Vacation WrapUp...

So we are back from a great vacation.  It was very relaxing and very busy at the same time!!!  Some highlights:

- we stayed with my In-Laws at their place.  They have an incredible home in a nice community.  It is a golf cart community meaning that 98% of everything you need is within driving distance by golf cart and 100% of the residents have one.  We rented one and drove all over going to the movies, Starbucks, eating out, etc.  We swam in the pool and spent some quality time in the hot tub (especially after the day at Disney).  We spend a great time with the In-laws and eventually the sister-in-law and nephew...

- We went to Disney MGM one day, hit the shows (love the Indy show) and of course the son and I did the TOWER OF TERROR!!!!!!!  That was awesome.  

-That same night we hit the Universal Halloween Spectacular with Bloody Mary.  That was fantastic and scary as all hell.  There were 8 haunted houses, 6 scaryzones (theme streets), 3 shows (we went to none) and the main rides (Simpsons was my favorite).  All three of us were at one point or another scared out of our wits.  It was an incredible Halloween treat and I hope to make it an annual event for us!!!!

- Last but not least was the World Series game.  We got tickets to game 2 of Tampa Bay vs Philadelphia.  We had great seats (as you can see below) and had a great time.  A once in the lifetime chance to see a World Series game no matter who was in it.  We took it and enjoyed it.  Bonus was the Rays won...hopefully they win tonight!!!

A few bumps in the road did not ruin the trip but did add to the adventure.  We got a flat tire after the World Series game and ended up driving around downtown St Pete with flat first looking for air and then looking for Fix-a-flat.  We couldn't find a bright area to change the tire and with the long ride (100 miles) I did not want to use the donut.  Once we found air and found it was a puncture we looked for fix a flat and it took 3 tries to find a gas station that had some.  We stopped at the first station that didn't have fix a flat and then asked a cop for directions to the nearest next station.  She told us to turn around and go 2 blocks south but then saw the wife and kid and told us to go 30 blocks north and NOT TO GO SOUTH at all.  We drove the 30 blocks north on the flat and finally fixed it.

The other bump was the plane ride home that took several hours once the delayed flight was ready for boarding we got on and sat for an hour and then had to get off while they had to get us a different plane to take to Indy...

All in all a great vacation!!!!!

World Series Game 2

Black Cover...

Ok one of the many reasons I have been away from here is the fact that I started a journal on good ole paper.  I searched awhile and found the moleskine notebook.  I have several now and am filling them up nicely.  However AFTER I found the moleskine I found the site that was looking for the best little black book called Black Cover.

Now they have found an excellent small black soft cover notebook and is giving a few away.  If you are interested in journaling or day planners or just a plain sketchbook, do not miss this site!  Don't make the mistake I did and choose a black book without consulting the best expert on the web...

Oh and tell them I sent ya!!!!!

Awesome...

best thing to come out of this election season!

A Brief Review...

Hey all!!!!

 

What have we been doing?  Well the list may be long here but I shall give a brief overview:

 

- The wife lost both her Grandmothers this year and we had a memorial service in NY this weekend. Not only was it very nice but I got to meet her other side of the family (some of whom SHE has not seen in 20 years) so it was great to get to know them.  And we have new places to visit should we take them all up on it...

 

- Small World: I have been bumping into my past in the weirdest places: my wife's cousin worked with my ex, my high school best friend lived 3 miles away for several years and we never knew it.  Another HS friend lived in the same town my son was born in, etc....pretty freaky

 

- Scouting: has dominated my life lately.  NOT A BAD THING.  I really enjoy being a part of a wonderful program and can see that my son does as well...

 

- Work: almost killed me getting HD on the air but it is here and running smoothly.  Plus I made EOM and get a really cool parking space...

 

That should do for now...

 

100 Skill Every Man Should Know...

Via Popular Mechanics:  how many can you do (BOLD is what I can do)?

Automotive

1. Handle a blowout
2. Drive in snow
3. Check trouble codes
4. Replace fan belt
5. Wax a car
6. Conquer an off-road obstacle
7. Use a stick welder
8. Hitch up a trailer
9. Jump start a car

Handling Emergencies

10. Perform the Heimlich
11. Reverse hypothermia
12. Perform hands-only CPR
13. Escape a sinking car

Home

14. Carve a turkey
15. Use a sewing machine
16. Put out a fire
17. Home brew beer
18. Remove bloodstains from fabric
19. Move heavy stuff
20. Grow food
21. Read an electric meter
22. Shovel the right way
23. Solder wire
24. Tape drywall
25. Split firewood
26. Replace a faucet washer
27. Mix concrete
28. Paint a straight line
29. Use a French knife
30. Prune bushes and small trees
31. Iron a shirt
32. Fix a toilet tank flapper
33. Change a single-pole switch
34. Fell a tree
35. Replace a broken windowpane
36. Set up a ladder, safely
37. Fix a faucet cartridge
38. Sweat copper tubing
39. Change a diaper
40. Grill with charcoal
41. Sew a button on a shirt
42. Fold a flag

Medical Myths

43. Treat frostbite
44. Treat a burn
45. Help a seizure victim
46. Treat a snakebite
47. Remove a tick

Military Know-How

48. Shine shoes
49. Make a drum-tight bed
50. Drop and give the perfect pushup

Outdoors

51. Run rapids in a canoe
52. Hang food in the wild
53. Skipper a boat
54. Shoot straight
55. Tackle steep drops on a mountain bike
56. Escape a rip current

Primitive Skills

57. Build a fire in the wilderness
58. Build a shelter
59. Find potable water

Surviving Extremes

60. Floods
61. Tornados
62. Cold
63. Heat
64. Lightning

Teach Your Kids

65. Cast a line
66. Lend a hand
67. Change a tire
68. Throw a spiral
69. Fly a stunt kite
70. Drive a stick shift
71. Parallel park
72. Tie a bowline
73. Tie a necktie
74. Whittle
75. Ride a bike

Technology

76. Install a graphics card
77. Take the perfect portrait
78. Calibrate HDTV settings
79. Shoot a home movie
80. Ditch your hard drive

Master Key Workshop Tools

81. Drill driver
82. Grease gun
83. Coolant hydrometer
84. Socket wrench
85. Test light
86. Brick trowel
87. Framing hammer
88. Wood chisel
89. Spade bit
90. Circular saw
91. Sledge hammer
92. Hacksaw
93. Torque wrench
94. Air wrench
95. Infrared thermometer
96. Sand blaster
97. Crosscut saw
98. Hand plane
99. Multimeter
100. Feeler gauges 

How did you do!!!!!!!!!!

October...

So the month started alright as I was named Employee of the Month at work.  I got a nice plaque, $300 and a parking space for a month.  Not bad!!!

TV is back and we are in full swing!  Lots of good stuff on out there, be back in a few for my take on the new season.....