Watertown, NY, USA . "Public Square" (vintage, date unknown) but the monument is honoring veterans of the American Civil War so the date of the image is late 1800s

Thursday, March 31, 2005

just a glorious spring day today although it did change to rain towards nightfall
i forgot to relate and incident from yesterday which fits nice with the fact that i forgot it
i ran the forktruck out of gas as far from the gas cage as i could get and still be in the building ( ny state law requires that lp gas be stored outside in a lock cage)......so i get the empty off and carry it down to the cage, and that's when i realize that i don't have the key.......which is hanging on a ring....you guessed it in the ignition of the forktruck..........oy vey
today promised to be a heavy day with 3 loads but it turned into an absolute monster......first the transfer hadn't moved, then all three trucks came within an hour or two of each other......not to mention i had 5 or 6 other things that normally would have been top priority........well about 6 hours later. and one pallet which i'm still trying to figure out why it dumped.....i had the mornings work done..........

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

it was a beautiful day today, temperature in the high 50's F...........first really spring like day........althought not a bad or hard winter as winters go up here it seems to have lasted forever.......
day went okay but tomorrow promises to be a nasty one.....have 3 loads....and two of them have partials or hand loads........
i'm feeling much better today, both physically and mentally
i stopped into the grocery after work to pick up like 2 things and ended up spending like $30 dollars........damn specials

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

i felt pretty good this morning but lunch just didn't settle very well and i feel pretty rocky this afternoon, supper went okay but the unsettled stomach is back so i might be coming down with the flu or something........just feel shaky tonight........
rehearsal went okay but i voice was a little rough and a bit out of control......my pitch which is usually rock solid was i little off tonight.......so i won't be at all surprised if i awoke tomorrow with a bad cold or the flu.......but it is the weather that usually produces that in me.......very unsettled......

Monday, March 28, 2005

today went pretty well but i need to make a call in the next couple of days and just put it off, just wasn't in the mood........have just chilled tonight......many emotions but no way yet to put them in words......

Sunday, March 27, 2005

today has been an up and down day, busy day church wise, got there before 8 and didn't get away until almost 12:30 and then daughter's for lunch........left about 1:45 as they had to go to his parent's place.......was feeling really good......got home and just crashed out both physically and mentally........very low afternoon.......can't remember the last time i felt that down.....
but feel much better now, but plan on calling it an early night

Saturday, March 26, 2005

it's been a very relaxing day for the most part, got one piece of data i need for the taxes but hit another snag.......ah well.......really i've been in a very calm....one might say a;most zen mood today and it would take a lot to de-focus that........
it went out for the sake of getting out of the house.......got some fry cakes and a few other grocery type things including some stilton cheese.......okay so i paid almost $5 for a bit more then a 5 oz. wedge....but it was well worth it......understand that a good blue vein cheese is expensive, and i don't eat it all in one sitting........just a taste is all i need..........

Friday, March 25, 2005

was a fairly calm peaceful day.......spent an hour at work this morning but now have the rest of the long weekend off.....worked on my taxes but discovered that i need a bit of information that i don't have but should be able to get monday at work.......
went to the good friday service at work and was pleasantly surprised at what i thought might turn into an awkward situation came off very calmly.......( and no i have no intention of further explanation)
played some blogshares today.....well that's really nothing new....although i'm not quite as addicted to it as i once was..........
spring looks like it is trying to make an entrance in the north country and i am starting to feel the itch to play a little golf.......i've pretty much decided to not join a course again this year but it is my intent to play a bit more then last year.......
ran into matt last night, at we were talking about getting out and playing a couple of times this summer......used to play quite a bit with him, but one thing and another and we haven't played in ages........

Thursday, March 24, 2005

my i had to look into the mirror to see if it was really me, the work week actually went smooth with very few problems, haven't had one like that in a long time.......have commenced a game of phone tag with a couple of vendors but that is normal with the two vendors in question.....i have tomorrow off as a holiday but i rreally should be a good boy and go in briefly tomorrow to finish up production numbers for the week and get them in the system......
cashed my check, filled the car with gas.......dang almost 2.25 a gallon.........trollie is glad he doesn't drive much.......now i will admit being older then dirt but i can remember as a lad when i cut grass in the summer for spending money paying 17 cents a gallon..........
did a few errands which took me way longer then i expected but ran into a couple of fellas that i haven't seen i a long time and had to stop and pass the time of day........ended up doing arby's for supper.....a little tube and a bit of blogshares.......feel decent tonight........

