Ahhh the retired life

This is just a test to see if anybody still reads blog posts.  Especially, when I haven't posted one in years.

Mostly I was motivated to get on and delete some comments that were posted that I could not read because they were in a foreign language (and authored by some one I did not know).

Anyway it might be fun to go back to this if any one is out there.....??????

Reminiscing ...or a written down oral history

The other day somebody mentioned the elementary schools in Logansport when we were growing up. At the time I just let it pass but like a burr under the saddle it continued to "bug me" that they had placed the wrong school in the wrong part of town.

If I remember correctly (and I am SURE my sisters will correct me if I am wrong) there were seven public elementary schools in Logansport during my kidhood. I don't think they have that many now. I attended Longfellow (on High Street) of course, since it was only a block from home. The other six were Fairview (co-located with Fairview Junior High) next to Fairview Park off South Cicott Street on the southwest side, McKinley (on the north side of the Wabash River on the west side of Cicott Street), Franklin on the northwest side (I have no idea what street but I could drive to it), Columbia (co-located with Columbia Junior High) on North Third Street, Tipton on Smead Street I think near 15th or 16th, and Daniel Webster at 24th and Market. The third and final Junior High was Lincoln which was co-located with the High School for many years and moved to the new building south of the High School's Football Stadium (the Berry Patch of course) when I was in about 4th or 5th grade. I think that Lorraine went to Lincoln and then moved to Columbia when the new Lincoln opened.

I don't remember that I was ever in Tipton Elementary (maybe for a Science Fair one year) but I played basketball at Daniel Webster, Fairview, McKinley, Columbia and Franklin. Or should I say the team played at all of those locations. As well as at our "home" gym at Longfellow. I was either the 11th or 12th player on a 12 player team. To this day I vividly recall guarding a guy who drove to his left from the top of the key when we played at McKinley. I had NO idea that there was a guy setting a pick at the end of the free throw line. In what may be my only career entry in the scorebook I got my money's worth on that foul as I completely ran over the kid setting the pick. I don't recall that I ever scored a single point. The very epitome of the "practice player", guy kept around so that you could practice five on five.

But what might be even stranger is the "end" of my basketball playing days. At the end of the season when I was in 7th grade I was 5' 2". At the beginning of the season in my 8th grade year I was 5'10". I am surprised I could still walk. I made it until the final cut (one of the last 2 or 3 told that there wasn't a spot for me on the team). At the time I had no idea what he was talking about (and I was so ticked that I have completely blocked his name from my memory - other than behind his back we called him Jungle Bob - short, pudgy - fun build for a basketball coach). He pulled me aside, in the little hall next to the gym that ran from stage right of the stage out to the main hall across from the locker room at Columbia Jr. High. And, proceeded to tell me that I 'needed more experience'. Looking back SEVERAL years later I realize that he meant that I should play more playground ball, work on my "game" and maybe play in some Y or AAU leagues and try out again in 9th grade. But as I walked away all that I could think was that cutting me from the team was a strange way for me to get more experience.

Of course, I didn't do any of those things that he had implied and with the influx of the kids from the Catholic schools (who had played on their 8th grade team) I was out of the running for the ninth grade team and I knew it. So in just a couple of sentences at the end of practice before the season even began....I was done.

Where am I???

So little to write about that months go by....literally.....between blog posts.

They have decided that they can't keep me busy with design tasks at work so they will keep me busy running all over the country. I now have a VERY firm grasp of the term TDY (Temporary Duty Station for those non government folks....I know, it isn't even a real acronym). I have had "temporary duty" in four states the last five weeks (Maryland, Vermont, California and now Ohio). Most of these have been to attend presentations by vendors of technology or services that our department might want (or just keeping up with technology so that some one in the department is up to date). Interesting stuff but I have seen enough airplanes and airports for a while. Of course, when I get back to the office I am betting it will only be weeks before they come up with another trip.

Meanwhile, think good house selling thoughts for me if you will!!!!

The big and the little

Yesterday, both vehicles were parked in the driveway and I decided a picture was in order. I wish that the picture more clearly showed their difference in size. But note that I was only about 20 feet away and you can see both bumpers on the Suburban. :-)


Since we bought the little guy in November I have put over 6000 miles on it. That's 6000 miles that didn't go on the Suburban. And with the difference in gas mileage almost 200 gallons of gasoline that I didn't purchase. We're getting pretty darn close to breaking even on the purchase. And yes it is kind of like the circus clown car has come to town getting in and out of it. And no it will NOT fit in the back of the Suburban.

Playing with my new toy

While sitting in the parking lot of the Bloomfield Library! Yep, my birthday present arrived and I can get internet access while sitting in my car and I don't even need to get on one of those PUBLIC computers :-)

I also have skype downloaded but no one to skype with (try inltapilot).

BigTen Champs!!

Well, they are kind of limping at the last (I saw Robbie Hummel walking around yesterday and he wasn't limping literally but the team????) BUT they have now won a share of the Big Ten championship! HOORAY!!

And, to top it off Keaton Grant scored enough that he now has 1004 points for his career. That means they now have four members of the current team that have scored more than 1000 points in there career. There were only 43 guys in the history of the school that had scored that many at the beginning of the year (including E'twaun Moore one of the current players). Three guys Jajuan Johnson, Robbie Hummel and Keaton have joined that "club" this year. Neat stuff. And out of all of the guys who have ever played at Purdue Keaton has played in more victories for Purdue than any other player. Mainly that is because there weren't many upperclassmen when he came in so he played a lot as a freshman but it also means that Purdue has won a lot of games the last four years.

Ah well...I should keep my posts to myself

Of course, less than 4 days after my last post one of the best players for the Boilermakers tore his ACL. They are a very good team but missing Robbie they don't have nearly as much firepower. He has been described as the "heart" of the team. Well, in their next game their fumbled and bumbled away a chance for the sole possession of the league championship. They then came back and won their next game to put themselves in the position that if they win their last league regular season game (on Sat.) against Penn St. (they have won 3 league games all year versus the Boilers 14 so far) they will tie for the league championship. Everybody think good thoughts on Sat.

And hope that they figure out how to play without Robbie. :-)