the fairway.  The camera was from behind the Tee, and low to the ground, so you would see the shots fly out first and then the golfers go flying out over the camera.  Hmmm.

In the second dream, I had been on a trip south of the U.S.  It was time to return and Brooke was coming to pick me up in a large boat.  She knew when to come but not where.  I was with someone and that persons identity seemed to change as the dream progressed.  No one had a working cell phone so I was trying to borrow one at a local hotel.  It wasn't working out well.  I thought,"What bad planning.  We should have had a rendezvous point."  I was thinking she would be able to spot me standing on the beach...Hmmm.

So, those are better than my usual dreams.  Many people put a lot of importance on dreams.  What do they mean? What are they telling us?  I don't know and am not good at figuring them out.  I just take them as general signs of what is worrying me, or on my mind.  Some things just drift through the mind.  Golf should be made more interesting for TV.  Brooke and I should do more planning.  These things will probably not change therefore I have decided to go for the big payoff.  Buy a lottery ticket now and then.  One dollar can win you a million.  Get in on the Million Dollar Challenge.  Get lucky and win big money.  No planning just luck.

The house painting is done for the year.  Football season is underway.  Emma is expecting in November.  There is a lot to do to get ready for Fall/Winter.  

  

Strange Things Are Happening

Hope this isn't my last post.  I'm having a little trouble signing into Google. Also other odd things have popped up here.  If this keeps up I may move to a web page or something. 
It's the day after Labor Day here in the USA.  Most feel it is the end of summer.  Time to get back to school, learn something, get serious.  I'm going to rent some scaffolding and finish touching up the house.  It was so hot last week that I only got about half of what I was planning to do done.  Plus the fact that I took part of a day putting up my camper tent to store tools in.  I try to make each task somewhat fun.  Having the tent up isn't necessary, but it did result in a fellow VW enthusiast stopping by and asking if it was for sale.  The $600 price may have scared him off but we traded names and spoke about other VW guys in the area.  As a  result of this I started a Yahoo Group called Aircooledfenton.  I'm the only member so far.  It could serve for people who are interested in these vehicles to meet and exchange  information.

I've relisted the dresser Brooke bought a couple of weeks ago.  That is on Ebay.  I started the bidding at $10 just to get it going.  The reserve is still $550.
The first listing of this was started at $100.  We only got one bid.  That was for $100.  There are subtle ways of listing your items on Ebay that result in getting more interest and more money.  I think I know some of them but it would be an interesting study.  I would really like to have a certain item to offer that would dependably sell at a nice profit. Wouldn't we all?  I'm not going to rehash the Louis Vuitton bag that I sold.  I'm guessing that I blogged about that already.  If I could have a steady supply of them I'd be living on easy street.  I could hire someone to paint my house.

I'm thinking of listing the Furbys but the profit is so small it's not worth the trouble. 

Thought I had more to say but it's turning out all wrong.  What does it say about you when you're looking for a couch by checking for curb alerts on Craigslist?

Focus

Hi Y'all.  I was going to write about Furbys today.  I bought two furbys at a garage sale last week end.  They are interesting toys.  They have several sensors, transmitters and receivers.  People like to hack them and make youtube videos of them calling them "bent furbys".  I thought it would make an interesting combination to have a furby equipped with a taser.  That would violate Asimov's first law of robotics.

I decided not to pursue the furby line of procrastination.  "I've got your Furby right here."
I need to focus.  The job at hand is touching up the house.  I've done this a few times and no matter how expensive the treatment,  the paint still peels and looks bad after about two years.  I have a tool called a paint shaver that makes the paint removal very easy.  It hooks up to a vacuum which cleans up 95% of the paint chips as you go.  It's kinda like the Flowbee which cuts your hair and cleans up virtually all of the hair clippings. 

I had insulation put in the house a few years ago.  They drill holes in your clapboards and put plugs in afterward.  I've tried to fix those twice now but they still look terrible.  I think the only permanent solution would be to replace the boards.  Maybe some vinyl siding strips could be put on just those boards?  I've also thought of using fiberglass since I've used some on the boat.  I might try a test patch with that.

  One good thing about touching up a house,  the job doesn't have to be concise.  I noticed many years ago how rough the paint job was on one of our historic landmarks in Boston. It's the naval station where Old Ironside is docked.  If it's good enough for that landmark it's good enough for The Benjamin Bangs House.

Now I'm ready to go out and conquer the sides of the house.  I might take Furby along just for company.

More Boat News

We went north for a week-end vacation last week-end.  We (my wife and I) drove the VW camper van so we could possibly sleep in it and get some use out of it.  First we visited my twin sister Kay who lives in Gaylord.  We went to a nice restaurant there and then saw Kay's place for the first time.  It is a very cute and comfortable place built as a separate structure from her daughter's house.  It would be nice for any single retiree.  She has it decorated very well.  After our visit we headed out to Crystal Lake.  Shortly after we turned on our headlights, we discovered the van was not producing enough electricity to keep us on the road.

A wonderful adventure ensued in which we met some very nice and helpful people, stayed at a motel that was as bad as they get while still being acceptable and eventually got the alternator replaced.  We were late by about a half a day and that was remarkable.  Brooke's brother Matt came and picked her up, as we didn't know how long things would take and everyone at the lake were antsy to go sailing and the sail was in the camper van.

Eventually we all assembled at the lake.  The cabins were great, the sailing was great and we had a nice time.  Gabe was there and really enjoyed the family experience.  The next-door-neighbor, was a sailor.  He identified my boat as a Chrysler manufactured boat.  I always had wanted to ID the boat because it has no numbers or writing on it.  I've since looked it up and it is a c-15 Man-o-war.  There is a lot of great information on it on the web.  I'm glad the boat worked out so well.  We did manage to tip it over but no harm was done and nothing lost but a little pride. 