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

was a pretty simple day again, 3 relatively calm ones in a row, and unless something pops out of the woodwork tomorrow i basically have friday off, need to go in for an hour or so but basically have the day off......must think about doing my taxes this weekend....have the software but just haven't had the motivation.........
made a pop of beef soup tonight and a bowl of tuna salad......that was a bit of a whim.....but i like mixing cold with hot........
while that was on the stove i broiled a veal chop for supper, with beets, a few banana peppers and a few stuffed grape leaves..........feel good tonight........am in a decent mood and physically feel pretty sound........
was a bit colder today and we are expecting a bit of snow over the next few days but spring is comin'........

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

i had a good day today, slept well last night and had an even day today, not too busy but not slow, no real problems, day ran really smooth....i had intended to broil a veal chop for dinner, and had taken it out of the freeze last night and put it in the frig....but had forgotten to take it out of the frig this morning....Normally I'll put it in the microwave.....Not to use the microwave but just to keep it away from the cats....Anyways it wasn't completely thawed so i just made a big salad and had the last of the danish blue and some grapes for dessert......i'm really not much of a sweet tooth and rarely have cookies or pastries or the like around the house......dessert is usually fruit and cheese......
rehearsal went pretty good tonight, except for the fact that my voice was just a bit scratchy....but was as usually alot of fun......music is very important to me......always has been always will be.....you cannot properly "define" me if you do not consider music......
came home and was watching the big break III.....i had bought a slice of smoked gouda, and a wedge of danish fontina cheese this week.....i love smoked gouda but had never had the fontina....but it was marked down so i thought lets give it a try......well it's a nice mild cheese.....and i had smokey on my lap......of the 3 cats she's the only one who likes milk....so i thought maybe she'd like a bit of cheese.....well that was an understatement.....i think she ate almost as much as i did, i had to use some control and put i away or between the two of us we would have eaten the entire wedge in one sitting.........
it's strange how what you used to will effect how you feel......and the end of the summer into fall..a day in the mid 40's F will feel quite cold and uncomfortable but to day it was mid 40's and as we are at the end of winter it felt quite warm and comfortable........nice day........
i had a good day today, slept well last night and had an even day today, not too busy but not slow, no real problems, day ran really smooth....i had intended to broil a veal chop for dinner, and had taken it out of the freeze last night and put it in the frig....but had forgotten to take it out of the frig this morning....normally i'll put it in the microwave.....not to use the microwave but just to keep it away from the cats....anyways it wasn't completely thrawed so i just made a big salad and had the last of the danish blue and some grapes for dessert......i'm really not much of a sweet tooth and rarely have cookies or pastries or the like around the house......dessert is usually fruit and cheese......
rehearsal went pretty good tonight, except for the fact that my voice was just a bit scratchy....but was as usually alot of fun......music is very important to me......always has been always will be.....you cannot properly "define" me if you do not consider music......
came home and was watching the big break III.....i had bought a slice of smoked gouda, and a wedge of danish fontina cheese this week.....i love smoked gouda but had never had the fontina....but it was marked down so i thought lets give it a try......well it's a nice mild cheese.....and i had smokey on my lap......of the 3 cats she's the only one who likes milk....so i thought maybe she'd like a bit of cheese.....well that was an understatement.....i think she ate almost as much as i did, i had to use some control and put it away or between the two of us we would have eaten the entire wedge in one sitting.........
it's strange how what you used to will effect how you feel......at the end of the summer into fall..a day in the mid 40's F will feel quite cold and uncomfortable but today it was mid 40's and as we are at the end of winter it felt quite warm and comfortable........nice day........

Monday, March 21, 2005

i had a very exhausting day yesterday, by the time i got home from evening service i was all in, went to bed early and got a pretty good nights sleep, and have felt decent today, i'm still pretty tired.....the stress plus the cold weather has got me down, but was a nice warm pre-spring day today and work went okay for a change.......
just relaxing tonight......

