Entry for December 25, 2006

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends.


I'll be back to writing my thoughts next week after this vaction.

Entry for December 11, 2006

Last week arrived with some pretty cold weather in this area. We had a few days at the end of the week at 20 degrees in the morning. Friday it only warmed up to about 45. I still managed to run every day last week although I was somewhat fatigued, I at least ran 3 miles each day. Friday I made a 4 mile run and I took Saturday and Sunday off.

Gin and I had made plans to go down to Charleston but decided on Friday to scrap the plans since we would be traveling again in two weeks. Saturday we picked up some items at a few stores and also purchased a Christmas tree at the local nursery. Gin re-arranged the living room and I prepared the tree in the stand. This year’s tree is not as big as our usual since our space to display a tree is limited. The tree was lit and decorated before dinner. Gin and I tried to take some pictures of ourselves next to the tree. The picture taking was fun but the background needed help. Since the tree is in our unfinished living room, the background is less than desirable. We will probably have some pictures taken this Friday at my company Christmas party.

Sunday I was out in the frosty out-building early to start cutting material for a pair of book shelves. I lit up the kerosene heater to help take the chill out of the building. The heater only helped thaw my frozen feet and hands. I pre-cut all the material including making slots and grooves for attaching the pieces together. Patrick stopped by for lunch around 12 and picked up the riding mower for handling his leaves at home. Gin spent the day working on various projects in the warmth of the house.

P@

Entry for December 04, 2006

Last week was a rough emotional week for Gin and I. Our cat, Sphinx’s (aka: Boink, Na-Na, Mr. Dingles) health had been slowly deteriorating over the last year. Sphinx was put to sleep yesterday afternoon after a weeklong battle to try to save him. Gin did all she could to feed him and keep him comfortable, but he kept slipping slowly away. Sunday afternoon when he cried while she was rearranging his sleeping position, we knew it was time to put him down. I know it was the right thing to do, but it always hurts to do it. He is resting now next to Ralegh in their private little place.


Na-Na as we liked to call him over the last few years was always looking for a safe place to relax. He hardly ever fought back when provoked which earned him the name Na-Na. Gin picked him up from a catery in Langley, Va. near the air force base. He was about 6 months old and had lived in cages in a garage. He was pure bread Lilac Point Siamese. When we first brought him home he stayed between our pillows on the bead. Shelby slowly warmed up to him, or at least tollerated his need for companionship. For all of his time with us, he was almost always with Shelby. The one tough cat characteristic he had was his lack of fear when there were loud noises. He never hid from thunder, the vacuum or any other disturbing sound. We figure it was from his time in the garage near the air base with all the jet noise.

I know that Shelby misses him already. He has circled the house several times apparently looking for him. Gin said he kept trying to peek under the blankets this morning to see where Na-Na was. Na-Na liked to sleep under cover next to Gin or I. He was also our turkey thermometer, he never missed a proper cooking temperature of the bird. Na-Na would always be in the kitchen crying for a fresh slice, only when the bird was ready.

Some people may not undestand the love we have for these animals. They have been a part of our lives since we were married. The unconditional love they give us is second to none. They are always there for us no matter how good or bad the day has gone. I miss each one of the pets that have passed away over the years.

I did not do any work around the house this weekend. I was called in to work at the Caterpillar plant in Greenville. The company I used to work for (when I was traveling) installed a conveyor system that had some problems. I was very familiar with the mechanical characteristic of the system and offered my services. I spent a few hours with the maintenance mechanics reviewing what they had already repaired and developing a solution to complete the repairs.

I talked with Nick several times over the last week. We are trying to work out a way that I can help him sell some of his furniture via the internet (EBay). He is already underway with getting things set up on the web, just look up “Driftwood Picture Frames” under auctions to see some of his work.

P@