Boating season

About 30 years ago I bought a sail boat at a garage sale.  As with most hoarders, I still have it.  We have sailed it a few times over the years but the usual scenario is, other things take precedence, the boat needs repair, late in summer I think,"Can I get the boat ready before it's too cold?", summer is over.  Well, since it's a rainy day, I thought I'd get in the boating mood and write about it.

The wave sounds are turned on in the sidebedroom so this is what happened.  My Sister-in-law Robin put some pressure on me to have the boat ready this year for a vacation week on Crystal Lake.  Robin likes sailing and when I first got the boat she gave me my only sailing lesson on Tipsico Lake.  She is my sailing mentor.  I decided to accept the challenge to get the boat ready again.  Jake is back and he likes to sail.  Suhitha would like to sail.  I would like to sail.  My SM (sailing mentor) wants to sail.  Plenty of motivation. 

I like boats.  Just as I like planes, cars, motorcycles etc.  I think it's the idea of a somewhat self sufficient unit able to carry you someplace.  With a boat, there is no roadway.  With a sailboat only the wind propels you.  I think I could live on a nice boat that is docked in a nice harbor somewhere.  If I ever come up missing, I may be on a boat.

Well, last year I had done some patching to the boat.  So Jake and I got her out and turned her upside down on the picnic table.  A rat came running out from under her.  Boats are referred to as females.  The patches that I had done looked pretty good so I sanded them down and I think with one more layer of fiberglass cloth, they will be very good.  The other boat items I am working on are an improvement on the catch for the tiller,  same for the baler and whatever odds and ends that pop up.  The boat trailer needs rewiring and what I call the nose piece needs work.  The wood is rotted and I need to change the ball on the trailer hitch.  

It sure will be nice to be out on Crystal Lake though sailing along in the breeze.  "Prepare to jibe!.......Jibe Ho!"    "Man overboard!"

To Craigslist or not to Craigslist?

On Fathers Day I was given permission to buy a "big" screen TV.  We saw a couple at Walmart but they didn't have them in stock and it didn't take long to realize that I needed to research what is available on these modern devices and what is important to get on them.  If you read reviews of the various models, you find there are always some people who think they are wonderful and others who hate them.
After talking to Robin Butler (an authority on big screen) I decided to get an LG set through Amazon.  It was a 42 inch 1080p with advanced specs.  I didn't care about LED or 3D.  The price was about $575.00 and free shipping.  It arrived in just a few days but after setting it up (which was easy),  I saw the screen was damaged.  I sent it back and chose to get a refund rather than an exchange.
I looked to see what was on Craigslist a few times but as you may know there are risks when going there.  Someone could come over and kill you.  You might get robbed and wounded.  Someone might come to your house and see how dirty it is.
You might go to someones house and ...
The item might be stolen. 

I was ready to buy a TV again and we were going to a party in Jackson, MI.  I thought I might as well check the Jackson Craigslist and if there was an appropriate TV there, I could see it while in town.
Long story shortened, I found a set for sale there and called.  I met the guy at a gas station there.  He seemed like an upstanding young man about to start school at Kettering.  I bought the set for $270 so that was about $300 less than I would spend buying new.  The set seems to work just fine but it's so big.  I know, you're saying to yourself, "That's what she said".  Now I have to sell my old TV or donate it.  It's a 27 inch RCA.  The color is very good on it. It comes with a remote control.  The price is $20 firm.  Come on over to the house to see it.  This ad may appear on Craigslist but I think, more likely, I'll give it away.

Midsummer

Our new rug sat rolled up for about a week.  No one had the curiosity to unroll it to see how it turned out.  I finally unrolled it while watching Gabe.  It looked just fine and I couldn't detect any odor.  I got down on all fours and put my nose close to the fabric...no smell.  Gabe was curious so I said I was trying to see if there was a bad smell.  He also got close to the fabric and smelled.  He raised a finger in the air and said, "Maybe, dog poop?" 

So far the rug is okay.  We've had visitors from England and are soon expecting more from Denmark.  It makes life more interesting and motivates us to clean and maintain at a higher level than otherwise.  The guys from England allowed me to practice hypnosis with them.  That went very well.  I gave them some suggestions for success in their business life and improved concentration while playing tennis. 

We had Gabe here for the Fourth so we went to the parade again.  We go every year really, but Gabe was a reason to go.  He got a whole hat full of candy and a couple of flags.  He was impressed with the monster truck.  Fire engines were loud and the whole thing must have seemed like a big party to him.

Gabe is back in Toronto now.  He was here for about two weeks.  We went to a couple of free concerts and did a lot of things around the house.  He loves running through the sprinkler.  The Danish women are here and Gabe took a shine to Maj (pronounced my).  She paid a lot of attention to Gabe and is great with kids.  All of these young Danes are fantastic.  They slept in the camper van and kept up a grueling schedule of activities.  They will leave soon and the rest of Summer 2011 will unwind at a gentler pace.   

 

June Already Conclusion

We had gotten to the point in the last blog, where it was to be determined what was to be done about the discarded rug.  Jake wanted nothing to do with it.  He is a retail shopper all the way.  Brooke wants to find out the condition.  If it passes her inspection, it's okay.  Someone else must face the humiliation of retrieving it.  Ken feels there is already enough to be dealt with in the family's life.  They decide to check back after dinner to see if the rug is still there.  The rug is still there after dinner.  It has been moved, indicating others have looked at it and passed it up.  Ken and Jake go to check on the condition of the rug.  Ken (I) knock on the door but there is no answer.  The rug looks pretty good but has an animal smell (urine) which doesn't seem too strong.  If the rug is worth at least $200 it is worth getting it cleaned.  That's what I thought.  We should be hearing from Hagopian this week.  We may have a "new" rug soon or one for sale at our garage sale.  It is a nice looking, machine made rug.  Made in Egypt. I have since spoken to the homeowners who put the rug out.  They had put it out to air out and some animal had urinated on it, possibly a raccoon. She said it was an expensive rug and they were told of a product called "Skunk out" that allegedly would get out odors.

