Italian Craftsmanship

While walking along a passageway on the Caribbean Conquest, at center I noticed a bump in the floor bearing a sign, "Watch Your Step." A year ago, on the Norwegian  Spirit, there was no such bump. I asked my son about this. "Oh," he said, " this ship was built in Italy. The ship last year was built in Germany." It seems they build Caribbean ships in a naval shipyard as two pieces, then welded together. Italian craftsmanship - maybe they should stick to purses and shoes.

Down South

Just back from three cruises down south. First, Carnival Conquest, second, Norwegian Sky, and third, a swamp boat in the everglades. No meals on the third one. I think we were the meal, catered.

Tha Best Man?

I read this from Tom Clancy. "Corrupted men only select other corrupter men to be their peers."
That reminds me of my air force career. Drunks promote drunks, cad players promote card players, and golfers promote golfers. It's the same in every business. I expect it's the same at the White House security. Then there's that Ebola farce in Texas.

On the Ball

On the ball this morning. Lathered up with shaving cream, then grabbed my hair brush.

"Red Rabbit"

Reading Tom Clancy's "Red Rabbit."
Finding it slow going.

Title To Wonder About.

Working on my book. Still haven't made up my mind about a title. My three thoughts are
"The Man in the Panama Hat." "The Scavi Incident." and  "Neocropolis."

Good Books

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." -

Mark Twain

All Good Books Are Alike

All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was. If you can get so that you can give that to people, then you are a writer.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY

A Thriller Is About People In Danger

A thriller is always about people in danger. The key is to make the reader share the hero’s anxiety. In all popular fiction, the author’s aim must be to get the reader to feel the emotions of the characters. That’s what makes the reader turn the pages.

KEN FOLLETT

Facebook

When I watch American news at night, I notice that the first 15 min. is the news and the last part is what I call fluff. Stories about cats and dogs and other touchy, feely things. Facebook is the second part of the news.

My Fridge

  

     I used to have an under the counter fridge. It became so packed, I couldn't find anything. So I bought a large fridge for downstairs. Over time, they became so packed, I couldn't find anything. When I did the last renovations on the kitchen, I bought a large fridge for upstairs. But now both fridges are so packed I can't find anything.
    Yesterday, I told my wife about this, and as an example I told her that I was looking for pepperoni, but the fridges were so packed, I never did find it. So she said, "That's because I never bought any."

A Van Farewell

This is the last picture of my van as the new owner drives it away. I hated to sell it. but, things move on. Now I have my 2014 wheelchair van. As soon as I opened the back door, my daughter's eyes opened wide and she let out a big laugh. Easy to drive her in. That was last week and today we are going to Wal-Mart. I better bring my Kindle with me. Don't need to walk every aisle, touching things.

Mail Delivery

    Well, it's official, home mail delivery ceases next year. Then it will be trudging off to some super mail box somewhere. It won't be one of the joys of winter.
    Went to the Rehab Center on Fri. My daughter was all measured up for the insert for the new wheelchair. Of course, it was raining that day. Hail and rain just as we wanted to get out of the van. Spent the next ten minutes answering questions. "When do you think it will stop?" " Is it stopped enough?" "Is that hail?" "Should we try it now?" It did stop and we made the mad dash.
    Did learn something new. They are getting a new system in and they want to see if she can use a computer by just using her eyes. That sounds intriguing. One can only hope. Don't know when the system is coming in.
    Back again next week for another fitting.

Rehab Center

    We were supposed to go to the Rehab Center on Wed. and get my daughter fitted with an insert for the new wheelchair, but that didn't happen. Tech. was sick, so we are supposed to go today. Just as well, it was raining heavy at the time we would have gone. Did you ever notice how it rains more when you are leaving or going to your vehicle? Got a call the other day hat my new van will be returned next week. Told them I want a rear camera installed before I pick it up. Over two months since we started this venture. Paid for the new wheelchair yesterday, $4300.00. Will have to pay for insert later. Just heard it may rain this afternoon.

