Cheese and Quackersz

At last!!!

2009-05-31T21:31:00.002-04:00

Well folks I made it.

31 days of nightly blogging.
Now I know that June is "Hero's" month in nopoblomo land and that's great but I truly am going to take a break while I find a better blogg site to post on. (To many problems with going from Word to blogg.)
When I get back I will probably post once a week or so unless I have more to say about some issue. Tonight I want to say thank you to some people who helped me to get through this month;

First YT for badgering me to do it in the first place lol.
Then there is Geezer whos' comments were encouraging, and then Hilly who continued the badgering (uh--- I mean encouraging) to keep me going every night.
And of course then there are all of you my faithful reader(s) knowing that you were there waiting for my next blogg made me want to not disappoint anyone. And lastly I would like to thank the Academy for nominating me .... Oh wrong thank you speach ...

Pass the Quackers

TLD

Can you see us?

2009-05-30T23:44:00.001-04:00

Can you see us?

There are two populations in the United States, one lives in the sun lit world of acceptability and law. While the other lives in the shadow realm of poverty and homelessness. Some of these people are trapped in dangerous lifestyles like drugs or alcoholism, but others are there because of bad luck or job loss. Home foreclosure and a failing economy have conspired to throw these otherwise respectable responsible families onto the streets.

So what do you do when you are suddenly thrust into the shadow world of homelessness, where just putting your head down at night puts you on the south side of the law in most cities in America? Today the state of California found and destroyed a place where dozens of these forgotten citizens felt a bit safer. The state has said that they are trying to help the people that they displaced today, help them find homes and jobs.

But what are they really doing? Handing out literature about section 8 housing? Referring them to the unemployment office? All that has truly been done is to push the people who were living in this “hidden cave” back onto the street. Taking the little bit of security that these people had found away again.

A cave was discovered in L.A. under I-10 near the river. One man said he had lived there for close to 5 years he feels safe there and wants to be left alone. He prefers not to be in the public eye "I don't want people to feel uneasy because I'm around, like kids."

It is unfortunate but he does have to be careful about being seen in public places.
It is almost like once you become homeless you are no longer a member of society, unwelcome in places that “normal” people gather. And the things that are available to someone who has a home are denied to the person on the street.

Thankfully there are places in the country that are trying to really help the homeless. Organizations like Street roots in Chicago and Real change in Seattle, (newspapers published and sold by homeless people) or Cafes in various cities around the country that cater to the homeless. And there are thankfully more and more of these places every day.
Not only run by groups like Salvation Army, but private citizens are stepping up to help.

So it begins to look like the answer to my question is yes, you can see us.

Pass the Quackers
TLD

Good bye to an Icon

2009-05-29T23:19:00.004-04:00

“The ending of an era.”

Tonight an era comes to an end, as significant as the royal funeral of Princess Die or the wedding of a bachelor president. I have seen many things in my almost 40 years stuck on this rock that can be thought of as important: The moon landing, the impeachment of a US President, the steady erosion of civil rights in the “land of the free”. I have been to war and seen unspeakable devastation in many parts of the world (through the blessing of TV). But only once in my life time have I seen something that equals the monumental event that will take place in about half an hour.

Tonight Jay Leno steps down as the host of the Tonight Show (after 6,208 nights). He will pass the microphone to Conan O’Brian starting Monday. But how he (Conan) will carry the legacy forward remains to be seen. I have watched Jay off and on for 10 years and will miss him, his monologue and Jay walking.
He has really helped me to develop an interest in what goes on in the world and I wish him all the best of luck in his future.

Of course he is starting a new show on NBC in the fall that will air at 10:00 pm so I only have to go without for a few months. Except for his car show and maybe a weekend show in Vegas or maybe one of the 45 weeks out of the year that he still does his stand up routine on the road.

So Good bye Jay and all the best.
Good luck Conan he' a tough act to follow

Pass the Quackers

TLD

The Twilight years

2009-05-28T23:40:00.002-04:00

Today we went to a family gathering for Hilly's cousin who passed away last week at the age of 41. we have had to many of these lately with the only time the family gathers being for the extreams of life. In April Hilly's niece had twins, in february she lost a great Aunt we have seen weddings, birthdays, hospital trips with major surgery, and funerals. To many funerals.
I look at all this with a bit of feeling like an outsider, I didn't know any of the people who have passed on. And I had only met Amy ( the twins mommy) a few times.
BUt as I become more and more involved with these families I am amazed to see the History of this proud family (the Teresi clan that is) and I feel honored that I have been invited in.

well this was going to be longer but it is 3 mins to midnight and I am going to be hardpressed to publish before it's tomarrow.

Pass the Qua....

what to say?

2009-05-27T23:20:00.002-04:00

lol!!!
Well I am sitting here trying once again to think of something to say.
As I got my title put in just now, I hit the enter and the title is all that showed up on post. It would have been perfect but Hilly says no write something real. (party pooper)

My last two post's were not very well received. Though I thought they were very well done, and can't understand why someone who has seen the new Star Trek movie would gripe at me for spoiling anything. You, oh faithful reader(s) have all seen it. [It's not like you haven't seen it twice already YT.]
As for last night; What is not to understand Newsie? I am confused send me a specific Query and I will try to give you a better answer.

We saw Gameboy off this afternoon on his way back to AZ and it was a tearful parting all around.
But we are comforted by the fact that it will be a very short separation this time as he and his family are coming back here for good by the end of August. YAY !!!
Bubba will miss his new mattress.

Well folks we have three more days to go,
and then I am taking a 6 months vacation from this C***
lol

Till next time

Pass the Quackers
TLD

whats in a name?

2009-05-26T20:59:00.002-04:00

One of the most important aspects of any Role playing Game is your characters name.
More that his/her statistics or class the name sets that tone for a good character.
The factors that make up a good name change with the genre, for Example if you are playing a Klingon in a Star Trek Rpg then a name like KaLiss is great.
But not so much if your playing a Elf ranger in The Lord of the Rings.
Most game Universes frown on taking names directly from literature
in The Lord of the Rings a player can not take the name Arragon and expect to get any respect from other players. That also holds true for one off names where you take the name and change or add one letter to "make it original". However that being said one of the best INSPIRATIONS for character names is literature so while Arragon would not be a good choice Aspelegon may very well serve. One of my favorite tricks is to take common 4 syllable or greater words and break them up putting emphasis in different locations for example when I played Dungeons and Dragons Online (one of the few that allow sir names) all my characters were real medications. For example my main character was a fighter named Tye last name Lenol
my Ranger Characters were Penny and Ampa Cillin. But another great source is obscure books like Michael Crichton's " eaters of the dead. which I intend to plunder ruthlessly in the future as I need them.