So much for that topic.  I hadn't been watching any sports on TV this Spring.  Well, golf, but that's hardly a sport.  So, I decided to watch some of the basketball semi-finals and finals.  That was very enjoyable for me.  The teams I favored won.  Twice I turned off the TV thinking the game was decided and woke up the next day to find there had been a big come-back in the final minutes.  I think Dirk and the Mavericks deserved the title.


My Brother-in-law needed a sub in his golf league for a couple of weeks.  I filled in and played with his partner Don Bunka.  I did well considering I haven't played in over a year.  The missing ingredient in most players games is practice.  I have been having problems with my chipping.  When I played regularly, I prided myself as having a good wedge game.  I was so distraught at my chipping after my second round this year,  I got out some practice balls and hit about 50 shots.  Just that helped a lot.  I feel guilty going out in the yard to practice golf when there is trimming, edging, planting, scraping and painting to be done.  I'd like to move to a condo.

I'm thinking of writing a book and self publishing it.  "How you can maintain your dignity while retrieving items from the Trash".

June Already

How time flies.  If I start thinking about all the things that I think need doing, I'll really start feeling bad.  Let me say what has been done. 

I couldn't get the Troy-Bilt running last year.  That is it wouldn't stay running for long after it started.  I knew this was something I would have to confront this Spring.  The Troy-Bilt is short for Troy-Bilt Horse, a rototiller that Ray bought in 1979.  This was his pride and joy and helped greatly in gardening  here at 819. 

I was thinking I would have to take the machine to a small engine shop to get it repaired.  I called and was prepared to load it up the next day.  I went out to the shed and dug out the Horse from the far corner.  It would be foolish of me to blindly take it in and have them fix something that was minor and doable right here.  I put in gas and got the engine started and adjusted the screw at the bottom of the carburetor.  It seemed  to be running pretty well!  The fuel line was leaking so I went to Taylor Hardware and got some fuel line replacement.  That wasn't the end of it.  I ended up getting a carb. rebuild kit and using almost all of the parts in there.  The rototiller is working well now and the garden is tilled.

We have also put up a fence to keep out rabbits.  Almost all of the vegetables are planted and it looks pretty good down there.  The flowers are next.  We almost feel an obligation, living here, to have a garden and have a beautiful display of flowers. 

Another item that came up this Spring was a "free" Oriental Rug.  This brings out our psychological interactions.  A rug appeared at the curb in our neighborhood.  No sign of any kind, but close enough to the curb to indicate it was available for free.  We were interested in something for free, of course.  Who would do the embarrassing task of knocking on the door or just taking the rug?  What is wrong with the rug?  To be continued...

Rolodex

There was an ad on TV making reference to some guy who was out of date.  Several beautiful, swim-suit clad, women life guards are saving him from buying the "wrong" beer.  He asks for a telephone number and they make fun of him for having a Rolodex.  He is so hopeless he doesn't even have a cell phone.  Well these little things on these ads are hurtful to the general populace who have Rolex's.  Also, to those who don't have cell phones. 

I was looking for some information on my Rolodex about a week ago and realized how out of date the information was on there.  My fault for not keeping it up.  Probably half of the information on there was out of date.  People who have died or moved.  Businesses that no longer exist.  Some entries that I just don't remember who they are.  One that was a friend of Emma's in college that will probably stay there forever because Emma wrote,"Do Not Throw Away."

There is a lot of useful information there though.  Sometimes I wrote the family members names along with the main contact, so I could come off as having a better memory than I really do, or caring more than I really do.  Another hint, include pet names. While you're at it include birth dates for the humans.

I have one card that has all the local pizza places.  One for golf, and one for VW related people and businesses.

Don't throw out your Rolodex.  If you don't have one, buy one.  They're cheap.  There is no monthly fee, no batteries etc.

And, as a wise old paddleball player once said, "pencils don't forget."  Meaning if you write something down you won't forget it.  The filing system is important though. 

Royal Wedding

My furniture refinishing project turned out very well, by the way.  It took about two weeks, with the drying time between coats and all, but the result was very satisfactory to me.  We had family over for Easter and lately we've all been sick with colds/strep.  I think we are coming out of the depths now and will be having more positive life experiences to report soon. 

I had heard that the interest in the royal wedding was very low this time around.  When Charles and Diane were married 30 years ago many more people were interested in the event.  That was the same year that Brooke and I were wed, so we felt something in common with the new couple.  Funny how it all turned out. 

I thought it would be fun to get up to see the wedding of William and Kathryn today.  I know if Gloria were still around, she would have been up for it.  My Mother also, I'm sure would have liked to witness it.  It's history.  It's a connection and it's a positive renewal.  I have no negative feelings toward the royals.  I'd love to be a royal family member.  Kenneth Edwin, Lord of Genesee County.

I'd much rather have the royal family to talk about than the celebrities in the United States, or sports figures.  It all seems like such a waste of time. 

Anyway I enjoyed the wedding.  I noticed many of the people were not singing the hymns as the service called for.  Just like church services here.  More men seemed to be singing than women.  The women, I noticed, wore elaborate hats and I noticed two heavy women with especially horrible hats that, when I saw them, I thought they reminded me of Cinderella's mean step-sisters.  It turns out they were some cousins who have been having some difficulties with William lately.  Isn't that fun!

If I had a newspaper or magazine I would start a section on following the Royals.  Start with Englands and if it were successful, add in some of the others.  I know Denmark has Royals.  They go out biking amongst the commoners! 