Saturday, March 19, 2005

a nice quiet day, i did stop in to work briefly but got in and out in an hour......did some shopping.....my wallet finally worn out.......i've had it for.....well long enough that i can't remember how long.....had some fresh polish sausage sandwiches for lunch.....very good......a really good local brand and beef tips, onions, mushrooms and a few steak fries for supper.......a bit of smoked gouda for dessert.......i love cheese......now the classic american cheese singles i won't eat if my life depended on it.....i mean i love good cheese........blues are probably my favorite but i like almost any good cheese......

Friday, March 18, 2005

it's late and i should have long since gone to bed, i really should spend a few hours at work tomorrow, but could skip it if i didn't want to, and can go in at my leisure, but i'm still keyed up from the day........i've been listening to the faure requiem........which has to rank in the top 3 or 4 of my favorite sacred choral works......i've had the good fortune to be in a performance of it on two different occasions.......a beautiful piece to listen to, and even more beautiful from the inside...that is as part of the performance.......there is nothing like being part of the music being made.......and that doesn't apply only to the classics......i also sing in a group that does contemporary christian music and the same thing applies.........
i had one load today, but should have been an easy day, load was due between, 11 and 1, then 3:30 and 4......at 4:45 i get a call from the broker that the guy is lost and can't find it........where is he i asked.......knew the place....good........tell him to stay put and i'll come out and bring him in........sheesssshhhhh!!!!!!!!.......never did get out of there until 7:30......had planned to make a production out of supper.......sirloin tips with all the fixin' but was so tired, hungry and frustrated by the time i got home that i ended up opening a can of sausage gravy and had it over english muffins..........then turn the ncaa's on and the 'cuse is playing terrible.......i can't watch.......just a lovely day..........

Thursday, March 17, 2005

an easy morning at work but all sorts of fun this afternoon, was on a dead run from after lunch to end of day........had a rush truck order that had to leave today and never found out about it until 2:35........normal by that time all the truck shipments are gone........
did some errands tonight and got take out.......just hanging out tonight

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

it was a good day....i slept to the alarm this morning....best night's sleep i've had in days.....and had a light day at work.....and was able to take the afternoon off and get the oil changed in the car.....while that was happening i walk to mickey d's and got lunch......i'm not a big fan of mickey d's but it's close to the place i get my oil change......in fact i basically only eat at mickey d's every 3 months or 3000 miles (hehe)......
since i had the time this afternoon i made a pot of bean soup for supper, that and i bit of crusty boule and a bit of " egg and olive" okay i admit not a meal fit for the ritz but comfort food.....just basic good eats.....
this survivor has been weird, as usually the one person i connected with at all has gotten voted out.....there just is no.....well engaging personalities in this one.....well with the exception on angie that got booted tonight.......i probably will keep watching out of force of habit....but this one is....well......just a little flat.........
i was watching the tube the other day and saw an ad for cat food for indoor cats.....which my 3 furballs are......and thought i'd try some......feed along with the current food i use.......well they all seem to like it very much.....to the exclusion for the most part of the high price "designer" food i've been giving them.....haven't decided yet whether to switch entirely or feed both.........

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

dang today really turned into a tough one, shouldn't have been, should have been a "see spot run" day but that was not to be......
still have asleep i rolled over in bed, and ended up with a mouth full of hair. discovering one of my crazy cats curled up on the pillow right next to my head......
well i was really tied up this morning from the arthritis, i haven't been that still and sore with it for along time........and today turned into one of those highly demanding physical days........didn't need to be ....if everything had been in synch and i would have caught a couple of breaks......i really won't have had to catch a break come to think of it....i just needed things to happen in the order they should have.......anyways after i spent 3 hours doing a 1 hour job because the day didn't fall right that threw the entire rest of the day off and i had to just muddle through......
had a great rehearsal tonight but now i'm very tired, very sore and mind is in a whirl and i doubt i'll get the sleep i need to recover.......

Monday, March 14, 2005

it's late and i should have been in bed awhile ago but i'm too keyed up tonight, also my arthritis is flaring tonight and i probably will have a problem getting comfortable.......i had hoped to take a half day vac as i need to get my oil changed ( trollie looks back and realizes what he meant to say was get the oil changed in his car)........and starting the day looked like i should have no problem doing so......(silly trollie)......well the upstart was is it didn't work out quite the way i had planned.......load tomorrow so that won't work.......hopefully wednesday.....

