Home again...

I should, after more than two weeks away, have plenty to post... at least for a day or two. I took enough pictures to fill the days over at R,M&P.
Meanwhile, while driving back from the airport (San Jose, CA), I was listening to the radio and realized that creditor and predator sound a lot alike.

hmmmmmmmm

Again!!!

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We are leaving again. This time we're not taking a laptop and I imagine there will be limited access to the Internet and air travel is involved. I'm probably not going to miss posting as much as I will miss reading other blogs.
That is about as much of a clue as to where we will be for the next two weeks.

also a longer than usual
drive to an airport

Maybe I will finish the housekeeping later

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My twin cousin, who I will be seeing shortly (tomorrow), has been researching family history... well, on my mother's side of the family anyway. The last time I saw him, he gave me a couple of audio CDs, of an interview given by my grandfather, about the 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco. All four of my grandparents experienced it. I'm sorry they all weren't interviewed. It was really quite something to here Grandpa relate the story and to give background behind what and why they did certain things. The man who did the interview did a fantastic job because he just asked a question and then let my grandfather talk, and talk... and talk.
I'm going to have to find more about the family history, too.

S.F. earthquakes kind of put the
World Series in perspective

Bacon

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That's right, kids, we haven't posted about bacon in awhile. Thank me later. I see where Jones Soda Company has a bacon flavored soda... NO. THANK. YOU!

I was thinking about awards, specifically blog awards.
I know how much folks like a good blog... those are the ones that consistently and regularly post good stuff that keeps people like me going back for more.
Some of those bloggers are not truly fond of receiving awards, even go so far as to discourage the presentation of awards by roasting the presenter. Personally, I am really unqualified to judge who should receive an award. Besides I have none to present... and probably wouldn't accept one if it was offered. However, I do like bacon... in its original form... and I know a couple of bloggers deserving of bacon. The best part is this isn't a meme. Nobody has to do a thing, not even acknowledge the presentation of the bacon.
No, wait, the best part is that I don't have to give a reason for presenting the bacon. Even better, if you like a blog... or even just a post on a blog... just type "Bacon" in the comments. If you know how, link it back here. If not, just picture the blogger scratching their head as they read the comment.

just stirring the pot

The countdown continues

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I'm really just killing time until Tuesday.
I used to think I liked being spontaneous. I realize now that it wasn't the case at all. I just hate waiting.
Speaking of waiting, some day I will have to write about what I did in the service.
Meanwhile, I suppose I could go rake some leaves. There is a leaf blower, but it doesn't work well with the leaves from our oak tree. The little spines along the edge of the leaf sometimes even help them stay in place against vigorous raking.
Well, it's too nice to stay indoors

and I can only do so
much damage here

They don't look any better this way

It's on Saturday this month

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Walt Kelly did Pogo for a long time. One of my favorite lines came up on a regular basis.
No, it wasn't "We have met the enemy and he is us."
It appeared about once a month, whenever the thirteenth arrived. One of the characters would pipe up and say, "Friday the 13th came on a [fill in the day here] this month."

just sayin'

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A little housekeeping

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The next couple of days will find a change or two around here. I mean on the blog. I am going relocate the TCF image to the sidebar and possibly clean up a few things.
The thought behind this is that we will be away for much of the next two weeks enjoying an extended Thanksgiving holiday with my twin cousin and his wife. This is a major change for us from previous Thanksgivings in that we'll be away more than two days and are traveling a whole lot further.
There should be some interesting tales... or at least some pictures for RM&P.
Anyhow, unless I miss my guess, there'll be no posts after Tuesday for awhile.

yeah, I know it's not
our birthday but we're
doing it because we can

Remembering

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Brian, Suldog, and Brian's dog have all posted in one manner or another about the significance of the day. There's little left for me to say, except, Thank You.

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Oh, darn! I didn't mean to post this...

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This is a little experiment using some stuff stolen from
an email I received from a corporate spammer. All I had
to do was GIMP it and save it.


If it looks good I may steal find more and misuse it.

Some preparation is required

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I alluded to a Christmas story the other day when I mentioned the Anderson Volunteer Fire Department making a trek into the woods to secure a tree for the community display. They have always done so on the first Sunday in November. They even did it when the biggest party in town, and perhaps the county, was their own Firemans Ball on the Saturday before the first Sunday. Talk about stamina. That party was seldom over before 1am and the firefighters stayed after to clean up.
But that's not the story.
The reason for chasing down the tree on the first Sunday is because the nearest neighboring city also collects their tree at the same time. It is also a volunteer effort. The equipment: a crane, a couple of logging trucks and the drivers and crane operator are also donated. There are even professional tree fallers involved who donate their time. Community Christmas trees are taken very seriously in the Real Northern California. We even call it Christmas. Sometimes the local media will follow the tree cutters and report on it. But it isn't often that they make any kind of big deal out of it. That's is reserved for the Friday after Thanksgiving.
The tree gets hauled to a spot in the shopping center where there is a spot reserved specifically for its installation. The volunteer firefighters then spend the next two and a half weeks putting the lights on the tree during their spare time. That would be the time they have left over after working their regular jobs and doing the training required so they can be volunteer firefighters. That's why they need two and a half weeks.