The way things are going in America, maybe we should throw ourselves on the mercy of the Royal family and tell them to please take us back.  We can't make it on our own.

Furniture Refinishing

There is a large backlog of projects awaiting me this Spring.  I decided last week to start with the dining room table.  I bought this Cherry, gate-leg table shortly after we moved here in about 1990.  It was in pretty good shape at that time and was used in our dining room which was used approximately three times per year.  When we moved to 819 in 1999 (dates are approximate) this table was used much more often as being the main table for dinners.  The finish on the table was varnish.  Often we would put a glass of water or pop on the table and with the condensation or spilling, the finish would be compromised.  We also would use the table for projects that were unsuitable for such a finish.  We, as a family, do not have the sensibility of proper care for nicer furniture.  We would do better with the kind of furniture one might find in a day care.  Maybe made of plastic.  Sturdy and even nearly indestructible.  Yet we still want it to look pretty good. 

I've stripped and refinished three smaller tables using Homer Formsby's Wood Refinisher and some form of polyurethane.  The results have been quite good.  The tables have a nice looking finish and one can put a bottle of beer or can of pop on the tables without worry of removing finish or leaving rings.  So now I'm in the midst of removing the old finish from the table top.  Some of this is done chemically, some physically (scrapers) and some physically (electric sanders).  When I get all of the old finish off and have sanded off as much of the old water stains as possible.  I will apply the polyurethane/stain combination.  

Today I was at a point that required a trip to the local hardware store.  Since I was on the road anyway, I had the opportunity to stop at my favorite adult beverage replenishment retailer.  In the old days, one would pick up a 6-pack.  Years later the 12-pack came into vogue.  Today, 2011, an observer in Fenton could have witnessed Ken Lamson carrying a 30-pack of PBR to his camper van.  I thought, "If anyone asks I'll say this is how I judge my physical condition.  Can I carry a 30-pack to my van?"   

I've seen my first Robin of the season this morning.  I have a supply of beer in the house and the materials are at hand for my first Spring project.  All is well with the world and I hope to see all of you very soon.  Better hurry because the 30-pack is going fast.  

Tuesday

I've reached a new low on blog titles.  It is Tuesday though.  Today is my son Curtis' birthday.  I remember when he was born I was working at a General Motors plant in Flint.  I was called home and it was time to go to the hospital.  It had been a stormy day earlier.  I worked second shift.  All went pretty well but there was a blood problem and Curt needed a blood transfusion.  He's been a wonderful son and has been through a lot with his old man.
He served in the Air Force and has one son, Kevin who is also a great young man.  The game of golf is our most common shared pastime. Happy Birthday Curtis.

I watched a couple of episodes of Intervention on the tube last night.  I enjoy the unscripted shows more these days except for comedies.  Each show of Intervention shows someone who has a problem with drugs or alcohol.  You get the details of their past life and current living conditions.  You meet their families and close friends.  Eventually they all get together for the intervention and the subject is pretty much forced into going to a rehabilitation facility.  Then you see how they did.  It's quite emotional and I always get caught up in it.  I wish these people the best outcome possible.  Most relapse at least once and go through rehab again.

I'm reminded of the Soprano's intervention for Christopher.  It's hilarious.  They all end up beating Christopher up. (hope that doesn't ruin it for you) I've seen it three times and always get a kick out of it.  Our family hasn't had a formal intervention to this point.  We just continually point out each others faults. (in a constructive way)

I wish all of you Happy Tuesday and a great family life.

Fear

I've seen some posts regarding recent global events.  Unrest in the Middle East, earthquakes/tsunami, flooding and other natural disasters.  These events can cause a feeling of helplessness and guilt in others of us who are not feeling the pain first hand.  What can we do to help?  How awful it is for those who have suffered.  What can you do when a Tsunami wipes out your entire village?  There is really very little we can do as individuals.  Our military is offering assistance to the Japanese people.  That's us helping.
Our tax money being put to use helping them.  That's not insignificant.  The U. S. has always done that.  There are charity organizations that are able to help and are worthy of donations. 

On a personal level we mourn the dead.  We express our feelings to one another.  We offer prayers.  I think you can join prayer groups on the web and combine the strength of your prayers.  If you are a spiritual person this might be the way to go.  There is evidence that this does work.  If you want your money to be used most effectively stick with the Red Cross and other similar organizations.  It wouldn't be smart to donate to the Ken Lamson World Wide Giving Fund.  

Some have been listening to too much of the news coverage which tends to exaggerate the problems of the world.  It can seem awful, cataclysmic and end-of-the-worldly.  You must try to eliminate fear and anxiety.  Do what you can and that's all you can do. There is no need for guilt just because your house didn't get damaged.  Maintain your vigilance regarding those who would do harm to you and your family.  The natural disasters will happen and if there are preparations or safeguards we can use to limit the damage, we need to prepare.  Other than that, live a happy life without guilt.  Hope my two cents on this subject helps calm some minds out there.

biopsies

When one has something biopsied, it's a little nerve wracking.  You surely don't want to have cancer.  I had another biopsy yesterday and I'd say there is a good chance it is cancer.  It's just a guess.  I don't think it's worse than 50/50.  The good news is it would be a relatively easy procedure for fixing it.  My brother has had a couple of bouts with mouth cancer and the last one involved quite a bit of medical intervention.  He has a great attitude though and handles these things very well.  What else would you expect from your big brother.  He has always been a hero of mine.  He is nine years older than me and so was pretty grown up when I was a kid.  He went into the Navy when I was about eight and that was when he left home for good.  I finally could sleep on the fold out couch that we shared by myself.  I still appreciate having a bedroom.  