So there you have my first treaties on the ins and outs of successful Gaming.

Pass the Quackers

TLD

Star Trek the first generation ( redux)

2009-05-25T21:10:00.006-04:00

!!!!!!!!!!OHHH EMMNN GEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have two diametrically opposed opinions of this movie that can both be expressed by the very overused OMG..

First opinion :

OMG what a fantastic movie.
Sage you were right they really did an outstanding job with the casting and story for the new Star Trek. The actors must have spent months studying every frame of original footage from the show to learn the nuances and mannerisms of the original crew so well.
When J.T. Kirk struck that pose at the end, and turned his head to Spock, I totally forgot that it wasn't Bill Shatner Up there on that screen.

And as for Spock I can still not quite believe that they didn't go back to 1958 and bring Lenord Nemoy back through time to play the role all over again.
they did put a few new wrinkles in like the whole Spock Uhura thing. (where did that come from?) But as they set this in an alternate universe from the normal ST universe it does work.

On the whole an incredible fantastic wonderful reintroduction to The Federation's number one crew.

The second opinion.

OMG THAT SUCKED.

They totally destroy the entire origin of the crew From Kirks "born on a battle field" attitude, ( I mean really what is this CONAN??) and Spocks Violent childhood, to Checov even being on the Enterprise at all. (He didn't even show-up in the series until year 2.) And what the tribble is a transwarp transporter anyway. Even TNG hadn't figured that out and they had Scotty AND Jordy LaForge. The "Romulans" were so NOT that at first I mistook them for Bejorans.
As for the loss Spocks mother was inexcusable to pull such a key figure out of the mix at that stage of there development. Think for a moment: What is going to happen in another two years when Spock goes through the Tom Puor that resulted in "Amok Time" with out her (his mother) there to help him accept what he does to Kirk he could very well Crack in two. (As in "mirror mirror")
But the thing that totally makes this stink is the closing monologue delivered by Mr. Nemoy,

THEY USED THE TNG MONOLOGUE!!!

So as you can see two equally valid though totally opposite opinions.
How do I fall ...
I have to say that I am totally impressed with this. If I had never seen the show, and never been exposed to the Star Trek universe, this would certainly be enough to have me hooked for good.
I hope they do a large number of very good sequels. They have certainly got some incredibly talented people to do the job with.

As I have seen and been exposed to the Original Star Trek universe, I have to say that the reintroduction is awesome and I look forward to the next installment anxiously.

In the mean time.....

Pass the Quackers

TLD

Busy week

2009-05-24T19:20:00.002-04:00

Well folks this has been a great and very busy week. Mike got here on Tuesday and we've been going non-stop with him ever since. We have been to visit most of the different branches of the family and seen a great birthday party reunion yesterday.

Today we had a fantastic memorial day cook-out at a friends house. They got a 15 lbs Cut of prime rib and slow cooked it on the spit while the rest of us made salads and baked macaroni.
I brought a cucumber spinach salad. as we sat and ate we had some great conversation and I found myself remembering some of the good things about living in Washington state.

I realized that I have finally put most of the bad stuff from back then behind me and accepted that I have a great life now. I have a wonderful new family and a fantastic relationship with my original family. So even though I could be in a better place financially, the place I am in in life is pretty good too.

Pass the Quackers
TLD

The messure of a (wo)man

2009-05-23T20:14:00.002-04:00

They say a person's wealth can best be measured by the people that love them, If that is true then Hilly's Aunt Bubbles is one of the richest people in the city of Rochester.
Last month was her second 40th birthday and tonight her children held a family reunion/birthday party for her.
When we got there around 3:45 this afternoon Cousin Vic was bringing in the last of the goodies,
the children of any number of cousins, niece's, nephews great niece's,and nephews,and so on
where playing ball in one half of a basketball court at Vic's church that they were using for the party.

The food was all catered by another child (in-law) and was absolutely fantastic roast chicken and Italian sausage's wonderful pasta and all kinds of cold side dishes.
there was so much food that nearly everyone was able to get their fill and take a plate home with them.
After dinner Vic and his son Victor Charles set up a PowerPoint presentation and old movie DVD
of photo's from all through Bubbles life from the forties through now it was fantastic to see and watch Bubbles react to the love and affection everyone felt for her.

Well folks I am stuffed and sleepy from to much good food so I'll say good night.

Pass the Quackers

TLD

Aint technolegy great

2009-05-22T20:49:00.006-04:00

So we have been doing some work on our system over the last week and have managed to improve PC performance by about 80%. But now we are having keyboard troubles so I changed out boards but still no luck which tells me its not a keyboard problem but a software problem.

so next I'll try updating drivers for the keyboard and if that doesn't work then I'll apply the biggest hammer I can find and start over.

On a different note we are having a fantastic visit with Gameboy who has decided that he and his family are moving back here before the end of summer. That will really be great I will finally get to meet my newest Grand-daughter and see WoWGirl and her mom again. We are going to a big family reunion tomorrow and then a memorial picnic on Sunday. Over all a pretty good visit and a great memorial day.

Pass the Quackers

TLD

+-

2009-05-22T20:49:00.001-04:00

almost there

2009-05-21T22:35:00.002-04:00

It is 10:35 on the 21st of may.
That means I have only 10 more days to come up with something new and entertaining to write each night.
So far I have managed to get through with out to much cheating and no missed days.

But to make it official.

BLOGG

There I wrote a blogg for tonight. LOL

Pass the Quackers

TLD

place marker

2009-05-20T20:05:00.000-04:00

So yesterday Hilly’s son Gameboy got here from AZ and she’s been on cloud 9 ever since. One of the things that this means is that we have a live in geek squad for a while.
The first thing he did when he had caught his breath was to install a game called World of warcraft which he plays and Hilly and I have been wanting to play for a year.
He is a high ranking leader in his guild and has promised to help us newbie's out some while he is here. It will give most of the family (this side of it) a way to stay in regular contact, and give me a way to not go insane. He has a big game scheduled to start in about 10 mins so I better get going.

