Entry for February 28, 2011

There are times I have felt like I was spiraling downward. Not fast like a plane that lost its engines. More like a slow descent down a a spiral staircase. When you start down it may be hard to see the bottom. Each step reveals another step. Sometimes it's a short trip and other times may feel like an eternity. The nice thing about it is reaching the bottom and finding the way to leap the tallest building in a single bound. Well maybe not quite like Superman, but within reasonable circumstances things are not as bad as they were.

Looking down into the spiral staircase without knowing what lies below can be harrowing to say the least. This is why we try to plan ahead. Reading situations that begin to unfold in front of us and staying aware of the choices that enter our lives. I like to stay between the spiral staircase and the top of the tallest building. I see both as having a sudden drop if the choices I make bring me within their grasp.

The month of March, which is ahead of me, will be filled with spiral staircases and skyscrapers. I'll be trying to stay at street level dodging traffic and watching the signs. I am hoping my keen awareness level pays off in the coming weeks and months. Temporary work positions can be rewarding for those who manage to create a field of awareness with former, current and future colleagues. I will be diligent. I have survived before and will survive again.

I arrived home late Friday night and had a good night's sleep. Gin and I ran some errands Saturday morning in my trusty Lumina. 291,000 miles and she still gets the job done. After the morning errands we switched cars for our trip to Charlotte and some time with Caris and Thomas. No, we didn't take the Lumina! I only trust her in town since she has too much road under her wheels.

We met Caris and Thomas at Mary Jo's fabric store in Gastonia. This store is the biggest fabric store you could ever imagine. If you can dream it, they have it. I even managed to pick up a special gift for my Pollyanna recipient. After Mary Jo's we followed the youngsters to Home Depot to drop off their truck. Then we stopped by Steak 'n Shake for milkshakes. After the frosty treats we were off to Charlotte.

Prior to our trip, I looked on-line for interesting museums to visit. You know...free museums. The Light Factory Contemporary Museum of Photography and Film is one of only four museums for photography and film in the United States. It was interesting and a little naked. Well, not that bad! There was one exhibit that featured some nudes that were tastefully portrayed. Other exhibits were self portraits from a high school class and person's family photographs (all clothed).

We tried to take in other museums but we really didn't allow time to do too much of that. We changed gears and headed to the south side of the Queen City and Mama Ricotta's Italian Restaurant. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed pizza. After dinner was a visit to the used record store and then back to Gastonia. We ended the night with Caris and Thomas and made our way back toward home. They had a little shopping to do before the stores closed. We had a good visit which was our first together since Christmas. Time flies when you work and live away from your family. 

 Sunday Gin and I took it pretty easy. In the morning I played a round of disc golf with my former colleague, JP. His first time at the game yielded a pretty good round. We were done by noon and I was back home for left-over pizza with Gin. We traveled out for a little shopping, then back home to watch the movie "Men With Brooms". The movie was light and funny and well worth the relaxing afternoon to watch. We had dinner at La Paz Mexican restaurant. 


Monday was my drive back to Chattanooga. A little after my arrival a fairly large and intense line of storms moved through the area. I ended up having to flee our job trailer for fear of the oncoming cloud of furry and the rocking motion from the straight line winds. The only choice I had was to jump in the car and drive in the clear area away from the storm. Thankfully the VW plant has a large paved lot for the new cars and it was empty. When it was all over, I returned to only minor damage. The underpinning was ripped from the front end, but overall, it managed to stay tied down. This was my second close encounter of the fajita scale in the Chattanooga area. The first was back in October 2010.


Stay safe and keep your eye on the sky!
P@

Entry for February 20, 2011

Again I look up to the sky to give me peace of mind. To let me know things are good in my life and that it (the sky) will always provide a safe haven for my thoughts. A place to let all the worries of the day, week or year float away. Maybe I should have studied weather? Then again, I guess I study it every day. Every day that I can look up to the heavens and be amazed by the ever changing canvas above our heads. I think over the past several years I have come to realize that the sky is my favorite subject to photograph. Mostly with the horizon and sun playing big parts. But sometimes just the sky alone with its mysterious cloud formations painting a self portrait.

I explored, by means of boredom, a narrow road that travels an eastern ridge overlooking the Tennessee River. I had been curious about the ridge and what the view of the "Scenic City" of Chattanooga would be from up there. This morning I mapped a route from the north to south end of Crest Road and came across numerous historical markers, plaques and monuments depicting the sites of key Civil War battles. The ridge is where the Union army defeated the Confederate army in key battles on the march to Atlanta. Personally, I am not a big history buff. But I was intrigued by the history this town has due to the Civil War. I know Patrick would be even more interested in the history of this area.

Today was my only day off this week. I was at the BMW plant in Greer at the beginning of the week. Wednesday I drove over to Chattanooga to catch up on happenings at the VW project. We're close to closing it out, but still have several open issues to resolve. Saturday work came as a late notice from the electrical subcontractor.

One day weekends are not my favorite. Being away from home is even less favorable. I try to make the most of being alone in a town that is not home. I think I tend to explore more about the towns I travel to than the one I live in. I know it's not totally true. When we first moved to South Carolina, Gin and I would pack up the family and make day trips to points unknown to explore our new home. We both love to know more about our surroundings. Seeing historical sites, landmarks and scenic natural wonders are rewarding to the explorer in us. I have tried to limit some of the more popular sites in Chattanooga for a time when Gin can visit this town with me. For example, I have not visited Rock City, Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls, Hunter Museum or Tennessee Aquarium. Need to save something for both of us to enjoy together.