So, today I feel a bit better about my health than before we saw Dr. Chepeha at Uof M.  He put us at ease with his charm and engaging manner.  He remembered Brooke and where she works.  There are always several young residents or interns around learning from him and he handles it all very gracefully.  I have confidence in him just like Uncle Junior did in his surgeon Dr. Kennedy.(Sopranos)

Blog you later, I'm following the Big Ten Basketball Tourney starting today.  Bye

Forex Trading

There was a big article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday about Forex trading.  This is trading currencies.  I'm not sure how it's done but people stay up over night to do it.  There is money to be made and lost.  One way to get into it is through a "web site" currensee.com where you can get information and set up your account.  You can choose to follow certain "Leading Traders" and your money will be invested following their moves.  I don't know if I'll try it but it is interesting to see their strategies and results.  There is a social network part to it also and Lord knows I can use that.  Of course there are scammers out there trying to take advantage of our greed.  It seems the only thing I can depend on lately is Ebay.

I saw an article on Yahoo Finance about studies that show a correlation between health and happiness.  Those who are happy, experience more positive emotions etc. tend to be healthier and live longer.  It is significant.  It is as important as the other highly regarded behaviors for health improvement: diet, exercise, avoid excess weight, avoid smoking.  So remember to be happy.   Hypnotists say every thought has an effect on your body.  If the negative thoughts continue for too long they can actually make you ill.  I recommend that article to you and I will try to link to it.  If unsuccessful go to Yahoofinance.com. Article by Laura Rowley.

Old Boys

My daughter and her son spent the week end here.  Gabe is two and is starting to use the potty now.  He goes to pre-school a couple of days a week and is among the youngest kids there.  The older boys use the potty so he wants to be like them.  This has accelerated his potty training. 

He is so full of life.  His feelings are so close to the surface.  Ninety percent happy, five percent unhappy and five percent processing information.  That may not be accurate but you get the idea.  He calls older men old boys.  So Grandpa is an old boy as is Uncle Jake.  We're all old boys.  When I was playing tennis with a bunch of older men a couple of years ago I would look at them and sometimes imagine what they looked like thirty or more years ago.  We really are old boys.

My wonderful daughter asked if I would use hypnosis to help her with a small problem she is grappling with.  I think she was at least partly giving me a chance to practice.  We talked about it and I wrote a script for her including a few suggestions.  I haven't been reviewing my hypnosis lessons, but it went pretty well.  Nothing vital was left out and none of the big no-no's were included. Thanks Emma.  Hope you are having a wonderful day.  Emma spent a great deal of time finding some possible accommodations for old-boy Jake.  She likes doing this and if there is a job in it, she would be very good at it.  It sounds something like what our old-boy friend Albin does in Germany.

Brooke has a new disciple in the coupon endeavor. Everyone likes saving money as long as it doesn't require too much time.  Brooke can show you how to find something in your comfort zone. 

 It was a nice week end.  Not without stress, but plenty of fun and it was nice to have the old family back together for a few days.  

Panic

I chose that title because I was just watching CNBC.  Sharon Epperson always gives her report from the oil trading pit and she yells and sounds breathless.  It gives the impression of panic.  Something else that they did on that channel was, when the Greeks were rioting, they kept showing the clips of the worst part over and over.  It just gives a false impression that they are continuously rioting.  With all of the "protests" in the Mid East and the USA, it can make you feel panicky.  A lot of this is real and important for us to be aware of but keep in mind it does no good to worry.

  I have to keep that in mind.  Yesterday I was feeling very good.  I had dropped the dog off at the Vet's and drove Brooke to work.  It was sunny and old Flint town looked good.  I don't know why but I felt calm and in control.  Icy roads erased a little of that, but I mailed my ebay package and things were good. 

 The dog is in rough shape but sleeping most of the time.  Emma and Gabe are coming to Fenton tonight and I need to prepare for them.  That's not a big problem yet for some reason I feel nervous.  I'm supposed to be care-free.  That was my resolution.  So I'm not going to watch the news on television.  I'm going to get everything done on my list today.  I'm going into self hypnosis for short periods with the suggestion, "I am Care Free when I do what I can." 

I feel better already as I knew I would.  Writing this blog puts me in a better mood.  If it helps you in any way I am glad for that, but even if no one read it, I would still get the benefit.  You might want to try blogging some time.  Use a pseudonym if you want. 

Well, I have a few things to do.  Have a nice stress-free day.  If you would like to be a guest blogger here, I can add you to the list.  No one is on it yet.

Night Post

If I write something it's usually in the morning.  I will be taking Luke to the vet tomorrow and have to mail an Ebay item so am posting tonight.  Luke injured his ear about a month ago.  Blood accumulated in it and it's painful.  We had it drained a couple of times, but usually it requires surgery to fix the problem.  That's what he is getting tomorrow.  He's a more expensive dog now.  Maybe I'll see if he can earn some money chasing geese again this Spring.  We did it a couple of years ago and he really likes it.  I did get a free round of golf for it.  We used a golf cart and Luke was on an adjustable leash.  We drove around the course (Tyrone Hills) and I'd let him off to chase the geese.
After three trips, the geese were gone.  I can't say it was all from our efforts.

I found an old Slazenger tennis racquet at Goodwill a couple of weeks ago and bought it because it was the same model I had used many years ago.  It was in good shape so I might put it up on the wall.  Most likely it would end up in the basement or garage with the other 15 to 20 racquets I've accumulated.  I checked on Ebay and someone was selling one like it for $72.00.  It didn't sell but I thought I should sell mine.  I only paid 50 cents for it.  It sold for $41.00.  If I could only do that more often.  I wonder why these people want old racquets like that.  I have seen them as decorative items. 

I think that's about all I can talk about without getting negative feedback.  We miss Gabe around here but he should visit soon. That will be big fun!