Goodnight all
Pass the Quackers
TLD

the slippery down hill(y) slope of waiting for children

2009-05-19T15:32:00.003-04:00

So after a week of waiting and anticipating, Mike comes home today.
He is in the air now and will be here in about an hour.
Hilly of coarse is going stark raving bonkers with excitement,
though she is trying to hide it. She hasn't seen Mike in 2 years, and he hasn't seen his Gramma in 5.
We have cleaned the house and washed the cats. (They were not amused.) Even borrowed a vacuum to do the carpets with, and I have to admit that even I am looking forward to seeing him.
We plan to take him to the beach, and a national BBQ contest this weekend, then there is the big party for Auntie Jo and star trek. We are hoping he will decide to move back here and bring our grand kids with him. How ever it works out we will all have a great time and look forward to spending a wonderful week together.

Pass the Quackers

TLD

Insert Quarter

2009-05-18T19:03:00.004-04:00

Why life should be like a video game.

because it looks strange to wear a sword in public

People look at you funny when you sing; this is the way we loot the dead loot the dead.

So money would only be a random slaying away.

honestly when was the last time you saw a videogame end badly

the good guys always win

economic success depends on how good you are with a sword

hosting a party doesn’t always end with people being drunk and getting hurt

the most serious injuries can be fixed with a potion.

If you die, you can be brought back to life

and the most important reason life should be like a videogame…

RESET BUTTON.

Pass the Quackers

TLD

no title

2009-05-17T21:44:00.003-04:00

Night after night I sit here trying to come up with something new and wonderful to put in this blogg. Trying to be witty or charming or inspire my readers. But I am really not this clever.
I have had to many dry nights and cut and paste bloggs to be a true blogger. I know that it is supposed to be a " as the mood hits you" type thing but this challenge is proving to be to much for me. I don't have anything else for tonight so goodnight all hopefully I can come up with something more satisfying tomorrow.

Pass the Quackers

TLD

A new hope

2009-05-16T15:08:00.002-04:00

Well faithful reader(s) I went off today and took the first set of exams
for becoming a public bus driver.
Not exactly what I was looking for when I got out of trucker school but I'll take what I can get.
I will find out in about 3 weeks or so if I have been accepted for training.
I really hope they do cause I need to get working (I am going crazy(er) sitting at home.)
Hilly is very supportive and I do make more on Unemployment
then I would on a entry level job.
But I still feel like I should be working.
If I can get hired on as a bus driver then I will have 7 weeks of Paid training (15.00 an hour)
then have to go get, are you ready for this, a CLASS B licence. lolol I just cant win[huge exaggerated sigh while shaking head]
Funny thing the test we took today was a video test and the buses and drivers were all from King County WA.
I am fairly confident about my test but there were alot of people taking it and only 25 openings.
So wish me luck huh?

Ok folks go enjoy the weekend and ...

Pass the Quackers

TLD

from the heart

2009-05-15T23:31:00.004-04:00

Something sweet happened this week in my family.
My little brother, the one who split five cords of wood the day I went to war in 91,
Was made Master Sergeant and I can’t begin to say how proud I am of him.
He has always made me proud from the very beginning.
I wish I could remember with certainty the good things from our childhood but I can’t.
I do remember that I wasn’t the best brother when we were kids.
I was a small petty tyrant at times. But fortunately for me,
my brother was and is a bigger man than I .
I love him and am very very proud of him.

So Sage From the very bottom of my heart:

(wish I could get this bigger but I'm having problems with my photo shop)

Pass the quackers
TLD

dry spell continues news at 11

2009-05-14T22:58:00.000-04:00

I have a really sweet idea perculating but won’t have anything for a little while.
I may be calling a few of you for input so be ready.
But tonight I am dry sorry

TLD

dry patch

2009-05-13T23:24:00.002-04:00

Well folks its almost midnight here and I got nothing to blogg about tonight.
so let me just say good night, and I hope you all have sweet dreams.

Pass the Quackers
TLD

Magic rediscovered

2009-05-12T22:30:00.003-04:00

Sometimes sweetness is as simple as getting a new book.

A long time ago I discovered that a book could take me to places of untold adventure and magic, romance and terror, hope and joy.
I read everything I could get my hands on. Even the one book my mom said I couldn’t read. (Sorry YT I read it a long time before you thought I did.) Funny I can’t remember the title or who wrote it but I remember the cover art.
LOL

As I grew up I always had books around I can even remember coming home from school one day and telling mom “if you need me I’ll be on Barrsume”. She got mad and said I wasn’t going any where. Then she realized where Barrsume was and started laughing. It was really cool.
(Thats what Edgar Rice Burroughs called mars in the John Carpenter stories.)

Books were with me all through school and my time in the army. I was never very far from a new unexplored world, filled with monsters or magic, space aliens and spies.
I was always able to pick up a new book. But when I left Washington I had to leave all my books behind and its taken a long time to get any sort of collection together again.
I have gotten to the point now however that every book on my shelf has been read at least twice and most more then that.

So a week ago I joined a book swap online and have started trading books back and forth with other book lovers around the country.
Now I have received my first three books in the mail and I am in bibliophiles’ heaven.
Its hard to explain the feeling you get when you turn the first page of a book you have never read before, And I have to admit I am hooked. Well maybe not to YT.

I will close with this thought for you.
In this world of science and logic reason and mathematics,
MAGIC still exists. You find it in the spells woven by Master Adepts like: Tolkein, Anthony, Cussler, Salvatore, Roberts, and so many more that it is truly a case of Amazing Stories.

So pull up a chair settle in and…

Pass the Quackers
TLD

Sweetness and light

2009-05-11T20:52:00.004-04:00

Ok folks I have made it 11 days so far but I'm about tapped out for original ideas so here’s another bunch of great stories.
These are all true and as you’ll see they are all sweet in there own ways.