Up until about 1977 the tree was displayed in the downtown, next to where the original fire hall is, by the railroad tracks. That spot became less desirable when the commercial area of Anderson included more than just downtown... that and the original location couldn't accommodate the size of the tree that the firefighters wanted to bring in. So the merchants in the shopping center were approached. They agreed and lobbied the landlord to set aside a spot in the center (that's used for parking the rest of the year). Then the shopping center merchants, the Chamber of Commerce and the firemen arranged to have the plans, labor and materials for the hole to be donated. But that's another whole project [pun intended]

Thanksgiving still comes first

So, yeah I guess it was a busy weekend

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It just didn't seem like it was busy because nothing we did interfered with something else we wanted to do... except maybe sleep late.
I think I pretty well covered Saturday's parade.
There was a really good turnout for the breakfast yesterday morning. Even without the thirty folks who were heading into the woods to find a tree for the Anderson Christmas display, we had an exceptional number show up. That was in spite of the weather, which, at one point, dropped a quarter inch of rain in ten minutes. Not only that, but most of the clientele were early. That was probably mostly due to the fact that Daylight Savings ended at 2am Sunday.

oatmeal, Jim, you
can add raisins

Bonus from Saturday

Sorry it's so jittery. I had no idea I was going to piece these together into one long video. In fact I really didn't think I was going to even show them to anyone else. The parade was a lot of fun for those participating... and the ones watching, too.
It was particularly fun for the Lions because we walked at the front of the parade, carrying the 30'x 60' flag*, then hopped struggled aboard a float. Instead of waiting for our turn, we persuaded one of the marshals [also a Lion, since the Lions sponsored and hosted the parade] to let the float jump the line. Then, since the parade wasn't over, the float went through the parade route again in the assigned position.

*that's 1800 sq. ft., Joe

1st Sunday again

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Grandma Skip and I will be off shortly to help prepare and serve breakfasts at the senior center. We get to go in early this month because the volunteer firefighters are coming in before they head into the hills to cut the community Christmas tree. They start now because they need the three weeks to get the tree ready to light on the day after Thanksgiving. It's all done by volunteers.

even the hole they
stick it in was dug
by volunteers

This morning

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I am going to forgo my my usual Saturday morning routing because today the Lions Club up in Shasta Lake... the city, not the actual body of water... are holding their annual [unless it storms] Veterans Parade. They don't have it on Veterans Day because they want more folks to be able to participate. My understanding is that there will be bands this year. So the Anderson Lions will not have to play their kazoos.
If the opportunity presents itself, I will take pictures.

gonna miss the kazoos

It doesn't mean I have to like it

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I understand the economics of retail. I should. I was a retail slave forever, after I was a restaurant slave for twenty years.
In essence:
- Somebody does market research and the manufacturer creates the product idea.
- The manufacturer pitches it to distributor who creates fancy brochures and gets samples.
- Distributor sends out sales folks to pre-sell the product to the retailer.
- Sales folks take the orders back to distributor, who places the order with the manufacturer.
- Manufacturer fills the orders and sends them to the distributor, who, in turn, sends them to the retailer.
- The retailer has to pay for the stuff, so it's put out on the floor when it arrives in August.
- That's why we see Christmas merchandise alongside back-to-school and there are no bathing suits available in the summertime (they were sold out by May 1).

This wouldn't happen in a barter system. But then we wouldn't be able to afford half of the things we have today.

why do I understand these things?

I digress

Yesterday my friend and fellow Lion, Brian, posted on his blog a little about Lions and what they do. Lions Clubs International has an entire website and even it can't begin to cover all of the services Lions Clubs provide. Many local Lions Clubs have their own web sites with information about what that club does. Some clubs even have
Facebook pages.
What my friend was lamenting is that Lions don't seem to get nearly the recognition and media coverage that some other service organizations receive. Of course my thoughts on the matter are that Lions just aren't that into self-promotion because they are too busy doing what Lions do. That's aiding the folks in our communities who are less fortunate.
Unfortunately, many folks who are familiar with Lions know them from the many and various fund raising activities Lions perform so they can give aid and comfort in their communities. It seems that serving pancake breakfasts is probably near the top of the list of those activities. "We Serve" is the Lions motto. Some folks have the misconception that it means we serve food.

my club roasted a pig

How about that?

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- California's new (almost) Governor has a reputation as a fiscal conservative.
- Are we going to start seeing Christmas ads now the elections are over?
- Is it sending the wrong signal to have a parade in Downtown S.F. on the day after an election?
- Shouldn't baseball season have ended about September 15?

No, I'm not at all disappointed with the outcome... ...of the series

- Oh crap, the NBA season's started already and we're still on daylight savings
- Maybe that should have been two separate thoughts?
- I found a really good quote, but forgot what it was, where I found it, and who it was from.

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Just a moment

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I am trying to come up with a way to celebrate the World Series victory by the San Francisco Giants that won't seem like I am gloating.
It has been such a long wait.
The last baseball championship won in S.F. was in 1957, by the Seals (in the Pacific Coast League).
The pitching was masterful, the hitting timely and there was a bit of luck, too.

take that... Dodger fans!!!

Deja vu

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Remember this?
Yeah, the battery went kaput... permanently.
Friday night, after we'd helped close the Haunted House, we got into the car. I turned the key. Nothing happened. I'm not even sure why the automatic remote door opener thingy worked, because it didn't after I turned the key.
Oh, everything worked out okay... obviously or there'd have been no posts here for the last couple of days.

sure glad it lasted
until we got home

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