Sunday, March 13, 2005

i slept very poorly last night, work up about 3:30 overheating and realized that i had forgotten to turn the heat down and then just slept fitfully the rest of the night, needed to get up at 6 as i needed to stop into work before church........was a very long day......special service tonight that last 2 hours+ and the worship team was involved the entire night......a good day.......but a very long, busy day and i'm pretty well all in.......
had a steak and a salad for dinner and then cooked corn beef and cabbage this afternoon which i had for a late supper about 9 PM...........never got home until almost 9 and left for service about 5 for mike checks and the like.........and really don't like eating much of anything before i sing.......
i'm hoping to be able to maybe take a couple of vacation days this week.....i'm pretty well worn out and just need to get away for a couple of days.......

Saturday, March 12, 2005

well i was absolutely shocked, despite the fall i awoke this morning feeling pretty good, back as just a bit sore, but that is not that unusual for me......went out to get some backrub and some milk.....came home with that + a bunch of other stuff.....a couple of stores had corn beef on sale and i ended up with 3 of them that now reside in my freezer, as well as some beef cut for beef tips......And some stuffed grape leaves......And well the list just keeps going on and on........

Friday, March 11, 2005

well i expected two loads today, which i got but unfortunately they both came within about 5 minutes of each other, well they both needed to go to the other warehouse and i'm rushing around trying to get everything arranged went out the back door, not paying attention to what i was doing, lost my footing on the ice and landed flat on my back........fortunately i had on several layers of shirts and a heavy peacoat which absorbed some of the blow, and didn't hit either my elbows or my head but it did knock the wind out of me......well i got through the day afterwards...and don't feel to bad tonight, but i'm sure to be stiff and sore tomorrow........but i have the day off so........
had intended to go out to dinner tonight, but after today's adventures the thing i most desired was a long hot bath.......so got take out seafood........which both i and my cat aggie enjoyed greatly.....i've had my bath....and i'm having a nice cup of rose hip tea........i'm really not a big fan of flavored, scented, or herbal teas in general but i do enjoy both rose hip tea, and earl grey......

Thursday, March 10, 2005

blogger has been real unstable the last few days, i tried to post earlier and it didn't take.....ah well
crazy day but then most are

Wednesday, March 9, 2005

today turned into a relatively easy day, that's the good news, the bad news is that two of the loads that were suppose to shipped today got kicked into tomorrow, which gives me 3 tomorrow and 2 friday..........which should make both days.......well interesting........
made a batch of pea soup tonight, was well not entirely pleased with the last batch......it was good but ....well just a little flat......so i switched from green to yellow split peas.......instead of ham used smoked ham hocks....doubled the bouillon.....doubled the onion.....tripled the pepper and tripled the garlic........okay so maybe most people would not use any garlic in pea soup but i've been tempted to put garlic in a hot fudge sunday........oh and a couple of bay leaves......well any how the resulting soup is top drawer......the only thing i think i'd do different is cook everything but the peas for about an hour before adding the peas........i think it would help to richen the stock a bit more and would soften the hocks a bit more then they are now.......althought they're fine, they could stand to be a tad more tender.......
feel decent tonight except the arthritis.........but then i could say that 7 out of 10 nights......

Tuesday, March 8, 2005

this morning was hectic at work, i had the last of month end to take care of, and needed to get my resin schedule for april worked out and in the system, this time of year is a little unpredictable production wise so it took me a lot longer then usual......plus i had been kind of brain dead yesterday and forgot to write my monday use memo.......it's a new thing i've been doing and i had to rush around and get that finished.....all on a day when physical i felt off, the weather has been very unstable and that always fires my arthritis, and i've had a couple of very difficult days right in a row, very stiff and sore......truth is i never am with out a background level of pain from my joints but i've gotten very good at "shutting it out".......but days like the last couple it is not possible to do that and it can be very distracting........
had a light supper, just soup and sandwich.......i got a late jump on it because i had some chores i needed to do and with rehearsal tonight i never eat too heavy.......rehearsal went great.....i love to sing.......i've been singing in groups and solo and playing instruments for about 52 of my 57 years.....it is the thing in life that gives me the most joy.........
made a BLT for a late snack and a bit of danish blue cheese.........in many ways i feel great tonight but am still a bit uncomfortable.......ah well warm weather is a coming

Monday, March 7, 2005

i awoke this morning feeling pretty rocky, my arthritis was bothering me, and i was really pretty uncomfortable all day, got everything done but was a real struggle.....stopped on the way home and did some grocery shopping..........actually didn't need much but ended up getting somethings on special.......
despite the fact i really didn't feel to good, took a bit of time with supper......steamed asparagus, some cold beef from a fresh brisket i had fixed last friday and about half of a crusty boule......really hit the spot and although i am still pretty tied up from the arthritis i feel very good tonight....relaxed and in a good mood......