Angel on Wheels by

"Julie" Kentucky, USA

When I was in the 8th grade in Ohio, a girl that rode the same school bus I did had a terrible accident. As she was running to the bus so as not to miss it, she slipped on ice and fell under the rear wheels of the bus. She survived the accident but was paralyzed from the waist down.
I went to see her, and in my 13 year-old mind I recall thinking that she wouldn't have much of a life now. Over the years, I moved, married, and had children, and didn't think much about Helen after that.
Three years ago, in Florida, my oldest son was hit by a car while riding his bike, thrown 90 feet, and landed on his head, suffering a horrid brain injury. While semicomatose, he was transferred to a rehabilitation center. While in my son's room, the phone rang, and it was a lady whom said that she was the rehab's social worker. It was a particularly trying day. I burst into tears for no reason, and heard the click of the call being disconnected.
A short time later, a beautiful woman, in a wheelchair, rolled into my son's room with a box of tissue. After 16 years, I still recognized Helen. She smiled, handed me the tissue, and motioned for me to come closer. I did, and she hugged me. I told her who I was, and after we both got over the shock of that, she began to tell me about her life since we last saw each other. She had children, was happily married, and got her degree so that she could smooth the path for those less fortunate than her. She told me that if there was anything she could give me, it would be hope.
Looking at this wonderful, giving, person, I felt small. But I also felt the hope she gave me, the first I had since learning that my son was hurt. From this person that I thought would have no quality of life; I learned to never give up -- ever. And I learned that when there is life, there is hope. My son miraculously recovered and we moved back north, but I owe Helen a debt that I can never adequately repay.

The Compassionate Manager

By Teresa Keebler

Story editor

Joyce Schowalter

Oregon, USA

It was 11 p.m. The voice on the other end of the phone asked if I knew an older gentleman named Del, and gave his last name. I told him, yes,that was my grandfather's name. I'd been surprised by the telephone ringing, and now immediately began wondering why a stranger would call about my grandfather. The man, who sounded like he was in his early 40s, said he was managerof a hotel in Coos Bay, Oregon, a couple hundred miles from my town. He said my grandpa had come in off the street asking for a room. The manager, "Paul", explained that this older gentleman seemed lost and confused, and he was worried about turning him away without helping him. The problem was, grandpa was trying to use a credit card that wasn't active. Grandpa Del had only been able to tell Paul that he'd just gotten off the bus coming from Bend, Oregon. Grandpa couldn't remember any of his family's phone numbers. Worried about calling the police or sending this frail man in his 90s out on his own, Paul had searched phone listings all over the state for anyone with the same last name. That night in July 2008, none of my family was listed in the directory -- except for me. I was concerned --grandpa lived in an assisted living home nearly 200 miles away, but nobody had been alerted that he was missing. Paul put grandpa on the phone, and he said, "I just need someone to tell this nice young man that I'm a good guy, that I'm good for the money,and when I get home I'll pay for it." Adorable, but not necessarily a solution in today's world, either to needing a place to stay, or being so far from home. Paul allowed me to use my credit card to pay for a room, offering it to grandpa for far less than the regular rate of $170. I guessed he was just recovering what the maid would earn cleaning the room. This compassionate manager next went further above and beyond any expectations or duties one would ever hope for. He said he and his employees would watch over my grandfather until someone from my family could drive to pick him up the next morning. I was crazy with gratefulness and thanks. I frantically called my brother and father, and they worked out that my father and uncle would drive the three hours to pick up grandpa the next morning. They'd return him to his retirement home, chosen to be near where they live. It was so great to meet this helpful manager over the phone, even if I didn't get to meet him personally. I was thrilled to be reminded that evening of the compassionate and helpful people who are still out there, everywhere. Paul truly was someone who would go the extra mile, to do whatever it takes to help someone who needs help.

Waiting for someone special.

By David Mcclaughlan

Story editor: Joyce Schowalter

Ayrshire, U.K

We all like to get the shortest line in the supermarket. After all, nobody likes waiting. The checkout I headed for had one old man beside it. He had a basket with two items in it. Great! I should be through in seconds. I heard the checkout operator ask the old man how his wife was. I gathered she had been, or still was, in hospital. "Ohhhh," there was a tremor in his voice and a little shake to his shoulders. "It's worse than they thought." More, quiet conversation followed, then I heard him say, "And now I can't find the talc she asked for. It's her favorite kind." Now there was no doubt -- this smartly dressed, older gent was shaking with sobs. I doubted if he had ever shopped much before. He looked of the generation that concentrated on providing the money so wives could do such things. And now, here he was, in this huge barn of a supermarket, on a mission to buy, of all things, talcum powder. And not just any talcum powder, but her special kind. I had an awful image of a loving husband charged with doing one last kindness for his sweetheart, and not being able to, letting her down at the very end! The checkout operator looked around, then scurried out from behind her till. She apologized to me, took the old fellow by the arm and walked him through the toiletries section. I could have gone to another checkout, but it had become important to me to know what happened next. Well, she found that special talc, rang up his purchases and sent him off with a prayer for his wife. Then she turned to me. "Oh, I am so sorry for keeping you waiting. If they knew I had done that I would get fired. They tell us never to leave the till unattended, but... I'm so sorry." I insisted I didn't mind, adding, "It was an honor." She looked puzzled, but pleased. I really was honored simply to be a part of this, even if my part was only to stand and wait. On the way out I asked for her supervisor. I told the supervisor how impressed I had been with the woman and that she deserved a commendation or a pay rise. I saw her recently while checking out, and she was still smiling. Her job description should have prevented her from helping but she stepped beyond that. In doing so she took a desperate situation and turned it into one more act of love between two weary travelers making their way to the end of this life.

Not all stories are about such heavy subjects though.

Here’s one of my favorites.