A Good Book

A good book is wonderful to have at hand.  If there is a lapse in your day, you can gladly turn to your book and spend 10 minutes or so finding out what happens next in the story.  When it comes time for bed, and you usually read a while before lights out, you look forward to getting back to it.  I remember reading Jaws one summer long ago and every time I was going to read more of it I would (silently) mimic the TV announcer saying, " And now back to Jaws!"  I had already seen it on TV.  I enjoyed reading that and also another Peter Benchley novel, "The Deep."    Lately I've not had a good book around and so just read part of a Tom Clancy novel.  I have a bunch of these from a White Elephant gift exchange.  I should donate them somewhere but it's not worth the lifting.  They are thick and heavy.  Maybe we could use them to start fires. 

People seem to want to have a book with them when travelling.  It gives you something to do rather than just staring off into space.  It may keep others from attempting conversation with you also.

The thing now, is to have some kind of electronic device that you are fiddling with.  Things are changing faster than people can adjust to them.  I noticed that nearly everyone on the airplane had at least one device.  Some had two or more.  I had my multifunctional GP2X.  It can play games, movies, show pictures and ebooks.  I played a couple of games on it.  There are about a thousand games on it.  The nice thing is you can download the games free on the Internet.  I haven't used it for movies or e-reading.  I have two of these game consoles so I'm going to sell one on Ebay.  

Well, my TV show is coming on in five minutes, so I'm finished with my blogging.  If you've got a good book to recommend please do so.

Technology

I wanted to write something today, but what topic?  Thinking of what I've been trying to accomplish lately TECHNOLOGY seemed to tie it together as well as anything.

I've been trying to tame the computer situation here for about a month or more.  We have about six computers (not all in use).  Emma's old college computer finally gave up the ghost (power supply). We decided not to fix it.  It was replaced by Brooke's laptop.  My desktop computer failed and I bought a bare bones replacement using my old hard drive. All my information was preserved, Whew!
I bought an older desktop from a friend.  It came w/o a hard drive and no DVD.  I had an old Dell sitting on my desk in the side bedroom, that worked but was very out of date.  I finally have a plan to disassemble one of the desk tops and use some of the parts to improve the others.  I'll still have too many computers, but if some progress is made, I sleep better at night.

Another technology matter haunting me, (Oooo, that's my second spiritual reference), is how to upload some video files to Youtube.  There's just a little kink in the process that's been messing it up.  I'm sure Gabe would like to see the pet videos I have for him.  

The other tech issue is a happy surprise from an unexpected place.  I have some stock in a company named ZAGG.  They make accessories to mobile devices like cell phones, MP3 players etc.  They made something called the Zaggmate which protects the Ipad. If you pay extra it comes with a bluetooth keyboard.  It won the best in show award at Macworld just recently.  It was featured on Oprah yesterday.  MC Hammer presented it on her show.  He is a tech-mogul now.  This should help Zagg's sales today.

So, happy Friday.  May the Force be with you.

PS We didn't inherit any money lately.  It all went to charities.  I'm sure they will not embezzle it, not one dime.      

Groundhog Day Excitement

Today is Groundhog Day.  Another sign that Spring is just around the corner.  The big snowstorm has hit and I've snowblowed out enough of the drive and sidewalks for Brooke to go to work and the mailman and other pedestrians to get past or up to our house.  The anticipation of the storm has been on everyone's minds for a few days at least.  I think the lack of news and general boredom of life makes us susceptible to over hype.  Similarly in Egypt.  There are protests.  The next thing you know all the news (generating) organizations send their camera crews there.  It is disappointing when nothing much is going on so people start arguing in front of the cameras.  It is an opportunity for individuals to get their 5 minutes of fame.  You will see similar behavior at the Super Bowl this Sunday. In Egypt though, political groups are looking for power and so are politicians.  

It's almost enough to make me stop watching TV.  Ha ha.  I was looking for serious news this morning when I saw one of those video clip opening displays which showed a woman's cleavage.  I thought , "Do they think that will get me to watch?"  My journalist's curiosity was aroused.  It was a model wearing the diamond studded bra from Victoria's Secrets.  Probably related to Valentine's Day.  Well next time I'm not falling for that.  It is better than watching two Arabs arguing in Arabic.  I just heard yesterday of some study that was done that demonstrated that if a TV channel uses a sexy woman to give the weather, men watch but they don't remember the content of the forecast.  I noted that myself when watching a certain weather babe in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  I remarked to my son Curtis that I don't remember a word she said.  I like the ugly people that Channel 12 in Flint have.  They are an equal opportunity station.

This is an exciting day in mid Michigan; Snow, News and I might make a video for Gabe this afternoon.  Hope you are well.    

Long Lost Relative

You've undoubtably heard the stories of people coming into an inheritance, out of the blue, from a long lost relative.  Someone they barely heard of or even didn't know about.  They are summoned to the reading of the will and find they are millionaires overnight.  I was musing about this probably 25 years ago with my Mother-in -law, Gloria.  I said something like, Who would there be in my family that would have that kind of money?  We were saying how great it would be because the person would not be someone you knew about and therefore wouldn't be saddened by their passing.  Gloria told me of a second cousin she had in Ann Arbor.  The woman was rich and there were very few heirs.  She was somewhat daft.  Her dress was eccentric and often she wore long dress gloves around, even as she worked with flower gardens.  She owned real estate in Ann Arbor.  I never met the woman, but I thought it would be interesting to see what she was like in person.

Well, we got the news last month that she had passed away.  There were about seven or eight people listed who were relatives of the deceased.  The estate is valued at 19 million dollars.  We're thinking of buying a place in Florida.  There will have to be a renovation of our Fenton place, of course.  I'm considering changing from Five O'Clock to Grey Goose.  That may be a little extravagant.  Stay tuned.

Here's hoping you have a long lost relative or benefactor at some point in your life.  Of course, if you've ever watched The Millionaire on television you know that the money doesn't always result in happiness.  The bad emotions of people come to the surface and of course government wants a part of the action.  You'd be lucky to have enough left to buy a new Lexus.  Well, I have to check Facebook to see if anyone commented on my status. 