Sunday, March 6, 2005

weekend has been restful if a bit busy......spent 2 and a half hours at work yesterday finishing up month end, which actually was pretty quick.....did some errands but except for church today have basically rested all weekend.....i'm tired out and a bit stressed and i needed to just relax.......i can decide whether the stress level at work has picked up or if with age i just don't handle it as well as i used to.....but it is really getting me down...........

Saturday, March 5, 2005

not a bad day, spent about 2 and a half hours at work this morning cleaning up month end, and then did a little shopping.......
have spent the rest of the day just hanging out and relaxing.........
blogshares has been weird today, for some unexplained reason #1 dropped a huge wad of her ideas during the night, which really was a problem, i didn't make what i thought i would over night and really had to scramble to get back on an even keel.......would love to know what the logic was to the move...............

Friday, March 4, 2005

i'm wiped out tonight, actually today went better then i thought i might but i didn't really sleep well last night, and just barely got through the day, i need to go in tomorrow and put all the month end numbers in, finish up inventory and get a jump on placing next months orders......
i have a unsalted beef brisket on the stove with some cabbage, onions and sweet potatoes, should be done in another hour or so, with working all day i have to pick my spots to do any cooking which takes a few hours, and i could probably waited until tomorrow but i just decided to get it done tonight......once work is over tomorrow i probably will just crash out........

Thursday, March 3, 2005

i just had a bed time snack of blue cheese, i simply adore blue cheese, and all the various types of blue but my favorite is the danish blue, well they had a special on danish blue this week at the gorcery that i shop at, ok so the price per pound of the 4.4 oz wedge figures out to almost 11 dollars a pound, but you can't put a price on pure pleasure.......every time i have blue cheese i can't help but think of a cat i once had that we called mittens.........or more precisely a cat that once owned me.......she's been gone ......lord like 14 or 15 years now....but everytime i had blue cheese i had that crazy cat all over me.......i think the cat loved blue even more then i do....if that's possible........
very weird, the 3 loads i originally had for friday got delayed because of the storm and the fact that the piers were way behind, and this afternoon 2 new loads popped up, i'm really glad the first three got delayed, 5 loads in one day, and a friday to boot, that had 8 PM getting out of work written all over it.......plus i have a month end inventory to do which will add to the fun tomorrow is,
last day of the month can be weird.........oh maybe i better explain........i realize that by the calendar monday was the last day of February.......but in a fiscal calendar each quarter has 13 weeks and the 2nd month of each quarter always has 5 weeks (35 days) in it....so the shortest month of the year by the calendar is one of 4 35 day months fiscally.......yeah i agree makes no sense at all.......
but like magic, people seem to remember, that it's the last day to invoice the sales for the month and try to ram out everything they've been putting off doing.......lots of fun.........

anyhow did my usually thursday thing, banking, fill the car with gas, pay bills, run some errands....watch survivor.......as of yet have not really attached myself to any of the current group of players......

Wednesday, March 2, 2005

very strange day at work, the next few days looked very busy, but due to the storm that came up the east coast, and a snarl at the piers, nothing looks like it will move until next week, got a lot more done today then i could have hoped,.....particularly because i was feeling way under par......

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

just a routine day at work, that is to say totally off the wall, it's getting to the point that the crazy days far out number the sane one, this new concept of lean manufacturing probably makes a great deal of sense to the "suits" but for middle level supervisors and down it is a nightmare, it really sucks when you have 5 jobs that really have to get done "today" and time to do only 3 of them, i mean i understand it in theory but in practice it's for the birds........made a pot of pea soup tonight.......turned out pretty good but it's missing something.........it's good but not great......i need to figure out what to add to get it to the next level.........
rehearsal went great tonight, have added a few new people but everyone fit in pretty good.......