Phone Home

By Katy England

Bangor, Maine

Edited By:Joyce Schowalter

I work for a small weekly newspaper in Maine and on July 21, 2007 covered the midnight release of the last "Harry Potter" book. My coworker and I talked to children at a local bookstore about what they liked about the series, their predictions about the ending, and reading in general. My story was for the paper's next edition. We got great pictures of the army of Harry Potters, Hermiones, Ron, and Snapes. Kids and adults were dressed up for the occasion. There were lots of festive fun, games for the kids -- the bookstore was crammed with hundreds of people. A friend had asked me to pick up her pre-ordered copy of the book. So after my coworker left, I settled down for the long haul, since I wouldn't get the book until around 2 a.m. I wandered around the bookstore, browsed other titles, sat in a comfy chair when I could, and waited for my wristband color to be called. Young kids who'd been hollering and laughing started to glaze over and nod off. My color was finally called, and I dutifully got in line. After about 10 minutes, a little girl came up to me. She was 10 or 12 years old, with long brown hair pulled back in cute half pigtails. She was in remarkably good spirits, considering it was around 1:00 a.m. She asked if I was Katy. A bit surprised, I said yes. "Hannah" handed me my cell phone. I was dumbfounded. I hadn't even realized it was gone; it must've slipped from my pocket during my wanderings around the store. Apparently Hannah had called the number for my house and spoken to my very sleepy husband, who told her what I looked like. She then searched through the rather large store, still jam-packed with Harry Potter fans,to find me. She slipped into the crowd while I was still gaping and thanking her. Being bleary-eyed and tired, I stood in line a couple minutes, stunned, as what she'd done ran through my head. I came to my senses and left my place in line to find her again. She was with her mom, and I thanked them both profusely. Hannah was sweet and bashful. I offered to buy her any book, but she declined, which impressed me. The phone isn't actually mine; it belongs to the company I work for. I couldn't bear to think what would have happened if this little girl hadn't found it. I would have been in some trouble, to say the least. On top of the embarrassment, I would've had to pay for it. How easy it would've been for Hannah not to make that effort, there were hundreds of people there, she could've turned it in to the desk. What she did was so much more personal, it shocked and touched me simultaneously. I'm still so impressed that she took the time and made the effort to get it back to me.

So there you go folks four fantastic tales of real life heros and the sweet feeling they leave in the hearts of anyone who reads these stories.

{If you want more go to heroicstories.com }

now on a personal note, I will be looking for a new blogg site this week as the formating bugs on this one are driving me sane.

Pass the Quackers

TLD

Happy Mothers Day

2009-05-10T19:30:00.002-04:00

M Is for the mud she washed off of me.

O Is for the old song she used to sing.

T Is the times she worried about me.

H Is for the hair she lost while doing so.

E Is for the ear she chewed off when I was bad.

and

R Is for the Restaurant she went to for brunch today.

Put them all together they spell MOTHER
She's the one we'll always love.

Happy Mothers Day Mom

Pass the Quackers

TLD

Too many sweets

2009-05-09T19:44:00.004-04:00

Ok folks what happens if you have nothing but sweets for 9 days straight?

You end up with a belly ache cause you've had to many sweets.

Well I have that ache today my head seems more empty then usual and I am having a hard time thinking about how to continue this blogg tonight.

As I sit here looking out the window the wind is blowing hard and we have a thunderstorm warning for the night.

(Both out side and inside as I have managed to make Hilly mad at me.)

The sky is a weird greenish gray and the trees are really going nuts right up till I typed that line anyway lol. There have been power outages in the area and I am hoping we don't loose power ourselves.

Anyway watching the weather channel it looks like most of you are in severe weather areas tonight so good luck stay safe and dry

pass the Quackers

TLD

my 8 things

2009-05-08T18:02:00.002-04:00

My 8 Things

8 Things I Look Forward To:

Hilly getting home
Getting a job
Going for ice-cream
Meeting Jesus
New books
The end of the recession
Summer
The end of civilization

8 Things I Wish I Could Do

play an instrument
Draw
Something wonderful (you pick)
Afford to go to Belize
Win the lottery
Buy a big piece of land in Nevada
Find a Job
By a new book when ever I want with out thinking about the price

8 Things I Did Yesterday

Called mom (talked to dad)
Took the cat for a walk
Looked for a job
Had fun (see walking cats)
Made a cucumber salad
Went out to dinner with Hilly
Enjoyed the look on her face as she ate her hot fudge sundae
Watched the Simpson’s

8 Shows I watched

Mash
Csi
Bones
The news
The mentalist
Criminal minds
Numbers
Harper's Island

8 Things I‘ve Seen Lately That Are Really Sweet

Hilly coming home from work
Bubba Zee on a walk
Pictures of my grand kids
A father playing with his new born baby
A soldier being welcomed home by his family after a combat tour
The calm in the air after a huge wind storm
Families looking at homes destroyed and NOT giving up

But the sweetest thing I have ever seen was the look on moms face when she saw me at my brothers wedding last year,

Happy Mothers Day Yarntangler. (I forgot to get you a card)

Pass the Quackers
TLD

enough sweetner to give the world diabeties

2009-05-07T22:07:00.002-04:00

Here are a few stories to inspire and cheer you all.

They are from various authors and are mostly Japanese folk tales.

Tail of Happiness

Once there was this kitten that was chasing its tail. It just chased it and chased. An older wiser cat came along and he watched this kitten. The cat watched the kitten for a long time. Then he asked the kitten, "Kitten, why do you chase your tail?" The kitten replied, "Because I will find happiness in my tail." The old cat watched for a time longer then he said, "I, too, use to chase my tail because I thought I would find happiness there. But I realized that I didn't need to chase my tail for wherever I went it seemed to follow." And the old cat got up and walked away with his tail whishing behind.

The House of 1000 Mirrors (Japanese folktale)
Long ago in a small, far away village, there was place known as the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit. When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the House, he thought to himself, "This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit it often." In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, "That is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again."
All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see in the faces of the people you meet?

The Perfect Girl

A friend asked a gentleman how it is that he never married ?
Replied the gentleman, "Well, I guess I just never met the right woman ... I guess I've been looking for the perfect girl."
"Oh, come on now," said the friend, "Surely you have met at least one girl that you wanted to marry."
"Yes, there was one girl .. once. I guess she was the one perfect girl .. the only perfect girl I really ever met. She was just the right everything .. I really mean that she was the perfect girl for me."
"Well, why didn't you marry her," asked the friend.
"She was looking for the perfect man," he said.