  

The New Ken Lamson

Hi all.  This is the new Ken Lamson coming to you from the old sidebedroom.  The checkup at the hospital went okay.  There was quite a bit of waiting but it was nice to get to spend "quality time" with my wife.  I hate the fact that we accept terms like quality time and go on to promote them by using them. Forgive me for that.  Be that as it may, I was ready to be instantly transformed into a New Man.  I realize the doctor, when he said I'd be a new man, was referring to the change I would experience in my heart symptoms.  They have improved but are not completely relieved.  There are still more doctors that will look at the test results to get the complete picture.  The instant transformations come usually from the mental side
as in the hypnotists office.  The true power for change lies within.  I'm not getting on my soapbox, so keep reading.

As I started my day today, the first thing that came on the TV was an ad for a real estate system.  The, self described, little guy with the high pitched voice.  I thought, this is about me!  The new Ken Lamson should go with this.  I won't do it of course, unless a couple of you would like to go in with me.  Easy money and we could have meetings and discussions.  Are you reading this, Crawford?  We would be sure to put a solar panel on the top of each building we purchase so we could promote ourselves as "Green".  We could call our company, Drive-by Realty. We would train our managers by having them watch selected episodes of The Soprano's.  

I had better get off the blog.  I want to get on the treadmill for at least 15min.  If I keep doing the same things I did yesterday, I will never be the new man I want to be. 

Money

Why do I go here?  One of my pastimes is thinking of ways to make easy money.  Don't you just love easy money?  So far I haven't made much, and time is running out.  I don't want to cheat anyone and I don't want to take government money.  I don't want donations even though I told our house guests this week end that I might solicit $100,000 donations on this blog.  If I got three, I'd be set for life.   I'd feel awful about that, so don't even try.  When people have a fundraising event, and say we've raised a million dollars for this cause, I think they have taken that money from others.  It's just a form of begging.  Not where I wanted to go.

I would love to come up with an idea or invention that would be worth a lot of money to a person or business.  They would make money from it and I'd get a nice windfall.  Don't you love windfalls?

The fact is many of us have ideas and don't do anything with them only later to see them offered in the marketplace.  I had a great idea this morning for a new candy dispenser.  I'm sure they could sell a million of them.  I'd like a hundred thousand for my idea.  I'm pretty sure this is the last thing I'll do with the idea, but I might check to see if they already make 'em.  My children could probably tell you of some of my ideas.  The one that comes to mind first is a drive thru convenience store.  They had one in Ann Arbor and I thought why not in Flint?   Still a good idea if anyone wants to do it.  I'd be open 24/7 unless I found it unprofitable after trying it for a while.  You would have to make it robbery proof, of course.  Another idea I had was the iphone.  Who knew it would be such a hit? 

The easiest money I made was on ebay.  We were selling a bunch of hand bags, that Brooke had collected over the years, at one of our legendary garage sales.  The price was $8 each.  One of the bags was a Louis Vuitton.  No one thought it was authentic though.  I showed it to a woman and said,"Don't you want a Louis Vuitton for only $8.00?" she replied," If that were a L.V. this part would be genuine leather."  I looked at the bag and thought that it is genuine leather.  These bags are made so perfectly it's hard to tell.  I listed the bag on ebay and got a tremendous response.  The final price was over $600.  Later the man who purchased it said he had it checked and it was genuine and he couldn't have been happier.  I still have fantasies about opening a Louis store here in Fenton.  Another good idea for some entrepreneur.  I'm just a talker and a dreamer.  Good for being a hypnotist though.  Something else I probably will never do.

I'm going to stop writing now.  Tomorrow I get a check up on my new heart valve at UofM Hospital.
I'm on my way to becomming a new man!  Maybe he will put into play one of the money-making ideas of the old man. 

Quotations-Sayings-Truisms

I would hear from my parents, quite often, old sayings that would be used to teach, guide, correct or convince me of something.  Here are a few:


"A stitch in time, saves nine."
"Not caring comes to Hanging."
"Don't throw your pearls before swine."
"It's always darkest before dawn."


I did a search to find some other sayings and found,"I gave up on explaining to people why I ride a motorcycle."


My Mother would never have thought that was relevant.  But both parents would surprise us on occasion.  That is the royal us. If you doubt my royalty look at a picture of me, side-by-side with Camilla Parker Bowles.   


At any rate I was thinking of the danger of taking clever sounding quotes or mottos at face value.  My advice is to take the time to evaluate.  Accept what you can as true or useful.  Just because a saying has been around for a long time doesn't mean it should be accepted without question.  I like knowing some of the old sayings.  They are part of our culture and our lives.  When I hear one I often am reminded of a family member who was partial to that quote. 


"leave sleeping dogs lie."  ____________
"Leave sleeping drunks lie." ___________
"Don't mix your beers."  ____
"What you can conceive and believe, you can achieve."  ___________


See if you can match the above with these people with whom I associate.  Stu,  Matt,  Bo,  Buck


All learning can be achieved thru wise sayings.  I've heard one can learn everything important in life in Kindergarten, from movies or from watching Star Trek.


In conclusion, "Don't put all your commanding officers in the same space shuttle." (when playing with your Star Trek dolls.)


If you would like to add a couple of adages to my blog, please do.  If you want to enter the matching challenge (winners get a free cup of coffee or tea) do so with a comment or in person.


Leave with a smile, it will take you a mile.

MLK Day

This dovetails with my last post because I was doing my student teaching at Northwestern H.S. when Martin L. King was shot.  The students were angry and rioted.  The school was shut down and classroom doors were locked.  This had the eventual effect of many retirements in the Flint School System the following year.  I was one of the new replacement teachers.  That was a tumultuous time to be a teacher in Flint.  I'm not sure it ever got much better.