See you next week!
P@

Entry for February 13, 2011

This weekend was long but short. Short because it was a two day weekend. Long because Gin and I took on the task of watching Dean and Nolan for close to 30 hours. It doesn't seam like much at first. Both boys are very good and very entertaining. Factor in overnight sleep time and not being accustomed to the sounds of  their night time antics makes for one long night. A little cough here, a little whimper there, I'm thirsty, hold me, I don't want to sleep and any other little cry in the night. Gin and I probably slept pretty well when we were sleeping. The broken patterns were what made for a long Sunday. I did what I could to distract myself from the lack of sleep by taking Nolan to the grocery store for sprinkled doughnuts. They didn't have any, so we settled for Spiderman cupcakes. Then on the drive home he proclaimed he wanted sprinkle doughnuts. So I stopped at the Hotspot c-store and picked up a Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut with sprinkles. We we returned home he licked some of the sprinkles then didn't want any more. He wanted a cupcake. He licked it a few times, then lost interest.

Nolan ran around a while then got to a point of an unsettled argumentative state of being. Time for a nap! He fought it a little then finally succumbed to sweet slumber. He settled in the bed and went out fairly quick. Gin had Dean nestled  on the couch. I made my way back to bed for a brief 15 minute period of sleep. Then my own rude coughing spell and wondering mind put the idea of sleeping right out the window. I'M UP!

Lunch made its way to the day, then a trip outside for the boys to run/crawl the back yard. I set up a large tarp for Dean to crawl around on. He made it clear that he wanted to play in the dirt, grass and leaves. Every time I tried to turn him back to the center of the tarp, he turned right back to the direction he was heading for. We ended up letting him do what he wanted...up to the point of eating leaves and grass.

Meanwhile, Nolan was satisfied riding his toy jeep or playing with the Frisbees. That and little trips down to the burn barrel to pee on it. Hey! If it keeps his pants dry, its good enough for me.

Dean tuckered out and went in with Gin for a little nap. I kept Nolan out a little longer since he was having so much fun. Before long we were back inside to winding things down. Shortly before 4, Patrick and Jessica arrived to take their babies home. What a long two days. The little ones can sure wear you out in no time.

As much as the times like this wears us out, we cherish the moments we get to be with our Grandchildren. I think it relates back to when we were raising our own Children and how much of there lives we missed because of all the responsibilities that go with raising them. Sometimes parents miss the little things. Discipline, teaching, feeding, clothing, etc. can distract the big picture of how wonderful it is to see a little human being thrive. Grandparents get to see the big picture when they are involved in the lives of their Grandchildren. We get to look back on the lives of our Children and relate them to what we are witnessing today in our Grandchildren.

Sure we made mistakes. There is no real book that teaches you everything about how to raise your own child. Live and learn. I believe Gin and I did a fairly good job as parents. Both Patrick and Caris have grown to be responsible adults who take pride in their lives. Gin was more of the hands on teacher of life itself. She taught them to be open and honest with their feelings and questions about life. I like to think I was the living example of being a productive member of working society who made time to spend with his children when it mattered most.

I probably jump around a lot with my blog posts. But as the title of my blog says "Thoughts and things that surround me". It gives me license to ramble about whatever I want. It clears my mind and hopefully helps my family and friends better understand who I am.

Thanks for reading!
P@

Entry for February 8, 2011

In a lifetime we have to cross several bridges. Some paved, some rocky and others old and rusty. Over the past 10 years I have crossed several bridges, some of them I helped build. I may not have burned any bridges, but I think I left a few scorched. At this point of my journey, I look at bridges in a different light. The last two years have given me a more cautious approach to a new crossing. Just crossing because it is the obvious way is not always the best choice. I may need a road map to find a better way. It may take longer, but may also become the better route. Sometimes I feel like driving in circles. In a circle I can go round and round until I see the right path. These days a person needs to look at all the crossings and choose the route that will yield the best results. A person can still market their skills and achieve substantial rewards for the effort. The biggest thing is remembering that nothing is permanent. Nothing! (except death)

Gin and I enjoyed our Sunday afternoon and evening with Patrick, Jessica, Nolan and Dean. We gathered for the Super Bowl game as well as a variety of food. I'm talking Buffalo wings, BBQ wings, pinwheel deli wraps, pigs-in-a-blanket, meatballs in marinara, chips & dip, veggie tray and fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. Oh, we did watch the Packers beat Gin's Steelers in a well played championship game. I spent a lot of time either cooking or playing with Dean and Nolan. Especially during the half time show. They call that crap entertainment? It was pure crap! There! I said it and am officially a grumpy old man. They should seriously consider letting a high school marching band provide a half time show. I'm not kidding! There are some very talented high school kids that can make that show look like Karaoke night at an Elks lodge. I think Karaoke night at an Elks lodge would be better than that CRAP! I regress.

I had a good time this past weekend with Gin and family. We're hoping to get a day with Caris sometime soon. It's been a while. I talked to her tonight and we'll be planning our next 5k sometime in March.

More winter weather on the way this week.
Be safe!
P@