Optimism

In order to better understand people's views of the world, a researcher once placed two children, one a pessimist and the other an optimist, alone in separate rooms. The pessimist was placed in a colorful room full of all kinds of imaginative toys...the optimist was put in a room filled with horse manure. The first child played in the room for a little while, but soon came to the door asking to leave because the toys were boring and because they broke too easily. Likewise, the young optimist soon came to the door...but rather than asking to leave, she asked for a shovel. Of course, the researcher asked the child why she wanted a shovel. She replied, "With all this manure around, I know that there must be a pony in here somewhere."
- Unknown

A Smile

A smile cost nothing, but gives so much. It enriches those who receive it, without making poorer those who give. It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it. A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill in business, and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature's best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours, as none needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.
- BJ.Morbitzer

Pass the Quackers

Tld

kick start

2009-05-06T21:28:00.000-04:00

A couple of days ago I wrote a poem for my blogg.

Yarntangler said “it’s nice to see you writing poetry again”.

I used to write poems a lot when I was younger. Have even had a few published, but then I stopped. It seemed like I had gone dry. For years I didn’t write anything maybe one or two in five years.

But now I have someone in my life that inspires me again. When I got hilly back in my life everything just got better and life is sweet again.

Pass the Quackers

TLD

writers block

2009-05-05T22:21:00.002-04:00

Well I made 4 days without blocking up.

But for tonight I have a bittersweet case of the old wb.

Sorry.

Pass the quackers

TLD

sweet gig

2009-05-04T22:34:00.002-04:00

This week I got the best offer any gamer could ask for.
an invitation to a closed beta testing of a new game.

its really sweet

Pass the quackers

TLD

My definition

2009-05-03T18:26:00.003-04:00

“Sweet”
By Jim Cumberland

As the glow of the morning sun rises slowly over the horizon and the hummingbird returns from his winter in the Mexican sun.

As the flower dripping nectar blossoms in a garden tended and watered with love.

When love and joy exist for the first time in a woman’s heart and a man gives his life to win a place in hers.

If the peace that calms after the storm brings rain then sweet is the field where the flower grows.

As the setting sun at the end of the day and the majestic winging of the drake on his yearly voyage in to the sky.

“Swete”
TLD

Pass the quackers

sweet

2009-05-02T15:39:00.011-04:00

Sweet; Slang term
Adjective: Something that is awesome.

So I’m going to start out this month with an exploration of the many definitions of Swete (see yesterdays Blogg if you think that’s a misspelling)

An interesting thing about words is that they change meaning and usage as time goes on.
For instance sweet started out to mean a pleasing taste. (See yesterday’s definition.)

As time moved on fragrance was added, so a flower became a “sweet smelling weed.”

But today we are talking about sheer awesomeness as a definition for sweet. For some unknowable reason young people tend to steal words and add their own meanings to them. Like cool which started as a temperature and ended up meaning suave or … well COOOL.

So at some point in the last 30 years they absconded with sweet, and turned it into awesome.

So here is my sampling of the new sweet.

Here is an example (above) of SWEET power.

and below is SWEET grace.

This is a SWEET sight from Gods workshop

One SWEET ride

Heres a sweet way to spend an evening with your best girl/guy.

And that dear readers is one SWEET blogg

Pass the Quackerz

TLD

ok ok I'll take your silly challange

2009-05-01T11:50:00.008-04:00

Ok.

This is going to be a strange and exciting adventure; I am going to attempt to complete this month’s noblopomo challenge. That means I have to come up with 31 bloggs on the topic of sweet and its many derivatives.

To begin with faithful reader(s) you know I am not the most prolific of writers. I also tend to cheat and procrastinate. (As Hilly will tell you.)

So I don’t know how far in to this month I will get. But here goes.

sweet
1sweet (adjective)
2sweet (adverb)
3sweet (noun)

Main Entry:
1sweet Pronunciation:
\ˈswēt\ Function:adjective

Etymology (where the word comes from): Middle English swete, from Old English swēte; akin to Old High German suozi sweet, Latin suadēre to urge, suavis sweet, Greek hēdys

Date of first use:Before 12th century
1 a (1): pleasing to the taste (2): being or inducing one of the four basic taste sensations: containing a sweetening ingredient :

This is the first definition of sweet that I will be looking at.

Enjoy.

Pass the Quackers

TLD

something to put on your Quakers

2009-04-25T16:31:00.006-04:00

In our oh so serious world of Economic crisis housing collapse and ever diminishing fish stocks, there is an overwhelming need for really really silly, dumb and Eco-friendly idiocy to make us remember … pickles.

In the beginning man was made of dirt and given life by the breath of God.

So it is understandable that out of that dirt some weeds would grow.

Soon after we realized that we could in fact “eat our shorts” we started selling them to each other and so needed a way of informing each other of who we were.

And now that we are selling and buying so much we need a means of getting around.

Need for sweet speed

The world's first eco-friendly racing car - which is powered by chocolate - will be launched next month.
The interior of the ecoF3 includes a steering wheel made from carrots and a seat of Soya beans, while The Daily Telegraph reports that its body is made of potatoes.
With a top speed of 145mph, designers from Warwick University's WorldFirst team mixed vegetable fibers with resins to produce the car parts.

However, its engine does not currently comply with F1 regulations because of the unusual fuel, produced by refining oils in chocolate.
"We hope the Formula 1 teams will see that an environmentally friendly car is not necessarily a slow car," a team spokesman said.
"We expect our new materials to be used by the Formula 1 cars of the future."
Copyright WENN.com. Digital Spy contributed to this report.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled chaos.

Pass the Quackers
TLD

the final copitulation

2009-04-08T10:36:00.002-04:00

This morning I did something that men have rebelled against for centuries.
Fights have started and marriages ended because of this.
Men and women have fought and then not spoken for weeks at a time over one simple act that seems to be anathema for men the world around.

I changed the toilet paper roll.

Pass the Quackers

TLD

no title

2009-04-07T12:13:00.002-04:00

Well ugh ummmm I got nothin.