Emma and Suhitha took Gabe in to a Flint Clinic today and it was closed.  The stock market is closed and TV programming  even is affected.  Steve Jobs has gone on sick leave.  Banks are closed and there is no mail delivery.  I always liked MLK Day and Columbus Day when I was a mail man.  It was a paid day off and you didn't have to get together with family or anything.  Usually, they were all working. 

I'm thinking about making some muffins.  We had people over this last week end and Brooke made stew.  I love stew, goulash and lasagna.  In the cold months its time to make some so called hearty meals.  It's also the time to rededicate yourself to more healthy eating.  I started making oat bran muffins years ago when I was trying to get control of my cholesterol number.  The recipe I used was from a book called the Eight Week Cholesterol Cure.  My kids loved the muffins.  There was a good recipe for turkey chili in there too.  I make pasties once in a while.  They're great, but if unchecked I'll gain two pounds for every large batch of pasties I make. 

It is cold outside today but the Sun is shining and Gabe is visiting.  Happy MLK Day.

Getting Hired

How does one get hired?  I would like some feed-back on this.  If you have some good ideas that might put one at the top of the list, or simply get some advantage.  When there are a hundred or a thousand applicants, what can you do to stand out?

Twice in my life I think I got the job because I made a good impression with the secretary or clerk who was taking the application.  It may have happened more than that.  I showed up to apply and said to the secretary," How's my new best friend?"  I thought it was funny because of the obvious pandering.  I got the job.  Another job, one I just as soon not have gotten, I let the secretary know I was planning on attending UofM. It happened that her daughter was a student there and looking for a boyfriend.  I think it also helps to tell the prospective employer that you would be perfect for the position.  

I know there are some outlandish methods that have worked.  I was recently thinking of a strategy that might get one noticed.  Say you are looking to hire someone and you have an office with a secretary and maybe an intern.  Many applications are coming in for the position and they must be dealt with in some way, put in a box, filed alphabetically etc.  On Monday at 11AM an order of sandwiches is delivered by the local Jimmy Johns with compliments of you.  On Tuesday a small fruit basket arrives.  Wednesday maybe some flowers.  Now, the staff is wondering what will come next.  Thursday, you miss a day.  Friday, send a note saying you've run out of funds, you need a job. 

I'm not looking for a job right now.  Many people are though and I thought it a worthwhile subject for a blog.  What impressed you about a candidate?  What did they say or do that made you think, "Yes, you're the one!" 

What did you do that you believe landed you the job?  (Remember, this is a family friendly blog.)
 

Worry

Hello all.  I just turned on the wave machine and have also just finished reading a couple of how to quit worrying web articles.  My New Years Resolution is to become "Care Free".  I've been tending away from that over the last 15 or more years of my life, and I need to right my ship.

  What has brought this to the fore this morning is what happened while trying to sleep last night.  I slept pretty well but after waking about 5AM, I kept having thoughts/dreams that were worries.  I still dream of teaching and failing at that.  I dream of working at the post office and the pressures that were part of that job.  I thought,"These are just dreams and mean nothing; Why can't I have some pleasant dreams?" The one article I read made the point that we are conditioned to worry by society.
One needs to worry about ones future, grades, health etc.  It's not responsible to be care free.  Someone has to worry about things, so do your share, dammit!  I think the other point was the idea that in order to achieve happiness one first must do some worrying.  The problem is, we never get past the worrying.  

Of course there is guilt.  Don't forget the guilt.  How can we be happy?  There is no hope for happiness if there is worry and guilt.  One strategy suggested for worry relief is to write down the worries on a "worry sheet". Then put off worrying about them until a later time.  I think one of my main worries is that there is something I should be worrying about, but I'm missing it altogether.  That's both good and bad.  Hypnosis teaches that forgiveness erases Guilt and Fear.  You must forgive yourself also in this process.  Many turn to drugs for this in the short term.  We know the problems associated with that. I remember Emma getting some worry dolls from Gloria, her Grandmother, when she was about 6years old. I think you would put a worry doll under your pillow for each worry you had and that would take it away, or something.  I know Emma liked those little dolls.  There are also worry beads. I don't know how to use them.  Maybe I should open a worry shop in Fenton.  The new age coffee shop idea was shot down. 

I know one thing, I always feel better about things when I write a blog.  I might feel a little guilty if I think it's a bad blog.  Thanks for reading my vent.
Come by for a cup of tea. I've got 251 pictures of me in London that I'd like to show you.

Coaching Change

I just listened to the news conference of Dave Brandon, Michigan's A.D., announcing the firing of football coach Rich Rodriguez.  When you listen to something like this, as with listening to the C.O.O. etc. of a company giving the quarterly conference call, you try to listen between the lines.  I think the A.D. is very cautious and trying to stay above reproach as far as his procedure goes.  There is a lot of pressure on him and he is new on his job too.
I liked Rich Rod and would have given him one more year to show marked improvement.  This may be just being too soft but a lot is in place now that is his and with a new coach you're ripping all of that out and starting over.  It's a gamble.  Where are the men who you can feel confident in.  Men who you can imagine as military leaders.  Men who the young men playing for Michigan can look up to, want to play for and follow.  If there is another Bo Schembechler out there, please step forward.

Read Bo's memoirs by John Bacon.  Bo was larger than life.  He was as honest as the day was long. He watched over his players the way I wish I had watched over my kids when they were in college.  They would have hated it but  in the end, would have ended up loving and appreciating it. I think that kind of leader is timeless.  If you want to be a good coach, teacher or parent, it would be good for you to read that book.

So much for the old coach, let's hope the new one has strong character and leadership abilities.  They must be able to get along with the A.D. and most importantly WIN.