The Old Truck

    Well, I didn't see that coming. My neighbor sold his truck, just as I got used to borrowing it. He took it in for a brake job and found out it would cost a $1000., so he bought an SUV. I certainly can't borrow that to haul topsoil. Oh well, at least I had it for the two weeks while he was away. I was able to bring in two loads of topsoil, one load of gravel and the wood for the fence.
    Most of the hard work for the summer is now done. Earlier this week, we painted the fence, and my wife painted the patio. Now its down to cutting the grass every week. Of course, my wife still has that list, and I've having been that anxious to look at it.
    Cut the grass last Monday, a non-rain day. Actually, I need a non-rain day and one or two days to let the grass dry before I cut it. It's raining today and Sunday, so there goes Monday's job.

Fence Posts.

    Two weeks ago, I decided to replace some broken fence posts. This a ritual I do every year. It's usually two or three posts. This year, I decided to replace them with treated ties. Take them longer to rot. As it turned out, we replaced all twenty of them. Do it now and get it over with. I won't be replacing posts next year. It took my wife and I three days, with my son helping on the last day.
    I have a simplified fence, not meant to keep anyone out. Posts are ten feet apart. Between the first two posts I have two five inch boards, then it's one board to the next post, then it's two again, so forth, all the way down. That's one- hundred feet on each side. The back fence is wire, put up by the mall. Beyond is trees.
    When I first came here, back in '74, we had a white picket fence. Painting that was something else. No Tom Sawyer here. Then one day, my wife surprised me - she sold the fence. Seriously, I didn't think anyone would buy it. But, someone came with a truck and carted away each section, leaving me the posts. So I copied the one my father had in his yard.

Cut the Grass

    I cut the lawn yesterday, the second time this year. That's pretty sad with June a couple of days away. But it rained almost every day, and on the other days it was too wet. I just did the front lawn. Had to put the bag on for the grass. Don't want a mess out front. It takes time to drag that bag back and forth. The grass was quite long, so it took a number of trips. After that, it was the whipper-snipper. It's the same one I bought in 74. You would think it would have packed it in by now.

Sunday Mass

    Our church has two levels of seating, upper and lower. The back level has a railing in front, about five feet high. This guy I've named 'The Confessor', sits in the back level, center section, front seat, right end. Every so often a man comes along the railing and stops in front of him. 'The Confessor' jumps up (he's about 65 yrs. old and overweight) and waddles to the railing, gets down on one knee and bends his ear to the other man. After a few minutes, the other man leaves, and 'The Confessor' returns to his seat. Then, another man will come along - same thing - this happens three or four times while I am there - I don't know if it happens before I arrive. I think he always comes early to make sure he gets his seat. I saw a woman stop once, but he remained seated and spoke from there.
    When it comes time for communion, it is all done in an orderly fashion. The lower level goes first, then the upper, section by section. But he doesn't wait his turn. As soon as the lower level is done - he is gone like a flash, and that's the last I see of him.
    At first I thought he was like the Protestants, and got raptured, because when I return from communion, there are people around me who have disappeared. But then I would see him next week. Then I thought he was raptured on Sunday, but on Monday God saw that he wasn't Protestant and sent him back.

The Truck

    The other day my neighbor went on vacation for two weeks and he gave me the keys to his truck. Great, I thought, I have some yard work to do. So he hands me the keys and says, " Don't worry about the red and orange lights, I have them all disconnected." So. I have to disregard all alarms. As he is leaving, he turns and says, " Don't go too far, it's almost out of gas." I guess that alarm still works.  Bet there is just enough gas to get me to the gas station.

Rubber Hose

    I went to see a friend of mine last week. He lives around the corner. The first thing he said was that his garden hose blew up. I couldn't get my head around that. He said, "yeah. it blew up." Then he explained to me that it was one of those hoses you see on T.V. The one that grows when you put the water in, then shrinks when the water runs out.
    He took me to have a look at it. There it was, a long snake with the side blown out. What it is, is a wire mesh that expands, and inside is a hose like a balloon. Not he thickness of an inner tube, but the thickness of a balloon. A spot on the wire mesh had broken so that the balloon made a bubble at that spot. It kept growing, and then 'Boom,' water everywhere. And that's the saga of the hose that blew up.