Hilly says I should write a blogg today since I haven't in so long.
I am finding that the longer I go without blogging, the harder it is to do a new one.
This must be some kind of atrophy of the brain I guess.
So I am sitting here dumping random words on to the screen in such a manner that seems to make sense but really doesn't. The fact that you are still sitting there reading it tells me that like me you are either
A) board out of your mind. Or
B) being held hostage by your undying love and loyalty for the author.
(in my case the Author is Hilly)
ok ok I know that was cheesy but its all I got today

Pass the Quackers
TLD

Public safty Barney lives

2008-12-13T08:19:00.003-05:00

It was a dark and stormy week in truck driver land,
One that brought high winds and cold temperatures, as well as snow and freezing rain.
We had a chance to meet O.M Winter and his son Jack. That old monkey wrench
I.C. Road stopped in on Friday and didn’t leave till after wrecking two trucks.

And of course the count down moves forward I have only 5 weeks left till I graduate.
I talked to the recruiter at Werner on Friday and I start with them the last week in January. I will go to PA. for orientation and then start with my Company trainer for 6 weeks. After which I will be given my own truck and be a real truck driver.

I was going to put some pictures of nice gentle truck wrecks in this blogg to make the whole I.C. Roads thing better, but it turns out that there is no such thing.

When a Car or even large SUV tangles with a truck they loose badly. A few reasons for that would be:

The average car weighs in at 3000 lbs the average SUV at 5000, the average truck on the road weighs in at 80,000 lbs.

your average car accelerates 0 – 60 in 5 or 6 seconds usually in one gear, it can take an 18 wheeler 20 – 30 sec and 9 gears to hit the same speed.

Any car or SUV can go from 60-0 mph within 100 yards; a fully loaded truck at 60 mph takes more then 600 yards to stop. A truck with out a load takes longer.

Now I didn’t mean to turn this into a public service announcement but the fact of the matter is that unless you drive a train you won’t win against a tractor trailer rig.
And because I need all the readers I can get please drive carefully this winter and remember:

Weight x Mass + Velocity = right of way

Pass the Quackersz
TLD

weekly update of school

2008-12-05T20:34:00.005-05:00

First and most important, My Mom-in-Law
is doing much better and the Dr. is thinking about sending her home tomarrow. this is great news though we are keeping our fingures crossed that she gains more strength first.

Now this week in Truckdriving school:
On monday we got three new instructors... well two new ones and one who used to work there years ago and has come back.
The returnee is a very nice guy named Happy. Happ for short he is a 25 year veteran driver who has driven for most of the big companies so he is a great store of information about what its really like to be a driver.
Then theres the fact that he has more patiance then Budda, Gandi, and Mother Teresa combined.
I say that because, on tuesday night after the school had closed some one went and smashed all the glass on all the trucks that were used for road trips, needless to say that put a crimp in training on wednesday. However after a few hours the school got some ryders delivered and we started driving again. But they all had transmissions differant from what anyone had trained on prior to that so no one knew how to shift them. Hap took it on himself to sit through all 25 students one at a time teaching them to run the new transmissions.
Next is Lenn he's a Canadian transplant who has been driving for 43 years.
Also a very nice guy he is teaching the new class of five week students.( there are 5, 7, 10, and 18 week programs offered at the school)
I have sort of become his student teacher during my make up hours.
I am really enjoying that.
And lastly we come to the least cordual of the new instructors.
She is a mean and unpopular woman who drove for Prime Trucking.
She has 17 years Experiance over the road and to judge by her attitude toward the students that experiance was not very good.
but thats how life works isn't it.
A little good, a little exceptional, and a little nasty.
Our lot in life is to learn to deal with it all in the best way we can.

Pass the Quackersz
TLD

Twas the day after thanksgiving

2008-11-28T00:08:00.002-05:00

Well folks I broke my Streak.
I missed sending out T-day greetings.
But I figure I can do it now because I am still grateful for the same things today as I was yesterday. I am thankful for being in a good home with a great wife.
I am thankful for my family who has supported me in all my trials and tribulations.
I am grateful to be in school for a great new career.
But the one thing that I am most grateful for, is that I have been given a second chance with the woman I Love.
That we are building a strong new chapter in our lives together.
So no smartalec blog today just a guy who is glad that he got a good hand in life.

Pass The Quackersz
TLD

How do I let myself get talked into these things?

2008-11-27T00:38:00.002-05:00

Well intrepid readers (All 6 of you).
I have been doing this for a week and a half now and I have to say, who ever said it gets easier as you go along, was full of brightly colored and extremely runny hard boiled eggs.

I have never been a person who puts thoughts on (pick a forum here) paper, tape,computer, clay tablet, or parchment very well.

This is not to say I don't come up with some good things to say or good stories to tell. [ I once wrote a 20 page short story about being afraid of sunlight.] But I do not do it easily. The words do not make the trip from my mind to my fingers with out ending up somewhere in Chicago or Atlanta(they were visiting my heart). I only bring this up to point out that I have now gone an entire week with a new topic and reasonably intelligent rant every day.
Yay for me!

But it makes me wonder ... why do I do things like this to myself
Is it because I secretly have a writer in me fighting desperately to get out?
Is it because I know that if I can get my views out that somehow the world will stop being a haven for morons and idiots that cant figure out, that checks left in the book do not mean you have money left in the bank?? No that's not it at all....
You see dear adventurous reader I am Married and last week my beautiful wife (of "Tails From the Furside" fame) decided that I should write a blogg
she said" You'd be good at it." and in a fit of uncontrollable EGO I caved in and started this little snack tray.

enjoy and pass the quackersz
TLD

Disclaimer:

2008-11-25T11:45:00.002-05:00

Please do not try any of what you are about to see at home.
These people are trained morons and YOU intrepid reader
hopefully are NOT.

Pass the Quakersz
TLD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do3xsS9HHv0

political correctness

2008-11-24T11:47:00.001-05:00

There was a time in this country when a man went to work and did not have to fear calling "a spade a spade". He was able to say that a co worker who was always shirking his job and hiding was Lazy or just plain no good. Then some overly sensitive, liberal minded person decided that hearing someone speck the truth about his work habits hurt his feelings and sued his boss for the terrible crime of allowing employees to say what they feel.
Sense that day we have entered into a dark world of Thought police and political correctness. These days a spade may not be called a spade but must be referred to as a digging implement, and a lazy co-worker is now called inefficient. Gone is the incentive of the co-worker to improve his work ethic and so be thought of in a less shameful fashion. Gone too is the ability of society to encourage citizens to behave honestly. I cite for example the crime page of any newspaper in the country.
"John Smith was arrested last night in his home after police burst in and found him standing over the still bleeding body of his wife with a large butcher’s knife in his hand dripping with blood. He is charged with allegedly stabbing his wife in cold blood.“ Now before you start in on me for that let me say: The news story above is fictitious it is only meant as a representation of the atmosphere of in offensiveness and political correctness that pervades our society today.
Unfortunately I have no Common Sense answer for this problem. It’s just too big and invades too many aspects of our lives. From the workplace, to the newspaper. From schools to everyday speech the issue needs a bigger brain then mine to solve it.
So for now a spade must remain a digging implement and a lazy good for nothing co-worker must remain inefficient.

Pass the Quackersz
TLD

the cave-in at the end of the tunnel

2008-11-23T14:02:00.003-05:00

Well Hilly is sick on the couch telling me to do my blogg cause it will make me feel better and less worried about her. ... hope you liked it....
Tld
She says thats not enough.

She wont let up so I guess I have to add a bit or at least explain my title.
In the course of my life I have had many plans and dreams.
From opening a medieval theme park in Wyoming to running an international knife sharpening empire,to now becoming a truck driver.
until now they have all been impractical, unachievable or just down right dumb.
The truck driving however is a very good practical and doable goal.
In fact most of you already know that I am well on my way to achieving it being 9 weeks into an 18 week course. Then last week I got sick and had to stay home from school, pushing my graduation time off by a week or so.
Today however we got the news that a major winter storm is coming in tonight (when I was supposed to be on my way back to school for tomorrow) and it is supposed to dump a boat load and a half of the white cold stuff on the entire region from Lk Ontario to the gulf of Mexico. Water in one form or another will be falling this week.(so Yarntangler and the Geez better get their heater working pronto.) So it looks like I will be home another week and thus have to push my graduation off 2 weeks or so. So the light I was seeing at the end of the tunnel is still there, its just on the other side of a bit more rock.
Just my luck holding true to form lol.
See yeah on the other side

Pass The Quackersz
TLD

public speaking

2008-11-21T13:09:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, November 20, 2008
A live discussion took place in Rochester New york on the subject of school security and dealing with disruptive kids. The first topic came about because another gun found its way into a school and the world went into panic mode... I took the opportunity to vent my spleen a little. When I was in High school in Wyoming there were teachers who specifically taught students about safe and responsible behavior with firearms. In addition that teacher taught on honor and citizenship. He did so by example. He was my jr ROTC instructor. He was a soldier who taught in the school. Teaching us that service to our country was an honorable career, that being responsible to others was the best way to be a good citizen, and that when transgressions occurred whether in the law or on the world stage just and swift action was needed to correct it and return peace and safety to society or that same world stage. Then about 30 years ago the country decided that those were not values that had any merit any more and one by one started kicking that teacher out of schools. A funny thing happened after that. School disputes that once would have meant bruises and contusions from a fist fight now started ending with stabbings and stitches. A few more years pass and we come to the first and worst school shootings in the countries history, places like Columbine Co, and Moses lake WA, (There are too many more, unfortunately, to list).
I say the worst, not because of the body counts though those are horrible certainly, but rather they are the ones that ended (some think forever) that "innocent" time when schools were a place of safety. Where kids could go and be held almost in a sacred trust that they would come home again. Well I don't believe that that time when kids could be safe in school is gone forever. But it will take work to get it back. I hope we are up to the task.
First we have to stop allowing know nothing politicians and "so called" social experts to tell us that it is wrong to discipline or even expect good behavior from our kids. After that radical idea has had a chance to sink in to the overindulged unrestrained egos of the next generation then we can begin to show them that there is respect and dignity to be earned by putting others needs ahead of ones own. When we start thinking about others before ourselves the world will start getting back to a normal moral and value standard that we can live with.

Some predicted benefits would include:
Less crime.
Fewer teenage funerals.
Less violence in school.
More productive two parent families.
Fewer unwanted pregnancies.

You know the list just is too long to put here but you get the idea I'm sure.

TLD

Home repairs

2008-11-19T22:35:00.003-05:00

Well, my intreped imaginary reader(s), I am home sick from school this week with the worst cold/flu I have had in 5 years. Because my wife and I dont have decent cable, I was stuck watching PBS all day today when I found something really cool going on. A live feed with no sound track came on from the International Space Station where an astronaught with delusions of Tim Allen was installing a component. It looked like air lines or something into the new additions to the ISS.
After the lines were hooked up he left the video cam and went off to find a real camera. He came back and took several photos to document the proceedure, then (and this is when I figured out where they were)
he lets go of the camera and it sits like a well trained puppy 4.5 feet off the floor. Cool huh

Pass the Quackersz

TLD

Mr. Sniffles goes to Washington

2008-11-17T20:03:00.000-05:00

Welcome my imaginary followers to the wonderfull strange and not entirely normal postings that i call Cheese and Quackersz. a word to the wise spelling is optional in my world.

By my title you may think I am going to talk about how wonderfull it is that we are having the first black President inaugurated next year.

Well, you would be wrong!
I am going to talk about how honored and privillaged I am to have a fantastic family. I have had some rough spot in my life from time to time, kinda like San Francisco in 1906 or Kyoto in 1998.
but no matter how bad things have been for me at any given time I have always been able to count on my family to be supportive and help anyway they can.
When I was on the street one brother took me into his home,
while another made sure I had a way to cook in my "camps in the woods".
my mom made sure i had pocket change while my other brother and dad did what they could to help smooth things out when I moved to California.
I dont always tell them but I am proud and honored to have each one of them.
This past Spring my youngest Brother got married he was the last of us to do so and it looked like I would miss his wedding. I was supposed to be working at a new job and would not be able to get away. because of this I had not purchased tickets or made any plans to go. Then I got hurt.
When my almost youngest brother found out I wasn't working he called me from London and told me he was going to by me a ticket and get me to the church on time ... so to speak.
Now did I mention that I live in New York and the wedding was in Washington St? No?
Well how about that I fit with my title eventualy.
Well intrepid imaginary followers my fevor baked brain is starting to fizzle so although I know this is a lousy wrap for a first blogg it is what it is.

My main point is to say that I have the best family and brothers any one could want.

The lone duck